An F trumpet is a trumpet that is built for playing in the key of F. Different trumpets are built in different keys, so that players can play them in a specific key, naturally, according to the natural uncalibrated positions of the trumpet buttons or keys. To play a specific trumpet in a different musical key, players need to transpose the music in order to figure out how to change their positions on the horn.
The F trumpet is not the most common type of trumpet. The most common kind of conventional trumpet is built in the key of B flat. The F trumpet tends to be a “bass” trumpet, or to have a lower range of notes.
In classical music, composers from archaic eras sometimes wrote music for the trumpet in the key of F. F trumpets are useful for performing these pieces. They are sometimes popular with orchestras and other formal music groups for this reason.
In more modern times, other types of trumpets in the key of F have been produced. One of these is called the “frumpet.” This kind of horn helps meet the needs of trumpeters who want to play music in the key of F naturally.
Music experts note that some music connoisseurs find the F trumpet to be a much more desirable model for this instrument. These individuals do not appreciate the sound of the common B flat trumpet, finding its sounds excessively tinny or nasal. Some of them prefer the sound of the F trumpet that some describe as more full or regal. Musicians who have played this instrument say that its sound is similar to the sound of a typical French horn.
Experts in brass instruments can identify two different kinds of F trumpets, a bass F and a contralto F trumpet. Many experts consider the bass F trumpet to actually be more “authentic” than a B flat trumpet, according to studies of baroque and classical periods. As for the contralto trumpet, some regard its use as more obscure. For instance, classical enthusiasts point to a frequent use of bass F trumpets in the earlier works of composers such as Sibelius, where in later periods, the modern B flat trumpet emerged as a more common instrument.