Bugle
A trumpet-like wind instrument used for giving signals.
What it means
The bugle is a brass instrument of the trumpet type used to transmit signals. Older forms consist of a wide tube, coiled only once, made of brass or copper, and have no valves.
Because without valves only the notes of the harmonic series sound, bugles are limited to a few far-carrying notes.
Musical use
Bugles are used by the military, fire brigades, hunts, and in marching and fanfare music to give commands, signals, or wake-up calls. The signals are short, fixed note sequences that recipients must recognize, not melodies in the narrower sense.
The sound of the bugle has also been quoted in art music, for instance as a fanfare or hunting signal.
The bugle should be distinguished from the valved trumpet, which can play chromatically, and from the flugelhorn, which has a wider bore and a softer sound.
Performance practice
When sounding signals, clear articulation matters most: attack each note distinctly and keep to the prescribed lengths exactly so the signal is unambiguously recognized.