Bass Trumpet
A low-pitched brass instrument of the trumpet family, used among other places in opera orchestras.
What it means
The bass trumpet is a valved brass instrument that sounds considerably lower than the ordinary trumpet. Its notation matches that of the trumpet in E-flat, but it sounds two octaves lower than written, placing its actual pitch closer to the trombone or tenor horn than to the bright standard trumpet.
Musical use
The bass trumpet is used mainly in opera orchestras and late Romantic orchestral music, where it gives the brass section a powerful yet trumpet-like edge in the low register, distinct from the softer trombone. Richard Wagner used it in his music dramas to achieve particular colors in the low brass.
It should be distinguished from the bass trombone, which has a rounder, less cutting tone, and from the ordinary B-flat trumpet, whose range lies much higher.
Performance practice
Because the bass trumpet is rare, its part today is often taken over by trombonists or tenor horn players. When you play such a part, aim for the character it calls for: a trumpet-like edge, not a trombone sound.