Trumpet, Natural
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The Natural Trumpet was used before valves were invented. It either played simple fanfares in the lower part of the range, or melodically in the upper part in music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Trumpets were made from thin sheets of brass or silver, which were rolled into tubes. Each instrument had five pieces of tubing, three of them straight and two curved bows to join them. Beeswax was used to seal the joints against leaks of air.
| Family |
| Brasses |
| Pitch range |
| Limited notes, or harmonics, within a three octave range. |
| Material |
| Brass or silver. |
| Size |
| Variable, depending on the pitch : this example is about 30 in (70 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| The long trumpet came into Europe through Spain from North Africa ; examples were also brought home by Crusaders returning from the Middle East. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| In 17th and 18th-century Germany, only members of the Trumpeter's Guild were allowed to play. Anybody else would have his trumpet smashed and his teeth knocked out. |
