__________________________________________________________________
When one thinks of monumental Jazz musicians, people such as Miles Davis or Louis Armstrong come to mind. During military and Remembrance Day ceremonies, which instrument leads the charge? In any typical ensemble, which instrument commonly plays the melody above all else? Ever since 1500 BC, trumpets have been an instrument of high honour. With their powerful, melodious sound and difficulty to master, there is no wonder why variations of this horn have been used in multiple cultures throughout the ages. I myself have been playing trumpet for five years, and find it a challenging but fun instrument. Below is a sample of myself playing one of my favourite Jazz Ensomble songs, Five Star Funk:
Whether you play the trumpet or not, here are 5 facts about the instrument that anyone would find interesting.
1. Trumpets were found in Tutankhamun’s Tomb
Upon discovery, Tutankhamun’s Tomb held many riches, including bronze and silver trumpets. They may not have had the complex structure of today’s instruments, but functioned with the same principles of breath support and vibration.
2. You Can Play 45 Different Notes on It
You may have to be highly skilled to reach some of them, but the trumpet has a more than capable range of around 45 notes. This is incredible due to the instrument only having three valves and 7 positions to work with.
3. The World’s Largest Trumpet is 32 Meters Long
No I didn’t mean to write feet. This incredible feat of musical invention was created by Benny J Mamot and has a bell diameter of of 5.2 meters. Suprisingly, you can actually play it with the help of an air compressor.
4. Toyota Built a Trumpet Playing Robot
Building a robot that can play the violin or piano is not too hard of a task; all you need is articulating parts and a computer to play the keys and your golden. A robot that can play the trumpet however, is an entirely different story. Toyota found a way to do this however through a mix of careful air compression and programming, and displayed the musical marvel for the world to see.
5. The Highest Notes Ever Hit on a Trumpet is in the Quadruple Range
When playing an instrument such as a guitar, a high note merley means moving up a few frets. Even with other wind instruments such as saxaphone, there are octave keys. With trumpets however, it’s all in the lips and the lungs, which makes this feat all the more impressive. If you want to know what I’m talking about, watch below:
https://youtu.be/25nsYkcg2mw
__________________________________________________________________
Sources:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpet
Ghost Music: further thoughts on the trumpets of Tutankhamun
Top 10 Facts About The Trumpet
Hi Emily!
I love your blog! It is very unique! I also love that you put sources to enhance the blog post! Keep up the good work!
-Lexie
Dear Emily,
I really like you blog post. It was very cool and I enjoyed learning more about the trumpet. Furthermore, I play the trumpet too. I have been playing for almost two years and I love it. I play the trumpet in the concert band at my school. Do you play in a band? Lastly, come check out my blog. Here is the link https://morgank1.blogspot.com/ .
From,
Morgan