The Bb trumpet is a brass instrument that is used in a wide range of musical styles, from jazz to Latin to classical. This type of trumpet — also known as a BU+266D> trumpet — is the most common, and is commonly referred to simply as a “trumpet” without any modifiers. In reality, it is just one of several types of trumpet, and the full name can be used to distinguish it from other instruments.
Air is forced through a tube and out the bell at the end of the trumpeter’s instrument to produce notes. The length of the trumpet’s tube determines its pitch. The sound is altered the player changing the position of his or her lips, known as “embouchure,” increasing or decreasing the flow of air, and changing the length of the tube using valves.
When played without valves, each type of trumpet is tuned to produce a specific note and is referred to that note’s name. This means that the note produced blowing air through a Bb trumpet without depressing any of the valves is Bb. When played without the valves, a C trumpet produces a slightly higher note than a Bb trumpet due to its smaller size.
Trumpets are manufactured in a variety of standard tunings. Trumpets in the keys of A, C, D, Eb, E, F, and G are available. Other types of trumpet were popular until the 19th century, when the modern valve trumpet was invented, coinciding with the Bb trumpet becoming the standard.
The piccolo trumpet is another type of trumpet. Piccolo trumpets are an octave higher in pitch than standard trumpets. In addition, the trumpeter can change the tuning swapping out a leadpipe, which is a removable piece of tubing. The length of the tube is changed as a result, allowing the piccolo trumpet to play in either high Bb or high C.
Despite the variety of trumpets available, the popularity of the Bb trumpet means that other trumpets are extremely rare. The C trumpet is occasionally heard in orchestral music, and many trumpeters can play both when necessary, but it is far less common than the Bb trumpet. Other types of instruments are in the same situation. There are several types of clarinet and trombone, for example, but not all of them are equally popular.