Talk:Sinfonietta (Janáček)

Trumpets in F
Are the trumpets in F pitched above or below the trumpets in C? Badagnani (talk) 07:55, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * This is rather late, but F trumpets are pitched above C trumpets. (this is more a traditional notation convention from the days of valveless trumpets, as in the 19th and 20th century F trumpet parts are usually meant to be performed on "ordinary" B flat trumpets.) -- megA (talk) 01:03, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Actually, you can't say they are "meant" to be performed on B flat trumpets, they just usually are because in most places (particularly in the United States) it is hard to get F trumpets. There is a slight difference in the sound (some say a big difference but... whatever!) and OFTEN the F trumpets sound above the C. So if the F above middle C is written what comes out is the C above that.

But that isn't the whole story. Some composers associate the F trumpet with the rotary vavled D trumpet and expect a transposition identical to that of the F Horn (or French Horn in F) that sounds a fifth below what is written. So, what is meant by trumpets in F? 1. It is good if you can get real trumpets in F and figure out what is meant by the notation in rehearsal. 2. Well, there isn't a 2. I guess that's everything I know about the whole Trumpet in F thing. Gingermint (talk) 03:54, 23 June 2010 (UTC)


 * As I understand it, F trumpets sound a perfect fourth higher than written, unless a Russian composer is using them...in which case they mimic the standard transposition of the French horn and sound a perfect fifth lower than written. I don't know why this discrepancy should have arisen, but there we are. It's actually very unusual for any transposing instrument to sound higher than written. --Wspencer11 (talk to me...) 01:59, 24 June 2010 (UTC)