Old trumpets

[Hornspieler]

Nice one, HS!! But has anyone played a trumpet that has the valves that our continental colleagues play? How is it, compared to the ones we play?

Well, they work the same way as a rotary valved (German) horn.

Instead of a piston which has holes bored through it which send the air column along a different route if the piston is depressed, the rotary valved trumpet has cylindrical valves, operated by a system of levers which rotate the valves through 90 degrees.
These valves have two holes, parallell to each other, so that - In simple terms, if the holes are pointing downwards, the air is sent into an extra length of tubing and back to the main tube. If the holes are horizontal, the air goes straight across the valve and the lower hole does not come into use.

So: if lever not depressed, air goes =====,(straight across the valve); if lever depressed, air goes = = U === (into the extra tube and back to the exit)

Is that clear? Sorry, I can't do graphics on this thread.

A player can probably play faster using pistons, but rotary valves are more suitable for wider bored trumpets and horns

HS

[Tony Halstead]

Nice one, Hornspieler, very clear indeed! Absolutely correct.

[BBMmk2]

Completely understood! Thanks! :)