ALL 12 Types Of Trumpets (Differences Explained!)

Discover the many different types of trumpets
What makes each trumpet different from the other?
What are the characteristics of each trumpet?
Also, check out our post on types of musical instruments!

Everyone is probably familiar with the look and sound of the trumpet and could probably even identify a favorite piece of music played on the trumpet.

Taps? The Imperial March? Flight of the Bumblebee? All you Need is Love?

But did you know that there are over 12 different types of trumpets that are played today?

Different Types Of Trumpets

The 12 most common types of trumpets are:

The B♭ Trumpet
The Cornet
The Piccolo Trumpet
The Pocket Trumpet
The Bugle
The Natural Trumpet
The Flugelhorn
The C Trumpet
The D/E♭ Trumpet
The Slide Trumpet
The Bass Trumpet
The Plastic pTrumpet

It’s possible that you could have identified a few of these unusual trumpets, such as the Bugle or Flugelhorn.

But if you are curious about all these types of trumpets, read on!

1. The B♭ Trumpet

The trumpet we are all most familiar with, that you will see in marching bands and orchestras and know the sound of, is the B♭ trumpet. It is a common instrument in pop, rock, jazz, and blues.

It gets its name from the fact that when playing a C note, the pitch heard is actually that of B♭. For this reason, music is transposed for this instrument according to this tuning.

If you are learning trumpet, this is most likely the first instrument you will be introduced to.

This type of trumpet is a derivative of the cornet and was invented in the 1800s. It has a slightly brighter and brassier sound than its predecessors, which worked better for the ensemble music of the time.

2. The Cornet

The B♭ trumpet was actually developed from the cornet, though cornets are still in use today.

The cornet also plays in the key of B♭, though you can identify a cornet because it looks slightly shorter and wider than a trumpet (though it has the same length of tubing).

It also has a slightly mellower sound. Any music that can be played on a trumpet can be played on a cornet, and vice versa.

Many of the notes and fingerings are the same in today’s music.

3. The Piccolo Trumpet

The Piccolo trumpet is the smallest trumpet available, though it is different from the Pocket trumpet (see below).

The Piccolo trumpet also plays in the B♭key, though it is smaller and plays an octave above.

Due to its compact and unique tubing, it has a bright sound and a high range and is typically used for religious music.

If you want to hear the piccolo trumpet in action, listen to Penny Lane by the Beatles.

Additional tubing can be added to the piccolo trumpet to allow it to be played in the key of A.

4. The Pocket Trumpet

Another small version of the trumpet is the Pocket trumpet.

Unlike the piccolo trumpet, which has a different sound from the B♭ trumpet, the Pocket trumpet is actually a condensed version of the B♭ and produces a very similar sound, though some find it to be a slightly warmer sound due to the condensed tubing.

Basically, the purpose of the pocket trumpet is the ease of use–it is a more portable version of the B♭ trumpet.

Often Pocket trumpets are given to beginners or kids who may have difficulty holding and transporting the longer B♭ trumpets (though if your kids are learning on a Pocket trumpet, experts recommend getting a good-quality instrument).

5. The Bugle

Many people could identify the Bugle as a form of a trumpet, if only because they have seen it used in the movies to play first call/reveille or other military music.

Traditionally the Bugle did not have valves, though many modern Bugles now have valves for ease of use.

To play a valveless Bugle or trumpet, the player changes notes by changing their embouchure or the position of the mouth on the mouthpiece.

Bugles are still used in many military applications.

6. The Natural Trumpet

The predecessor of the Bugle was the Natural trumpet, which is also known as the Baroque trumpet.

This was one of the first trumpets and was very popular during the Baroque period. Like the Bugle, it has no valves and was played by embouchure alone.

The Natural trumpet had a whopping 8 feet of tubing–which is longer than today’s B♭ trumpet.

Playing this instrument was quite physically demanding and required a great deal of skill (which may be why so many alternatives were developed from this original model).

It takes a great deal of skill to play this trumpet since the notes are made by ear alone, though it allows players to play a wide variety of notes as they master the skill.

7. The Flugelhorn

Like the bugle, it is possible that music fans today could identify a Flugelhorn, if not by sound or appearance, then at least by name.

The Flugelhorn originated in Germany. It has longer tubing and a slightly looser build, which gives it a more mellow tone than regular trumpets.

It is commonly used in mellow jazz or lyrical ballad arrangements, though it rarely features as a solo instrument.

The Flugelhorn is large in size, though it can produce both soprano and bass notes.

Many experts advise that the Flugelhorn is not suitable for beginners but rather is a good addition for a player adept at the trumpet already.

8. The C Trumpet

The C trumpet looks similar to the B♭ trumpet but plays in the key of C rather than B♭. This is helpful if playing music you don’t want to transpose.

The C trumpet also has a slightly brassier and higher-pitched tone than the B♭ trumpet. It is commonly used in orchestral music.

9. The D/E♭ Trumpet

The D trumpet has perhaps the most piercing sound of the trumpets and allows musicians to achieve all sorts of pitches that wouldn’t be possible with other instruments.

For a good example of the D trumpet, listen to Handel’s Messiah. Ravel and Stravinsky also wrote for the D trumpet.

The D trumpet was added to ensembles starting in the Baroque period as well.

Additional tubing can be added to D trumpets to make them E♭ trumpets, which allows for even more diversity of sound.

Trumpet players have a lot of options when it comes to the sound they want to create!

10. The Slide Trumpet

Yes, think trombone. The slide trumpet was a precursor to today’s trombones, though the slide trumpet was very popular on its own during the renaissance period.

The slide trumpet doesn’t work exactly like a trombone, however.

The slide is actually closer to the mouthpiece, so the player moves the trumpet to change notes rather than just moving the length of the slide.

It is considered to be more difficult to play than today’s trombones.

11. The Bass Trumpet

A bass trumpet may sound like a little bit of an oxymoron, but they are used to create a slightly stronger and lower tone than other trumpets, similar to a trombone.

It looks like a hybrid of a trombone and a trumpet and is played in a similar fashion.

12. The Plastic pTrumpet

Designed for kids who were just learning to play the trumpet, this plastic trumpet was invented to provide a lightweight, fun, and inexpensive way to get kids playing.

The sound is decent and similar to a regular trumpet.

Available in a variety of colors, the pTrumpet allows kids to develop good technique before they move up to a regular B♭ trumpet or one of the other instruments listed here.

It shares the tuning and playing style of a regular B♭ trumpet.

Wrapping Up

Curious about trumpets? There are a number of types of trumpets that are still in use today.

If you are a musician that is excited about the different tones possible from a variety of instruments, the range of trumpets might be completely astonishing.

If you already play the trumpet, why not try out one of these other varieties?

You may find that you really like the sound and challenge of these similar-but-different varieties.

FAQs

Who Invented The Trumpet?

The trumpet has a long history, though what we currently think of as a trumpet originated in the 18th century. Natural trumpets were in use in the 1400-1500s, though the valve was not created until the 1700s.

What Is The Best Trumpet For A Beginner?

A beginning trumpet player will learn on a B♭trumpet in most cases. This is the most common trumpet, and the majority of trumpet music is available for this instrument.

A beginner who is very small or needs a slightly smaller instrument could also use a plastic trumpet or pocket trumpet to get started and will eventually move to a regular B♭ instrument.

What Is The Littlest Trumpet Called?

The Piccolo trumpet is the smallest instrument. It has a different sound from the B♭trumpet, most commonly seen today.

The Pocket trumpet is a more compact version of the B♭ trumpet and often gets confused with the Piccolo trumpet.

The cornet is similar to the B ♭ trumpet and is played in a similar fashion, though it has a slightly different sound.

Before you go, check out our guide to The 11 Hardest Instruments To Play, Learn (And Master)!

ALL 12 Types Of Trumpets (Differences Explained!)