A high member of the brass family, this wind instrument consists of a shallow cupped mouthpiece at the end of a long metal tube looped once and ending in a flared bell. Three valves on the top center of the modern instrument are used to change the pitch resulting in a brilliant, penetrating sound.

Trumpets originated from end-blown objects such as animal horns, bones, or bamboo, possibly as early as 2000 BC. In ancient Egypt a trumpet was a military instrument used for signaling and fanfares (Joshua's shofar, blown at the battle of Jericho, came from this tradition).

During the Renaissance and the Baroque era, trumpets began to be used for musical purposes. Trumpets were introduced into opera in 1607 and subsequently became common in opera orchestras and with the addition of valves around the mid 1830s also became commonplace in symphony orchestras. Today, the trumpet is a standard instrument in orchestras, bands, and many popular music ensembles.