Trompette

As Printed on a Score

Trompette (plural Trompettes) labels the trumpet staff in French scores, abbreviated Tromp., Trp. or Tr., with its key: Trompette en ut (C), en si♭, en ré; Petite trompette for a small high trumpet. French orchestras have long favored the C trumpet, so many French parts are written at concert pitch. Tr. can also mean a trill.

Abbreviations: Tr., Trp., Trpt., Tromp.

Also spelled: Trompette en ut, Trompette en si bémol, Trompettes

How Composers Use It

French scores use trumpets for brilliance and for muted color in equal measure: Debussy’s muted trumpets in “Fêtes”, Ravel’s small D trumpet in Boléro. Older French scores pair trumpets with cornets, giving the cornets the melodic lines. Write in C or B-flat as players expect, mark mutes (sourdine) and their removal, and keep high, soft entries rare.

Example

Ravel, Boléro: the trumpet staff of the score is labelled with the abbreviation “Tromp.”

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