TRUMPET

(Fr. trompette, clarion; Ger. trompete; Ital. tromba).—(1) bra wind-instrument used in ancient medizeval and modern times, consisting of a cup-shaped mouthpiece and a long narrow tube bent twice on itself and terminating in a bell. The tube is mostly cylindrical, but widens and becomes conical towards the bell. T. is a transposing instrument with brilliant, penetrating tone. The natural t., without valves, side-holes, or slides, is generally used for military purposes and_ only gives the harmonic scale. In the XVII. cent. the slide t. was invented and improved so as to secure a chromatic compa .