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1500 BCE
The First Horns
Horns have been around for a long time, and the predecessors to brass instruments were made of whatever people could find. Horns were made of wood, metals, and animal parts. The most common horns were made of animal horns modified to produce sound. The name stuck for centuries to come, leaving modern-day brass instruments to still be called horns. The first horns had no way to bend the air inside the instrument and relied on the user to change the pitch with their air and embouchure. -
1450
Variations in Brass Instruments
During the Renaissance, brass instruments started to be experimented with and changed. Musicians started to develop new instruments which brought new possibilities never seen before to music. The creation of the slide trumpet brought a new perspective on instrument playing and making, as it brought a way to change the pitch by moving the instrument. Unfortunately, trumpets and horns were considered tools, rather than instruments, and were commonly outshined by instruments like the sackbut. -
Prominence of the Horn
Around 1700 instrument makers started to add different crooks to change the key of the horn. In 1705 the first horn was added to an orchestra by Reinhard Kaiser. The horn was mainly used to play the upper overtone series and added another layer of depth to the ensemble. -
Further Progress of the Horn
Around 1750 hornist Anton Joseph Hampel started using his hand in the bell of the horn to further change the pitch of the instrument. Though the technique was not invented by Hampel, other hornists in Dresden, Germany, had used the technique in the second movement of J. D. Heinichen's Sonata. The piece required notes outside the harmonic series of the horn, which could represent an experiment of the technique in 1719. Hampel popularized the technique and it revolutionized horn playing. -
The Keyed Trumpet
The keyed trumpet was invented by Anton Weidinger in 1796 and was designed to make playing chromatic series easier. The natural trumpet was notoriously hard to play, especially in the upper register, so Weidinger added keys. The invention was very short-lived, as the keys provided poor tone quality, but it was a prominent step in the progress of the trumpet. The keyed trumpet opened the door for the trumpet to become a chromatic soloistic instrument. -
Introduction of Valves
Heinrich Stölzel and Friedrich Blümel first patented the first design for the horn rotor in 1818. The implication of the rotor allowed air to be redirected inside the instrument to change the pitch produced. The design increased and German instrument makers started implementing it in their projects. Later, instrument makers from different parts of Europe started implementing the design and making their own take on the original design. -
Start of the Modern Era of Trumpets
In 1820 Heinrich Stölzel and Friedrich Blümel collaborated with instrument maker C.F. Sattler to create a trumpet with their newly patented rotary valves. The collaboration was a success, and the trio created a new era for the trumpet. The instrument could play the full chromatic range of the trumpet and grew in popularity. -
Birth of Jean-Baptiste Arban
Jean-Baptiste Arban was born on February 28th, 1825, in Lyon, France. Arban would come to be one of the best cornet players in France and publish his famous book. -
Creation of Piston Valves
French instrument maker, Francois Perinet, manufactured the first successful vertical piston valve for instruments in 1838. Perinet patented the design in 1839, and it led to a whole new variation of instruments. -
Besson Piston Valves
In 1859, Courtois and Besson collaborated to create an improved version of the Perinet valves. The valves Courtois and Besson created offered less resistance than the Perinet valves and were uniform in diameter throughout every design. The newly designed valves grew popular throughout England and France, while the rotary valves grew popular in Germany and surrounding countries. Today, the most common valves used for trumpets are piston valves, but rotary valves are preferred in Germany. -
Arban Publishes his Method
Jean-Baptiste Arban's book, titled "Grande Méthode Complète de Cornet à Pistons et de Saxhorn", is regarded as one of the most influential books in the field of trumpet playing. The book gives an in-depth guide on Arban's method and techniques of playing the cornet. The book is filled with valuable information for musicians and is regarded as "the Bible of trumpet playing". -
Birth of Vincent Bach
Vincent Bach was born on March 3rd, 1890, in Vienna, Austria. Bach would later come to create the "Vincent Bach Corporation" and the famous line of instruments named "Bach Stradivarius". -
Bach's Mouthpiece is Ruined by a Repairman
While on tour in Pittsburg, Bach's mouthpiece was ruined by a repairman. Bach could not find a suitable replacement, so he used his engineering skills to create a custom mouthpiece. Little did he know, this small event would set forth a chain reaction that would make him one of the most influential musicians of the modern era. People started begging him for duplicates of his mouthpiece, which caused him to open a shop. Bach would later expand his business into new fields, such as instruments. -
Bach Develops His First Trumpet
Bach decided to expand his business, so in 1924 Bach produced his first Stradivarius trumpet. Bach's design was intended to bring quality and consistency and quickly rose in popularity. Bach expanded production to a small factory in the Bronx, where he would later decide to produce more instruments, such as tenor and bass trombones. -
Renold O. Schilke Acquires 50% of Music Products, Inc.
Principal trumpet player of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ronald O. Schilke, would retire in 1951, and later buy 50% of Music Product, Inc.. Schlike changed the name of the company to Schilke Music Products, and demand for Schilke instruments increased greatly. Schilke instruments would continue to rise in popularity, and attract the attention of professional trumpet players. Schilke trumpets are still popular today and continue to be used by professional trumpet players due to their quality. -
Conn Selmer Company Buys the Vincent Bach Corporation
In 1961, Bach decided to sell his company to the Conn Selmer Company, despite getting better offers from others. Shortly after acquiring the Vincent Bach Corporation, Selmer developed a new series of Bach trumpets, known as the 180 series. Selmer also moved the production of Bach Stradivarius trumpets to Elkhart, Indiana. The move caused the new line of trumpets to boost production and popularity. Today the 180 series of Bach Stradivarius trumpets are still highly popular for trumpet players. -
Yamaha Corporation Manufactures the YTR-1
Yamaha entered the field of manufacturing brass instruments in 1966 with the Yamaha YTR-1 B-flat Trumpet. Since the creation of the YTR series, Yamaha has cemented itself in the music world. Today Yamaha "Xeno" series professional trumpets are highly desired and are commonly seen among the best trumpet players. Famous trumpet player, Allen Vizzutti, played exclusively on Yamaha trumpets, which brought popularity to the brand. -
High Brass of Today
Today the big brands among trumpet players are Bach and Yamaha, with Holton and Yamaha dominating the field of horn playing. There are many different options for musicians to choose from while playing instruments, with small differences in the manufacturing process offering unique features for playing. New variations for trumpets are still being made today, with models that specialize in the needs of beginner, casual, and professional players.