Trumpet, wind instrument sounded by the vibration of the player's lips against a mouthpiece. Trumpets made of large conch shells are found as ritual instruments in many cultures. The modern trumpet has three valves and a bore that is partly cylindrical, partly conical. The standard orchestral trumpet, built in B-flat, has a range of about three octaves extending upward from the F-sharp below middle C. Models in D, C, and other pitches also exist. All are notated as if pitched in C (written C sounds B-flat for a B-flat trumpet), thereby allowing players to switch instruments without learning new fingerings.
