Non-Standard Trumpet Guide

If you're looking for something other than a Bb trumpet, there are umpteen types of horns to choose from. Here is a short overview of the instruments and how they're used.

Piccolo Trumpets in C/Bb, Bb/A, Bb/A/G, and G

The most common mistake a first-time buyer of a piccolo trumpet makes is that of assuming that the horn automatically fascilitates playing in the clarino (high) register. If your range isn't developed up there, a piccolo trumpet won't help and you'll be throwing your money away.

The Bb/A piccolo trumpet was pretty much the standard for a number of years, but the C/Bb is increasing in popularity, as is the piccolo trumpet in G.

The cheap piccolo trumpets available on eBay are not of professional quality- they have intonation issues, uneven tone, and are a dog to work with even for a professional player. But to noodle around on they do give the novice piccolo trumpet player an idea of what playing the picc is all about, and if it turns out that clarino playing is not something you'll be great add, it's a lot cheaper to find that out by spending $250 on a cheap picc than a high-end horn.

Amati makes a pretty good entry-level G piccolo trumpet for around $600, and sight reading off Bb parts is often done by "cheating", reading the part as though it were bass clef and adding three naturals or flats. For example, a Bb part written in A can be played by the G picc as C in the bass clef.

Soprano Trumpet in F, Eb, or F/Eb, or Eb/Bb

The soprano trumpet, especially in Eb, is a versatile little horn that in my estimation is a much better investment for the developing player than a piccolo trumpet. There is an abundance of repertoire for this instrument, from solo works to accompaniment to chamber music to brass emsembles of all sizes. A good soprano will give the player endless hours of playing pleasure.

The D Trumpet

Though the Eb soprano trumpet with a set of D slides is not as nice a horn as one built in D, it saves having to purchase a specialty horn that will only come out of its case from time to time.

The C Trumpet and the F contra-alto

The C trumpet has become pretty standard fare in modern symphonic playing, and, strange as this sounds, is cousin to the F contra-alto trumpet. The reason for this is that the usable range of the F contra-alto is identical to the C, the idea being that the extra tubing lends the instrument a truer trumpet sound, especially for works from the 19th century and before.

The Bb Trumpet, the 8' natural trumpet (tenor trumpet) and the Eb contra-alto

What do the 8' natural Bb (double-length or tenor) trumpet, the modern Bb trumpet and the Eb contra-alto trumpet have in common? Despite appearances, they all play in exactly the same register. The natural trumpet is twice as long, not for range, but for bringing the partials close enough together so that it is possible to play scales. Having valves, the Bb trumpet is able to do the same thing while being only half as long. The Eb contra-alto, on the other hand, has a usable range that is identical to the Bb. As with the F contra-alto, the Eb contra-alto's extra tubing is there to lend the instrument a truer, more martial trumpet sound.

The Bb Cornet

I'm mentioning the Bb cornet here because the modern Bb trumpet is not a trumpet, but in reality is a type of cornet that came into being in Perinet-valve form circa 1910. A European rotary-valve version came into being in the 1880's but was little-known in North America. Circa 1910 the "long-model" cornet, which looks exactly like the modern Bb trumpet, came into being. Within a year or so after that the modern Bb trumpet with Perinet valves appeared on the scene.

Viewed side by side, the long-model cornet and Bb trumpet are nearly identical. The only apparent differences are the lead-pipe, mouthpiece-receiver and mouthpiece. In terms of proportion, on average both are 65% conical and 35% cylindrical. Real trumpets, on the other hand, are just the opposite, being 65% cylindrical vs 35% conical.

It is said that a well-trained ear can tell the difference between a cornet and a trumpet, but the flaw in this assertion is that there are just as strong differences between different models of trumpet and cornet. There is a slight difference in the way cornets perform, because generally the slope of the conical tubing is more pronounced than the version called the Bb trumpet, which makes for slightly flattened partials and therefore more responsive flexibilities. But taken as a whole, there are Bb cornets with less conical tubing than Bb trumpets, just as there are Bb cornets with more conical tubing. Some Bb cornets sound just like Bb trumpets and some Bb trumpets sound just like Bb cornets.

The soprano trombone, aka "slide trumpet"

The soprano trombone, which was very popular in the 1910's and 1920's, is making a big comeback, and some of the cheap horns are surprisingly good. A staple of Moravian trombone choir music, these horns are now available in Eb soprano and Bb piccolo.

In the 1910's and 20's, jazz greats such as Freddie Keppard and Louis Armstrong played the soprano trombone and were often photographed with the instrument, but tragically there are no known recordings of this instrument that date from this time.

I've heard a lot of bad soprano trombone playing in the last ten years by some otherwise very good trumpet players, and the problem I've identified is that these hotshots think they can somehow play this instrument with the same facility they have on the trumpet. The best soprano trombone players I've heard have all been tenor trombonists, so obviously approaching this instrument as a trombone is what yields the best results.

The G Soprano Bugle

In actuality the G soprano bugles made by such companies as Kanstul and Getzen are really a G alto trumpet. Although they are intended for playing drum & bugle corps music, these are not horns to be taken lightly, especially considering the prohibitive cost of a professional alto trumpet in F or Eb. It doesn't cost that much to have a set of slides made to take these horns down to F or Eb or both, and played with an alto horn mouthpiece these horns become a true alto trumpet at one-third the cost of the high-end horns, which can cost over $3000. If it sounds like reading will be a problem when playing in G, one can easily "cheat" by reading a Bb part as though it were bass clef and adding three naturals for flats. Playing a part in A on Bb trumpet, in other words, becomes reading the part as C in the bass clef on G soprano bugle.

The Alto Trumpet in F and Eb

Bach has sadly discontinued their 187f, which was a very fine instrument. The 187f now joins a number of discontinued alto trumpets made primarily by Bach and Getzen. There is still the LTR 651 model rotary-valve Eb alto trumpet made by Lidl, and the aforementioned G soprano bugles for which you can have slides made for lowering the pitch to F and Eb.

The Contra-Alto Trumpet in F, Eb and D

The contra-alto trumpet in F, Eb and D is a true trumpet that is used for playing classical music, especially from the 19th and 18th centuries. This is a very different instrument from an alto trumpet. The alto uses either an alto horn mouthpiece or a trumpet mouthpiece that has the same size cup diameter as the Eb alto horn. The contra-alto, on the other hand, uses a Bb trumpet mouthpiece. As well, the F contra-alto has the same exact usable range as the C trumpet, the Eb contra-alto has the same exact usable range as the Bb trumpet, and the D contra-alto has the same exact range as the now-rare trumpet in A.

The reason for this is that the 2nd partial (low C) tends to be very flat. From there on up, however, the intonation is spot-on, which is why contra-altos don't come with valve slides. They don't need them.

The Bb Tenor Trumpet

There is much confusion about the Bb tenor trumpet these days. Some refer to certain models of Bb bass trumpet as a "tenor trumpet", possibly mistakenly inferring some connection in range to the tenor trombone, which is in the same range and key, and can use the same mouthpiece.

The Bb tenor trumpet, however, is a double-length Bb trumpet that is used to perform classical music from the 18th century and earlier. The addition of valves to the natural 8' instrument is meant to improve intonation and to provide full chromatic capability. The valves are generally not used to get from note to note, as they are with other trumpets.

The Bass Trumpet

Generally speaking there are two very different types of bass trumpets: those older Bb instruments with Perinet valves appearing on eBay made by companies such as Lidl and Getzen (the new Lidl's have rotary valves), and those in CC with a larger bell and often having four rotary valves.

If you take a careful look at the old Lidl's, you'll see right away that they are a Bb trumpet with lots of extra added tubing, a larger bell, and a larger lead-pipe. These horns were mass-produced for use in bands, often in the former Soviet Union. Some of them are almost entirely conical.

The CC rotary-valve horns are very different in both design and sound. These are the horns most often used to perform classical music.

The Contrabass Trumpet in F and Eb

I've seen very few contrabass trumpets, but those I've seen have been in either F or Eb and were played with a very small F or Eb tuba mouthpiece.

Two Types of Trumpet That Don't Exist, But Should

The Ab Mezzo-Soprano Trumpet

Like the Eb contra-alto trumpet, which is the true Bb trumpet, I'd like to own an Ab mezzo-soprano trumpet, which would have a usable range identical to the Eb soprano trumpet. This horn would have a bigger, richer sound than the Eb soprano, and would have better intonation. Why no one has thought to make one is beyond me.

The Eb Alto Slide Trumpet

I want someone to make this instrument if only to prove a point: that slide trumpets and slide trombones are different instruments. I'm not convinced that the Bb soprano trombone is what it claims to be. I think it is a trumpet, and making an Eb alto slide trumpet would prove the point. I'd likewise like to see a G alto trombone made, to be used in place of the Bb soprano. It would be played with a 20.00 mm cup diameter mouthpiece and would have a true trombone sound in the high range. You might refer to it as a mezzo-soprano trombone.