Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments recently exhibited at the Royal Military Exhibition, London, 1890 …, 1891 › scan 156
Scan 156
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments recently exhibited at the Royal Military Exhibition, London, 1890 …, 1891
14 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. Printed page 136. See the scan on archive.org.
1VIII.
3CLASS—INSTRUMENTS WITH CUP-SHAPED MOUTHPIECES.
5FAMILY: Tubes of fixed length.
7The antiquity of instruments sounded by means of a cup-shaped mouthpiece is very great. The lips, pressed against the cup, vibrate as a reed; the pressure upon the cup determines the rapidity of the vibrations, and this, in conjunction with the length of the tube, determines the pitch of the sounds produced.
9Instruments thus sounded can be traced back to prehistoric times; they were known in the ancient Assyrian civilisation, and figure frequently upon various sculptures that remain. The principle was also recognised in China; and the descriptions contained in early Sanskrit musical treatises prove the existence in India of such instruments from periods equally remote. Many of the carvings and frescos remaining in India upon ancient temples and caves, such as those at Ellora and Ajanta, show the use of horns and trumpets, and in many of these the cup-shaped mouthpieces can be distinguished. The importance of the trumpet as an emblem of royalty, in connexion with religious ceremonies or for military purposes, appears to have been early recognised. The voice of the trumpet was heard from mount Sinai during the wanderings of the children of Israel, it was used by Saul and David, and is frequently mentioned in the Bible. Adopted by the Romans, in common with other ancient nations, for military purposes, the trumpet retains its place in the armies of most countries to this day.
11Instruments of this kind consist of two classes, viz., those, such as the horn or trumpet, in which the upper harmonics (from the 3rd or 4th to the 12th or 16th) are mostly employed; and those in which the lower harmonics (from the 2nd to the 6th or 8th) are generally used, such as the bugle or post horn.
13The trumpet, as we know it now, consists of a cylindrical tube, slightly expanding at the bell, and sounded by a mouthpiece, the cup of which is almost hemispherical, and the orifice small and angular,
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.