The Trumpet

The trumpet is a shiny brass instrument. It has a long metal tube that curls around. Players buzz their lips into a small mouthpiece to make sound. The trumpet has a strong, bright voice that can be heard from far away.

How a Trumpet Works

A trumpet has three buttons called valves. When you press them in different ways, you get different notes. Players also change their lips to make high or low sounds. The trumpet has been used for over 3,000 years. Old trumpets did not have any valves.

Three trumpet players blowing their horns together in an old photo.
Three trumpet players blowing their horns together in an old photo. (Wikimedia Commons)

Trumpets in Music

The trumpet is used in many types of music. It is very important in jazz music. It is also part of an orchestra and marching bands. Louis Armstrong was one of the greatest trumpet players ever. The trumpet can play loud and exciting music.

Fun Facts

  • If you stretched out all the tubes of a trumpet, they would be over 6 feet long.
  • Trumpets were used long ago to send messages across battlefields.
  • The trumpet's valves were invented in the early 1800s.

Did You Know?

Ancient Egyptian trumpets more than 3,000 years old were found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun.