Buy Piccolo trumpet

Buy Piccolo Trumpets

The piccolo trumpet is a brass wind instrument designed to play high notes with greater ease and security. Its bright, distinctive sound burst onto the pop music scene, thanks to the song Penny Lane by the famous English group The Beatles. If you're thinking of buying piccolo trumpets, the following lines will provide you with information to help you make the right choice.

Ancient trumpets, such as those used in the Baroque period, had a slightly different construction from modern trumpets, as their tubes were twice as long. As a result, the old trumpets were tuned an octave lower than today’s trumpets, making it very difficult to play high notes. This led to the need for shorter-tubed trumpets, resulting in the development of modern trumpets, including the piccolo trumpet.

Characteristics of the Piccolo Trumpet

The piccolo trumpet, also known as the trumpet flugelhorn, is easily identifiable by its smaller size compared to other trumpets. Its shorter tube allows it to sound an octave higher than the B-flat mezzo-soprano trumpet. This facilitates hitting high notes with greater precision compared to other instruments in the brass family.

It also differs from other trumpets by having four valves instead of three, with the additional valve serving as a transposer. This valve allows the instrument to lower its pitch by five semitones, giving it an extra perfect fourth of descending range. For this reason, the piccolo trumpet has almost replaced the D trumpet in recent years.

In a regular trumpet, notes above C on the staff fall outside its harmonic range, making them sound very close together. In contrast, in the piccolo trumpet, those high notes are within the harmonic range and are more spaced apart. Thus, less control is needed to play and sustain these registers on the piccolo trumpet.

Other differences that the piccolo trumpet presents compared to a normal trumpet include:

• It does not have a main tuning slide.
• It features a removable mouthpiece receiver similar to the flugelhorn.

What is the Role of the Piccolo Trumpet in an Orchestra or Band?

This brass wind instrument is used for very high, loud, and soft passages that regular trumpets find difficult to execute. For example, in orchestral performances where the trumpet is consistently in a very high register. It is primarily used in Baroque music, where the French trumpeter Maurice Andre has become a leading performer of this instrument.

Most composers have traditionally used it to create an aura of anticipation or agitation in their compositions. Baroque works such as Bach's and Handel's clarino pieces are examples where this small trumpet is often employed.

How Difficult is it to Play a Piccolo Trumpet?

Due to its construction, the piccolo trumpet requires much less air than a normal trumpet, necessitating smaller breaths. This results in greater effort from the player compared to that required to play a standard trumpet.

Furthermore, having an additional valve with a transposing function implies that learning it is more complicated than a conventional trumpet. In fact, it is recommended to start training on the piccolo trumpet only after mastering the basic playing principles of a standard trumpet.

It is worth noting that some models of affordable piccolo trumpets, such as the Consolat de Mar TR-610, do not feature the transposing valve. These models may be suitable for beginners learning to play this instrument.

How Much Does a Piccolo Trumpet Cost?

The price of an affordable piccolo trumpet made by a recognized instrument manufacturer is around €300. On the other hand, a professional piccolo trumpet with gold plating costs approximately €4,000. Whatever your budget, at La Musa Instrumentos, you'll find the best price/quality ratio in piccolo trumpets.

What is the Difference Between a Piccolo Trumpet and a Pocket Trumpet?

As previously mentioned, a piccolo trumpet or flugelhorn has a shorter tube length than a normal B-flat trumpet, resulting in an instrument tuned an octave higher. In contrast, a pocket trumpet has the same tube length as a standard trumpet but features more curves, giving it a more compact size.

Aside from design, there are differences in how the piccolo trumpet and pocket trumpet are played, as the former requires more effort than the latter. Therefore, the way of inhaling and exhaling during play differs between these two instruments.

Where to Buy Piccolo Trumpets

La Musa Instrumentos is the online store for musical items where you can buy piccolo trumpets online that you need. On our website, you will find trumpets from the best brands in the market: Consolat de Mar, Stomvi, Bach, and B&S, as well as mouthpieces for trumpets, marching stands, and other accessories you need for your instruments.