Trumpet lessons in Miami

The basics

• The trumpet is a brass instrument, a valved aerophone sounded by lip vibration.
• The player buzzes the lips into a mouthpiece, which starts a standing wave in the air column of the instrument.
• Modern trumpets usually have three valves, sometimes four; each valve adds tubing when pressed, which lowers the pitch. Most use piston valves, some use rotary valves.
• The most common trumpet is pitched in B♭, so it sounds a whole step lower than written.
• The standard written range runs from F♯3 to C6; higher and lower notes are possible.
• Trumpet-like instruments were signalling devices in battle and hunting as far back as the 2nd millennium BC; they became musical instruments only in the late 14th or early 15th century.
• Trumpets appear in orchestras, concert bands, chamber groups, jazz ensembles, popular music and school bands. Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis are influential jazz trumpeters.