The Anatomy of a Trumpet for Reference.
The Many Variables
The Lips
Like all sound waves, the trumpet requires a source. In this case the source will come from vibration cause by the buzzing of the musician’s lips, making the trumpet an example of a closed air column. When the musicians make this buzzing noise, he/she can also adjust the pitch by increasing or decreasing the tension between the lips. Just like in stringed instruments, when the tension is lower the pitch is lower, and when the pitch is higher, the tension is higher. This all happens due to the ability of our lips to act like a spring; when pulled away from their rest position they will spring back into place. This has a pattern when played into a mouthpiece, this visual shows the pattern.
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The Mouthpiece
This is the mouthpiece for a trumpet, many other instruments require mouthpiece to control or focus the energy from the source. Many other brass instruments have mouthpieces similar to the trumpets, only more narrow or a bigger cup diameter to be well adjusted to the instrument the sound that it’s supposed to produce. A tuba has a very low pitch making it have a very large cup diameter, but a trumpet has a very high pitch in comparison. The mouthpiece’s job is to fit comfortably on the musician’s lips, keep all air focused in as possible and have a clean transition between backbones, to the instrument itself. Notice how in this visual the backbone of the mouthpiece widens so airflow and comfortably make this transition.
The mouthpiece bring high resonances, or different kinds of sounds to the trumpet then it usually would without it. The cup takes in all the vibrations created by the lips at a high frequency. This then get added length by the backbone of the mouth piece to lower the frequencies to a comfortable level. The frequency at which these waves are made can be altered with different mouthpieces with deeps cups. Also rather than being bowl shaped, the cup can be v-shaped. |
The Valves and Tuning Slide
Apart from the note C, described in the closed air column (Under Sound Production tab) the valves make it possible to play the other notes of the scale such as A,B,D,E, and F. This also allows for musicians to add sharps or flats to the notes played. The visual shows all the possible notes that can be played with the different combination that you can. There are three valves found on a trumpet and each can lower the pitch a certain amount be change the airflow of the trumpet. Lower pitch would mean lower frequency. The first valve will lower the pitch by one step, the second will lower the pitch by half a tone, and the third will lower the pitch by a step and a half. It lowers the pitch by increasing the length of the body. By increasing the length of the instrument we are creating resonance. Which is frequency and wave length remains unchanged but the length varies, altering sound waves.
The Tuning slide is used to tune the instrument into its fundamental frequency. The lips, and the embouchure of the player affect the frequency the player will play. For example, the frequency of the note C is 262 Hz. If a player with poor embouchure plays,the frequency can be lowered to 259 Hz (Flat sounding note), and if the player tenses his or her lips too much but not enough to create another note, it can be 265 (Sharp sounding note). Due to this trumpets are made naturally sharp (Shorter length), so that players can adjust to the perfect frequency. This tuning slide, slides outward which lengthens the airflow to the bell therefor making the frequency lower (Flattens the naturally sharp frequency). To help smoothly move this slide, there is a brace (pillar like attachment) which helps move the slide freely. There are also small tuning slide that are especially meant to the valves. Also lengthening the airflow, these tuning slides can be used to help reach lower notes that might be hard to hit without lengthening the trumpet. |
The different notes that can be played with various valve combinations.
A valve when left alone (c), and a valve pressed (d).
A tuning slide or a brace on a trumpet.
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The Bell
Finally the bell of the trumpet, where all sound is leaving the trumpet. The bell is used to direct the longitudinal waves parallel from the trumpet. It is a great sound radiator that amplifies sound and its quality. But it does more than just that, the bell actually has a role in the acoustics of the instrument. It achieves this by amplifying lower resonances to create use of potentially lost sound. This does not affect the high resonances as they are already in full use.
The bell can carry attachments we call “mutes”. It will alter the sound of a trumpet by making the wave go toward the trumpet instead, or muffles the sound by making the exit of the sound to leave smaller. They are called mutes because they tend to make the sound of the trumpet quieter. This is by cupping the sound, rather than sound waves travelling directly parallel, they get sent in different directions. |
This trumpeter uses several different mutes to produce various types of sounds by altering the waves that are leaving the trumpet.
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