Whether it’s the loud and forceful reveille military wake up call, or the sad, solemn melody of Taps, the sound a trumpet is familiar across the country. Today’s trumpets are formed through an oblong shaped, bent brass tube, and three long valves that result in various pitches. The sound from the trumpet is created by the musician blowing air through closed lips, or “buzzing” into the mouthpiece. Changing the shape and opening of the mouth, as well as pressing each valve, allows for different pitches to be formed.
The earliest trumpets looked quite different than the ones that are recognized today. King Tutankhamen was buried with the first known trumpets, which were made of bronze and silver and resembled the shape of a bugle. King Tut’s trumpets were composed of a single long tube, connected to a bell-shaped end, and had none of the complexity of the modern-day instrument. Other ancient trumpets, including an ornate version from the Moche people of Peru, have been found as artefacts or in the art from diverse cultures throughout the world.
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