10 little known facts about Trumpets that you might not know

Similar to any other musical instrument, trumpets, itself, also very greatly unique features that can't be found in others. Here are some little known facts about Trumpets for you to know. Hope that you will enjoy this article as well as great facts about this brass instrument.

TRUMPET

• A trumpet may seem short and compact when compared to larger brass instruments, such as the trombone, but this small instrument contains roughly 6 1/2 feet of tubing. That’s taller than the average human being, yet the instrument can fit comfortably in your hands.
• Trumpets are known for being used in bands and orchestras, but they also has a military component. Armies dating back to medieval times have used the trumpet as a signal device because of its loud, rich tone that can be heard over long distances.
• The trumpet has been around since ~1,500 BC.  There is even artwork by civilizations dating back to 300BC that showcase the trumpet.
• The early precursors to the trumpet, cornetto and natural trumpet, didn’t have valves or keys.
• Trumpets come in several varieties that are built to play in different musical keys. Some examples are B-flat, F, D, E, G and C.
• The trumpet has a cylindrical bore. This means that the diameter of it’s tubing remains consistent throughout the length of the tubing (except for the bell flare).  This is what gives the trumpet it’s characteristic, vibrant and focused sound.
• Modern trumpets are made from brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc, but the earliest trumpets were made out of many different materials, including conch shells and wood.
• Other variations on the trumpet family include the cornet and flugelhorn. These instruments are more mellow due to their conical bore.  The tubing diameter of these instruments gradually gets larger towards the end of the instrument.
• The trumpet may only have three valves, but you can actually play 45 distinct notes by manipulating those valves.
• Bass trumpet is usually played by trombonists.

Great Violin facts to know

Every instrument has a history that also involves bizarre, incredible and random facts! Violin players, enthusiasts and music lovers. Right below here are some of the most interesting facts about violin that you might not know.

• The modern violin has been around for roughly 500 years. It was said to have been designed in the 1500’s by Andrea Amati.
• Playing the violin burns approximately 170 calories per hour. Forget about your workout and start practicing harder!
• Violins are typically comprised of spruce or maple wood.
• Violins come in many different sizes. Typically, students will start learning violin at a young age with a 1/32 or 1/16 size violin. As the student ages they will graduate up to a full sized violin.
• Violins are very complex. Over 70 different pieces of wood are put together to form the modern violin.
• The word violin comes from the Medieval Latin word vitula, meaning stringed instrument;
• The world record in cycling backwards playing a violin is 60.45 kilometres in 5 hours 8 seconds.
• The most expensive violin in the world was made by Giuseppe Guarneri in 1741. This extravagant violin was appraised with a value of $18 million.
• Violin bows typically contain 150 to 200 hairs. They can be made up of  a variety of materials including nylon and horse hair.
• Violin strings were first made of sheep gut (commonly known as catgut), which was stretched, dried, and twisted. Other materials violin strings have been made out of include: solid steel, stranded steel, or various synthetic materials, wound with various metals, and sometimes plated with silver.