The Five Types Of Trumpets During The Renaissance Era

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Renaissance means rebirth, which came from a revival of interests in art and literature. Trumpets changed constantly to expand their sound and accessibility to play. During the Renaissance age, trumpets had the biggest change in the types of trumpets made, the uses for them, and their abilities.
There are five main types of trumpets made in the Renaissance era: natural trumpet, flat trumpet, S-shaped trumpet, tower trumpet, and the slide trumpet. Trumpets, in the renaissance era did not have developed holes, crooks, or valves yet, which limited the notes available for play. The natural trumpet was the beginning of the trumpet history in the Renaissance. It could only play notes of the harmonic series, which were sharp or major keys. To change pitches, you would have to change out parts of the trumpet. Next, a new type of trumpet was made that could play in flat or minor keys called a flat trumpet. This extended the range of notes available to play. The S-shaped trumpet was longer than the other trumpets because of additional tubing. This trumpet folded upon itself forming an “S-shape”. It …show more content…

When trumpets were first used, they were set apart from anything that would suggest “music”. They were commonly used for signaling a message or instructions over a great distance. These signals would consist of a series of sounds or rhythmic patterns. Trumpets eventually would announce when royalty arrived such as noble employers, kings or rulers, and ambassadors. They were used for wartime maneuvers, peaceful periods, and tournaments. Ultimately when the trumpet’s ability to play more notes increased, they were finally considered an “art music”. Trumpets now played in ceremonies and celebrations as a part of musical groups. The uses for trumpets started out minimal but increased immensely with the ability to play more notes during the Renaissance

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