The trumpet is used in a wide range of musical styles, from high-energy swing to smooth jazz. If the brass instrument is prominent in the tune, it is considered trumpet music. Trumpet music, on the other hand, is a more subjective genre. Trumpet music refers to musical styles that use the trumpet to create their sound.
The trumpet is an essential brass instrument in a band’s horn section. The trumpeter usually plays in front of the band and is sometimes referred to as the band leader in some ensembles. Jazz, big band, and ska are just a few of the popular genres that use trumpet.
With roots dating back to the early 1920s, jazz is one of the earliest forms of music to feature trumpets. It arose from both African and European musical influences in African-American communities in the United States of America. New Orleans-style jazz, swing, and Latin fusion are some of the subgenres. Famous trumpeters and musical geniuses such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie rallied trumpet music in their respective scenes.
Big band music is characterized swinging rhythms, a high level of energy, a vintage sound, and brass horn sections. Swing music is a type of big band trumpet music in which one or more trumpets are used. It was popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, and it was performed in ballrooms with large, open spaces where patrons could dance. A drummer, bassist, guitarist, and any number of horn players, including one or more trumpets, are common members of swing bands with eight or more members.
With bands like the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, swing music experienced a huge revival in the 1990s. The trumpet was used all of these bands to distinguish their sound. The trumpet is the most prominent sound in the horn section, as it plays the highest register of the brass family. Frank Sinatra was a pioneer of swing music, and he was accompanied a horn section that included trumpet players.
Other popular trumpet music genres include reggae and ska. Reggae has a slower tempo and may include trumpet playing. Ska is a reggae-influenced genre that almost always includes trumpets and horn sections. Both genres are very danceable, but ska is much faster-paced and features the trumpet leading the horn line front and center. Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Mad Caddies are some of the best-known ska bands with great trumpeters.