The C trumpet is a trumpet that is made to play in the key of C. Various kinds of trumpets are built for different keys, much like other kinds of instruments. Modern chromatic trumpets can play in any key, but are built to play naturally in a particular key.
Overall, the most common trumpet is a B flat. While the B flat is the most common key for an average trumpet, the C trumpet is extremely common for use in an orchestra. Therefore, the C trumpet remains a relatively popular choice.
It’s important to note that although modern trumpet players can play any trumpet in any key, some claim that certain pieces of music sound better on a trumpet with a specific key. Some experts would describe the average C trumpet as having a slightly "brighter" tone than the common B flat because of its slightly different design. C trumpets are often recommended for orchestral or classical trumpet playing.
In addition to these common types of trumpets, there are also more radically different ranges for specialty trumpets. Some of the smallest trumpets are referred to as piccolo trumpets, and offer a higher range for players. Lower pitched trumpets are sometimes called soprano trumpets.
The C trumpet is a classical example of an instrument made to play in the most common musical key for most Western music. A range of C instruments help players to explore the key of C more easily, where those using differently pitched instruments need to “transpose” music by changing fingering and tonal positions. One example is the guitar, where a series of easier chord forms can be formed to play the set of major chords in the key of C, with some strings using an “open” or unaltered tone. For playing these simple chords in other keys, the guitarist commonly uses a capo or small tool to bridge the guitar fretboard. On a trumpet, the player transposes the music for a different key by altering the position of the fingers on the various slides that change chromatic tones on the trumpet.
Trumpet players often ask one another about how to get quality C trumpets at an affordable price. C trumpets also come in a variety of brands and models, and so the choice can be a bit confusing. With inferior models, the player might find the timbre of the notes to be excessively shrill or nasal, or may experience other problems with the quality of sound that the instrument produces.