One of the loudest of all the instruments in the orchestra is the trumpet. As the soprano voice of the brass family, it is the highest pitched of the brass instruments. Its brilliant sound produces high brassy notes. Sometimes the player uses a mute to make a completely different sound. There are many types of mutes, each with its own sound.
The first trumpet was used in Egypt 4,000 years ago but it did not have valves. Throughout the years since then, the trumpet has been connected with nobility and fanfares. It also plays an important role in marching bands and in jazz music.
The trumpet of today is made of 4 feet of coiled, mainly straight tubing. Trumpet players buzz their lips into a cup-like mouthpiece to make the sound. Three valves are used to open and close different lengths of the trumpet tubing to allow the player to change pitches. The player can also change pitches by tightening or loosening his/her lips.
The trumpet usually carries the melody when playing in the orchestra.
