Musical Instrument: Trumpet
Since ancient times, the pipe has been used as a signal musical instrument, due to its shrill sounding, it warned in time of danger, attracted attention and supported combat courage. And in the Polish city of Krakow, there is still a story about the hero-watchman, who, despite his injury, was able to warn the inhabitants of the impending danger. He managed to make a sign in time about the approach of the enemy troops in the copper pipe, but he did not finish playing until the end. Until now, the call signal in this city is a melody that suddenly ends at the last sound.
In process of perfection the pipe began to occupy more and more significant place in musical culture. Initially possessing the ability to perform only individual notes, it eventually turned into a full-fledged instrument, for which many composers began to compose individual works.
The history of the pipe and many interesting facts about this musical instrument, read on our page.
Sound
Clear, expressive, brilliant, sometimes even shrill - this is how the pipe’s voice can be described. It has a characteristic rich timbre, which gives the sound of the orchestra majesty and pathetichnost. Also, the sound of the pipe is used to give the music a dramatic character, when the internal tension reaches its climax. The voice of this instrument creates heroic, strong-willed and courageous images, he knows how to sound very quietly and gently, but at the same time and surprisingly powerful, when he voices battle scenes.
Pipe range from the mi of the small octave to the third octave, but this is not the limit, the skill of the musicians allows to increase it a little.
To expand the means of artistic expressiveness, trumpeters very often use the mute, a device that is shaped like a pear. Its main purpose is to change the strength of the sound and some sound effects. So, on the trumpet "forte" with a mute sound defiantly defiant, and "piano" gives the effect of sounding from a distance. With the help of a mute instrument can produce meowing, croaking and growling sounds, and also it helps the musician to create different images: from harsh and gloomy, to unusually gentle.
The pipe is a technically mobile instrument, on which the performer, depending on his skill, can masterfully play the most difficult passages and various trills.
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Interesting Facts
- The pipe may seem small and compact instrument compared to larger ones, such as a trombone or French horn, but if you straighten it, the pipe length will be about 190 cm, which is higher than the average person's height.
- The earliest pipes were made of various materials, including shells and wood.
- The largest pipe has a length of 32 meters, the diameter of the socket is 5.2 meters. The sound on it is played through an air compressor.
- The famous trumpet with the curved bell of the “Marten Committee” trademark, which belonged to the jazz legend Dizzy Gillepsy, was sold at Christie's auction in 1995 for $ 55,000.
- Such celebrities as James Hunt (race car driver), Richard Gere (actor), James Wood (actor), Justin Bieber (singer), Steven Tyler (rock musician), Samuel L. Jackson (actor), Paul McCartney (The Beatles ), Jane Mansfield (Actress).
- The highest note that was ever played on the trumpet, the "Before" the fourth octave.
- Two pipes, one silver and another bronze, were found in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. There were suggestions that they have magical power and their sound may cause the beginning of the war. These instruments were played in 1939, shortly before the Second World War, pipes also sounded before the Gulf War in 1990, and not so long ago they played the bronze tube again, one week before the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
- The first pipe fabrication factory was founded in 1842 in Paris by the outstanding musical instrument designer Adolf Sachs.
- The largest ensemble of trumpeters, which was attended by 1,166 participants, performed at a concert organized in the city of Oruro, Bolivia, on February 19, 2006. The ensemble of trumpeters was part of a large event with 5,000 different musicians.
- The longest line of trumpeters consisted of 105 performers and was involved in the event, organized at the football stadium of the city of Evel, in the UK, September 7, 2014.
- In Japan, Toyota in 2005 developed the first robot in the world that can play the trumpet.
- Tromba is what the Italians call the trumpet, trompette the French, die Trompete the Germans, trumpet the Americans.
Design
Modern pipes are made of brass - it is a special alloy of copper and zinc, then coated with varnish or electroplated coating containing silver, nickel, less often gold. In addition to brass, pipes are made of silver, copper, and sometimes of gold.
The pipe has the shape of a thin cylinder, which remains unchanged along the entire length, which gives the instrument its characteristic live sound. On the one hand, the pipe has an enlarged cup-shaped opening - this is the socket, on the other - the mouthpiece.
This instrument, folded twice in the shape of an oval, seems very compact, but if you straighten it, the length will be 1.5 meters, and sometimes more.
The pipe consists of the following elements: the main crown, bell, additional crowns, valves, mouthpiece.
A trumpeter with just 3 valves can extract 45 different sounds.
Application
The pipe is a universal musical instrument. The range of its application is very diverse - symphonic, brass, variety orchestras, jazz, funk, ska - jazz, rock and many other musical directions. The timbre of the trumpet is bright, clear, slightly harsh, and very often attracted the attention of composers from different eras. I.S. Bach, L.V. Beethoven, I. Brahms, F. Liszt, C. Debussy, D. Verdi, J. Bizet. D. Gershvin, G. Mahler, M. Mussorgsky, M. Ravel, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Scriabin, D. Shostakovich, P. Tchaikovsky, D. Verdi and many others trusted the pipe for solo moments. The trumpets sounded in solemn, heroic, and sometimes lyrical episodes.
In the brass band trumpet plays a leading role, she, like the violin in the symphony, plays the first voice.
Primo trumpet is also in jazz music. It became the symbol and soul of jazz when such varieties of the genre as Dixieland, New Orleans jazz, Chicago school and others appeared.
Repertoire and famous performers
The performance of the trumpet and its expressive possibilities are very large, and, admiring its beautiful and rich sound, the composers willingly wrote their works for her. Of particular note are the concert works of J. Haydn, I. Hummel, A. Goedicke, S. Vasilenko, A. Harutyunyan, A. Pakhmutova, M. Weinberg, A. Tomazi, R. Shchedrin, B. Blakher.
The performing repertoire for the pipe is very rich. Composers in their works have shown that this instrument is also virtuoso as a violin, gentle as a human voice and possesses the stylistic plasticity of a piano, and famous virtuoso performers such as M. Andre, L. Armstrong, D. Gillespie, T. Dokshitser, K. Brown, M. Davis, S. Nakaryakov, C. Baker, A. Sandoval, E. Calvert, G. Orvid, W. Morses, F. Hubbard and many others proved this with their skill.
Artworks
I. Haydn - Concerto for trumpet and orchestra in E-flat major (listen)
G. Tomasi - Concerto for trumpet and orchestra (listen)
How to choose a pipe for a child
The pipe is a tool that undoubtedly attracts close attention, including children. If the child heard the pipe and expressed a great desire to learn how to play this instrument, what parents should know. First of all, it is best to take the time to learn about the tube, you need to start at the age of 10-12 years old, the child’s body should already be sufficiently developed: a good lung volume, well-developed articulation and musical ear. Learning to play the trumpet is not easy, the trumpeter does not see the keyboard, but can only mentally represent it. The child should be ready, though not for long but systematic studies, only then the instrument will be submissive in the hands of the young musician. If your child is still quite small, in order to start practicing on the pipe, you can not postpone the initial period of musical education, but first master an instrument that is more suitable for age, for example, a piano or a block flute. It will be a very good base - the child will get acquainted with the musical literacy, will develop hearing, memory and attention.
Exercises on the tube, as doctors say, have a very beneficial effect on health: they strengthen the lungs and nervous system. Restless and unbalanced children turn into calm and restrained.
Training should begin with a good instrument, with a pleasant timbre, soft and light mechanics. Firms that produce pipes of various modifications are AMATI, BACH, BOSTON, BRAHNER, CONN, KING, ROY BENSON, VESTON, YAMAHA. Most models designed for beginner musicians and students, of sufficient quality and at a reasonable price.
Story
The history of the pipe begins in the distant past, information about this instrument reaches us from the Ancient World: Egypt, Greece, India, China. Preserved ancient drawings, which depict people playing the trumpet,
For most of its existence, this instrument could produce only one or two sounds and served mainly as fanfare on special occasions: court ceremonies, jousting tournaments, announcing the arrival of important guests, a royal wedding. The trumpet also accompanied religious rites or military operations, its sound was well audible over long distances and through the roar of battle. The pipes were played by specially trained people, who were treated with great respect.
Until the 14th and 15th centuries, these instruments were quite long, and it was very inconvenient to play them, then the pipes began to twist and the instrument acquired its characteristic shape. But it was still natural pipes, without valves, which could only extract the sounds of the natural scale.
In the 16th century, artisans from Nuremberg (Germany) began to manufacture and distribute these tools throughout Europe. And at the end of the century pipes began to be used in musical works, first a low register, and then the upper one.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the natural pipe reached the pinnacle of its development and was used with great success as part of the opera orchestra. We meet her in the works of Handel and many other composers. The role of the trumpet at that time is very modest: simple, short melodies based on triad sounds, signals and participation in harmonic accompaniment. Folded in the traditional form, the tool length ranged from 1.8 to 2.5 m.
A very important event in the history of the pipe was its mechanical improvement, invented in 1814 - this is a valve. The pipe has the opportunity to perform a chromatic scale, as well as more precisely intonate. The sound became more colorful and stronger. In 1832, the pipe was further improved: the valves were replaced with pump valves. The chromatic trumpet was introduced into the orchestra for a very long time, as composers treated it with great caution. Only in 1831 a new trumpet became part of the orchestra, and the first to recognize its virtues was R. Wagner.
Trumpet is an amazing tool that attracts attention and fascinates listeners from the first sound. It has not only a glorious history and is distinguished by the universality of its use, the pipe is capable of filling the entire universe with its magical sound. You can talk about all the virtues of this instrument, its unique timbre or its rich technique, for a very long time, but best of all, just listen to how it sounds.
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