The Origins, Mechanics, and Physics of Trumpets Andrew Richards Introduction For the construction of bridges, the exploration

of the ocean depths, and man s reac h into space, the scientific implications are obvious. But what do science and m usic have to do with each other? According to The Scientific American, music is based on harmony, and harmony is based on physics, along with a bit of psycholog y and physiology. In the modern day, art and science go hand in hand in the stud y and creation of music, along with the manufacture of musical instruments (Saun ders, 1948). For the purposes of this research paper, we will focus on the scien ce of the trumpet. It is much easier to picture how the physics of instruments l ike the violin, viola, or cello work than it is for brass instruments. However, these seemingly completely different instruments work in remarkably similar ways (Benade, 1973). In this paper, I will address the history of the trumpet, the v alves, bell, mouthpiece, and how the trumpets air column behaves. The History of the Trumpet The earliest origins of brass instruments lie in large shells (Fig. 1), with the pointy end snapped off. The coiled inside of the shell made a coile d wind tube with an ovular cross section. The player simply blew into the shell, and the wind inside would make a loud, if not particularly musical, blast (John ston, 2002). The earliest known metal instrument of this style is a valve less h orn shown on ancient Egyptian pictographs (Fig. 2). Another early mention of the trumpet is in the bible, being used in the Israeli siege of Jericho (Johnston, 2002). In ancient Rome, another early style of trumpet, the buccina, was develop ed. The buccina was a long tube of brass ending in a flaring bell, and curved al most into a circle, enabling it to be carried on ones shoulder (Fig. 3). By the middle ages, the buccina had evolved into a very long pole called a buisine, and a shortened version called a clarion (Fig. 4). These medieval trumpets were mos t often used during occasions that required pomp and circumstance, as they were often two meters or more in length (Johnston, 2002). During the Renaissance peri od, the cornetto, (Fig. 5) the serpent, (Fig. 6) and the keyed bugle (Fig. 7) we re developed. These instruments were played out of the side of the mouth, not th e center like contemporary brasses. These instruments all came in a family of si zes, but were notoriously difficult to play, due to the minute difference in emb ouchure required to play different notes. Thus, these instruments did not last v ery long (Berg, Stork, 2005). The Valves Valves are one of the most important, if not the most important, thi ngs that set a modern trumpet apart from their historical brethren. Originally, trumpets were only able to play a very small portion of the chromatic scale due to the fact that the trumpet s length dictates its resonance. Originally, only the e mbouchure, or the way the player s mouth was shaped, could be actively adjusted, res ulting in a very limited range of notes. The valve changes the length of the tru mpet, and therefore the air column of the trumpet, and in turn the resonance, of the trumpet. The valve operates by diverting the air into a loop that lengthens the column, resulting in a change in pitch (Fig. 8). The addition of three valv es to the instrument we know as the bugle, or valveless trumpet, created the mod ern trumpet. These three valves lower the sound by one, two, and three semitones , respectively. (Berg, Stork, 2005) Air Columns Air column is a general term for a section of air enclosed by a rigi d solid, like a metal or wood. Air columns are capable of creating sound, as any one who has walked downtown on a windy day or heard a fireplace moaning knows. T his is because air is naturally elastic, and when compressed, it will return to its natural state fast, as anyone who has ever let the air out of a balloon quic kly knows. In other words, air will shoot back to its original point, overshoot it, come back, overshoot, come back, overshoot, and so on. Therefore, air can vi brate, and when a rigid material encloses it, it has many similarities to a stre tched string, like a violin, guitar, cello, and even a rubber band. The vibratio n of the air causes the air outside the bell to vibrate, causing a chain reactio

n, and creating sound waves. The column s vibration is contingent on a number of fac tors, including: A) Method of vibration (i.e. reed) B) Size, shape, and composition of mouthpiece C) Wind pressure and embouchure D) Whether open or closed E) Dimensions and makeup of walls F) Scale of the instrument G) Size of openings, i.e. mute, and: H) Additional reinforcement The Bell The bell is perhaps the most recognizable trait common to brass inst ruments. The bell is the part of the trumpet at the end of the brass tube that g ently flares outwards. The bell is designed to keep energy inside the instrument . Despite similarity in appearance, the bell on a trumpet does not serve the sam e purpose as the bell on a horn. The bell on a loudspeaker or foghorn serves the purpose of amplifying the sound of the horn. The bell on a trumpet lowers the t one of the note being played. The larger the bell is on the instrument, the deep er the sound is that comes out (Berg, Stork, 2005). The bell of the trumpet is d ifferentiated from the bell of a horn in other ways, as well. While the bell of a horn is almost a cone, the bell of a trumpet is shaped very differently. At th e start of the bell, the cone shape is apparent. However, as we move down the be ll, the cone gradually slopes outward, flaring more and more. This has a dramati c effect on the sound, particularly when coupled with the mouthpiece. The mute o f the trumpet (Fig. 9) lowers the pitch of the instrument by modifying the flare . By the same token, if one places one s hand inside the bell, the flare is reduced, and the pitch is lowered (Johnston, 2002). The Mouthpiece The mouthpiece (Fig. 10) is a bowl connected to a cylindrical pipe t hat connects to the trumpet. When one first sees it, one tends to think that it should behave like a closed organ pipe, and play only odd harmonics. However, th is is not true. The mouthpiece is shaped so that there is a pinch where the bowl meets the pipe, which has such a profound effect on the sound that it nearly in verts the wavelength. The pinch helps the trumpet achieve a full harmonic sequen ce, because the pinch makes the mouthpiece act like it has an open end (Johnston , 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, the trumpet utilizes many various components in order to further the goal of creating pleasant sounds. The bell, mouthpiece, valves, and barrel all work together in a harmony afforded by tens of thousands of years of research and practice that all started when an early human first blew into a shell or horn. In particular, the valves of the trumpet are incredibly innovati ve. At one time, if a brass player wanted to change key, he or she had to replac e a tube in the middle of a song. With valves, this was no longer necessary. Des pite the appearance of the trumpet, the basics of the trumpet are actually quite similar to a violin or cello, because the air column inside the instrument acts much like a taught string. The lips act as the bow, initiating the vibration, t he mouthpiece acts as the strings, enhancing the vibrations, and the barrel and bell acting as the body of the trumpet, amplifying the sound. In fact, almost ev ery kind of musical instrument has those three components, the generator, the re sonator, and the amplifier. Bibliography Ball, P. (2010). The music instinct. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. Bartholomew, W. T. (1942). Acoustics of music. New York, New York: Prentice Hall . Benade, A. (1960). Horns, strings, and harmony. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books. Berg, R. E., & Stork, D. G. (2005). The physics of sound. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall. Jean, J. (1953). Science and music. New York, New York: Cambridge University Pre

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