The well-known musical instrument called the trumpet dates back as far as 3,000 years B. C., with the Central Asian civilization called the Oxus. Constructed out of a single sheet of metal, these were a sophisticated technical achievement for the time. The tomb of King Tudankhamun of Egypt yielded trumpets fashioned out of bronze and silver. As they were in the 15th century, today's trumpets are mostly made of brass. Their shape resembles that of a huge, tube-shaped paperclip with a wide mouth at the end. The best trumpet mouthpiece plays a large part in getting the best sound out of the instrument.
The trumpet is known for having the highest register of the brass family of wind instruments. Within the paradigm of brass instruments, register may be defined as the pitch range resulting from different normal modes of the air column. A normal mode is a pattern of motion of the sound waves produced by blowing into the instrument. A higher register can be produced by a technique known as overblowing.
A characteristic called the 'embouchure, ' meaning the position of the musician's lips and their use of the muscles in the face, is one important contributor to the quality of sound that emerges from the business end of the instrument. The other critical factor is the construction of the mouthpiece.
The anatomy of the instrumental contributor to the emboucher is made up of several parts: the rim, the cup, the throat and the backbore. The shape of the rim controls the freedom of the lip muscles. A sharp-edged rim will produce a metallic tone; whereas, a rounded rim will yield a fuzzy sound. Too wide, and the rim interferes with flexibility. Too narrow, and it impedes slurring by digging into lip muscles and cutting off the circulation. While comfort and quality do not automatically go hand in hand, a medium wide rim gives the most comfort, endurance and flexibility.
The cup is responsible for the timbre, also described as the 'color', of the tone. A shallow cup will produce higher frequencies and a higher register together with a brilliant, bright tone. It will, however, lose the lower register. Conversely, a deep cup will help to mellow the higher tones and enrich the lower register. In general, a medium cup will result in the best overall tone for both the lower and higher registers.
The funnel shape of the entrance to the throat and the size of the hole controls air resistance. Too large, and the player will get worn out because the lips will get sucked into the cup; too small a throat will lower the high register. Like Goldilocks and her porrage, the middle ground is just right.
The purpose of the backbore appears to be to cover up deficiencies in either the embouchure or the other pieces of the mouthpiece. The decision of how to make this piece is best left to the skilled instrumentalist who makes it.
By manipulating the above factors, the musician can select the best trumpet mouthpiece for the specific use. A mouthpiece with a larger cup is better for playing in a concert band or for producing jazz. A smaller cup favors show bands, dixieland or rock.
The trumpet is known for having the highest register of the brass family of wind instruments. Within the paradigm of brass instruments, register may be defined as the pitch range resulting from different normal modes of the air column. A normal mode is a pattern of motion of the sound waves produced by blowing into the instrument. A higher register can be produced by a technique known as overblowing.
A characteristic called the 'embouchure, ' meaning the position of the musician's lips and their use of the muscles in the face, is one important contributor to the quality of sound that emerges from the business end of the instrument. The other critical factor is the construction of the mouthpiece.
The anatomy of the instrumental contributor to the emboucher is made up of several parts: the rim, the cup, the throat and the backbore. The shape of the rim controls the freedom of the lip muscles. A sharp-edged rim will produce a metallic tone; whereas, a rounded rim will yield a fuzzy sound. Too wide, and the rim interferes with flexibility. Too narrow, and it impedes slurring by digging into lip muscles and cutting off the circulation. While comfort and quality do not automatically go hand in hand, a medium wide rim gives the most comfort, endurance and flexibility.
The cup is responsible for the timbre, also described as the 'color', of the tone. A shallow cup will produce higher frequencies and a higher register together with a brilliant, bright tone. It will, however, lose the lower register. Conversely, a deep cup will help to mellow the higher tones and enrich the lower register. In general, a medium cup will result in the best overall tone for both the lower and higher registers.
The funnel shape of the entrance to the throat and the size of the hole controls air resistance. Too large, and the player will get worn out because the lips will get sucked into the cup; too small a throat will lower the high register. Like Goldilocks and her porrage, the middle ground is just right.
The purpose of the backbore appears to be to cover up deficiencies in either the embouchure or the other pieces of the mouthpiece. The decision of how to make this piece is best left to the skilled instrumentalist who makes it.
By manipulating the above factors, the musician can select the best trumpet mouthpiece for the specific use. A mouthpiece with a larger cup is better for playing in a concert band or for producing jazz. A smaller cup favors show bands, dixieland or rock.
