Chapter 1 The Instrument of Royalty In This Chapter ▶ Getting acquainted with the brass family ▶ Taking the first steps toward playing the trumpet ▶ Improving as a trumpeter ▶ Staying at the top of your game ings and queens have used the authority of the trumpet sound as part Kof their pageantry since the Egyptian pharaohs. That tradition con- tinues: The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana was accompanied by a brilliant trumpet solo, and modern-day royalty and other dignitaries are invariably announced by trumpet fanfares. More than any other instrument, the trumpet has always had a mystique about it. Nothing against the clarinet or the flute, but neither of those instru- ments blew down the walls of Jericho or announced the end of all things, as in Handel’s Messiah. By learning to play the trumpet, you’ve decided to be part of a wonderful tradition. All in the Family — The BrassCOPYRIGHTED Family, That Is MATERIAL The trumpet is a member of the brass family, which shares a rich history and development. All members of the brass family have one thing in com- mon, besides being made mostly of brass: They’re all sounded by the buzz- ing of the lips. (That makes them part of an even larger family, the lip-reed instrument group.) Every brass instrument has a mouthpiece, usually detachable from the instru- ment, against which the lips buzz. It, too, is made of a brass alloy. The mouth- piece consists of a rim on which the lips rest, a cup into which the air is blown, and a throat, which is a narrow opening that streams the air into the instru- ment. The mouthpiece channels the buzz created by the lips and helps create 005_9780470679371-ch01.indd5_9780470679371-ch01.indd 9 11/26/11/26/11 88:08:08 PMPM 10 Part I: Ta-Da! A Prelude to Trumpet Playing the standing sound wave that gives the instrument tone. (Turn to Chapter 2 for information on how mouthpieces are constructed and Chapter 5 for instruc- tions on how to produce a beautiful tone on the mouthpiece.) Every brass instrument also has a length of brass tubing that culminates in a widening of the bore (the inner measurement of the tube), called a bell. The bell serves to project the sound, in the same way that your hands cupped around your mouth help you to be heard at a distance. And all the modern brass orchestral instruments have a method of changing the length of the vibrating column of air to produce many pitches. But the members of the brass family all look different from one another, and they vary widely in size. In this section, I introduce you to the main members of the modern brass family. The trumpet The trumpet is the highest voice in the brass family, and it has an important role in orchestral, band, jazz, and popular music. As the top part, it is heard the most clearly and has a strong melodic role. The trumpet has a generally straight tube, with one or two bends to create an oblong shape, making it easier to hold. The trumpet was primarily a signaling device in ancient Egypt, Europe, and China. In the Medieval Era (from the 5th to the 15th centuries), the trumpet became more of a musical instrument, helped by the high status that it held in its military role. In the Baroque Era (from about 1600 to 1750), an early version of the trumpet called the natural trumpet or baroque trumpet attained promi- nent status. This simple instrument was a long narrow tube with two bends and a bell section. Unlike the modern instrument you might be used to seeing, the baroque trumpet (shown in Figure 1-1) had no valves. It was used by com- posers as a melodic instrument and required trumpeters to play in the extreme high register; only a few lower notes could be sounded. Handel and Bach wrote extensively for the natural trumpet, as did many other composers. Very few players were able to play this demanding instrument. Guilds were formed, with strict initiation and apprenticeship conditions in order to main- tain the highest possible skill level and to strictly define the trumpeter’s role in society. These organizations were similar to modern-day trade unions, only far more secretive and exclusive. After Bach and Handel, the guilds fell into disar- ray and the art of high trumpet playing was temporarily lost. It probably didn’t increase morale when Gottfried Reiche, the trumpeter who performed the incredibly high and difficult parts in the works of Bach, collapsed and died of a stroke the day after playing a particularly demanding concert. 005_9780470679371-ch01.indd5_9780470679371-ch01.indd 1010 11/26/11/26/11 88:08:08 PMPM Chapter 1: The Instrument of Royalty 11 Figure 1-1: The baroque or natural trumpet, a melodic instrument without valves, played in the music of Bach and Handel. In the late 18th century, a trumpet was developed that was able to play the normal diatonic scale (the doh-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-doh one you grew up listening to Julie Andrews sing) in the lower range of the trumpet. Since this fluency in the lower register was not possible on the natural trumpet, the new instru- ment was an exciting development. Haydn’s famous Concerto in E Flat and Hummel’s Concerto in E were both written for this new version of the trum- pet, called the keyed trumpet (shown in Figure 1-2). The fact that two of the most famous composers of the day wrote for this new instrument showed just how important the trumpet was and how significant it was that trumpets could now play fluently in all registers. The modern trumpet — the one you’re learning to play (see Figure 1-3) — emerged in the 19th century, along with the invention of the valves. (For more on valves, see the nearby sidebar, “The value of valves.”) Berlioz wrote for the valved trumpet. Later, Wagner, Mahler, and Strauss expanded the role of the orchestral trumpet. Military bands also used trumpets and their cousins, the cornets, extensively, and in the late 19th century, bands like the Sousa Band created a huge following for the cornet and trumpet soloists. In the 20th century, the trumpet became dominant in Dixieland jazz, big band swing, and modern jazz, as well as in symphonic music. 005_9780470679371-ch01.indd5_9780470679371-ch01.indd 1111 11/26/11/26/11 88:08:08 PMPM 12 Part I: Ta-Da! A Prelude to Trumpet Playing Figure 1-2: The keyed trumpet. Five keys could be opened or closed, allowing the trumpet to play scales in the lower, more accessible, range. Figure 1-3: The modern trumpet. But the traditional roles still apply: To this day, if a fanfare is required to announce a new building or a presentation of any kind, the trumpet gets the call and the trumpet (or bugle) still plays at ceremonies honoring fallen soldiers. 005_9780470679371-ch01.indd5_9780470679371-ch01.indd 1212 11/26/11/26/11 88:08:08 PMPM Chapter 1: The Instrument of Royalty 13 The value of valves Valves are historically very important to the change, so does the pitch of the sound, which development of the modern trumpet. If it weren’t allows you to play different notes. If the tube is for valves, we’d still be clinging to the backs of lengthened, the note is lowered; if the tube is horses or the sides of stage coaches, trying des- shortened, you hear a higher pitch. These notes perately to squeak out the right signals without are like words in a musical language, giving you falling off or bashing our teeth in, getting shot at the ability to communicate musically. as we try to organize the troops on the battle- In North America, the valves are usually cyl- field, or playing just a few low notes in classical inders that go up and down; these are called symphonies. So, if you get frustrated when you piston valves. In much of Europe, the changing practice your trumpet fingerings, just imagine of the tubing is effected by rotary valves, which the alternative — it could be a lot worse. rotate, as the name implies, opening up the dif- What the valves do is quickly and temporarily ferent lengths of tubes, called crooks or slides. change the length of the standing sound wave, (See below for a photograph of piston and rotary by blocking or opening different sections of valves. The pistons are on the top and are the tubing. If the length of the tubing and sound wave most common type of valve in North America.) The fingers of the right hand must move these daily regimen, and you have to put in the time to valves with quickness and accuracy. So, we develop your agility. In Chapters 7 and 8, I offer practice. That’s not all we practice, but agility on exercises you can do to increase your skill with the valves is an important part of the trumpeter’s the valves. 005_9780470679371-ch01.indd5_9780470679371-ch01.indd 1313 11/26/11/26/11 88:08:08 PMPM 14 Part I: Ta-Da! A Prelude to Trumpet Playing The horn The horn is a close relative to the trumpet, sharing much of the same histori- cal signaling role. It’s descended from the hunting horn and, before that, from hollowed-out animal horns (see Figure 1-4). The earliest horns were used for signaling, because they produced a sound that’s louder than the human voice, with greater projection.