Trumpet: Encyclopedia II - Trumpet - Construction

Trumpet - Construction

The trumpet is made of brass tubing bent into a rough spiral. Although the bore of the trumpet is said to be mostly cylindrical, it is formed from a complex series of tapers, the smallest being at the mouthpiece receiver, and the largest being at the throat of the bell, before the flare for the bell begins. Careful design of these tapers is critical to the intonation of the instrument. Sound is produced by blowing air through closed lips so as to produce a "buzzing" effect through vibration, which creates a standing wave of vibrating air and metal in the trumpet. The trumpet player can select the pitch from a range of overtones or harmonics by changing the lip aperture tension. Valves increase the length of the tubing and thus change the overtones of the instrument. Three valves make the trumpet fully chromatic, allowing the player to play in all keys. The sound is projected outward by the bell.

The mouthpiece provides a comfortable receiver to allow the lips to play without touching the sharp and restricting edge of the trumpet's tube itself. The shape of the mouthpiece affects the timbre or quality of sound and the ease with which it can be played. Deeper cupped mouthpieces are best suited for expansive, lower-register orchestral performance, while shallow-cupped "pea-shooter" mouthpieces are used for the extreme high register passage (e.g. double high c). The rim diameter can be either big or small; a large rim allows for more assured striking of the notes, making it less likely for the player to split the note. A smaller rim improves endurance but decreases flexibility.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Construction", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki