Trumpet sheet music

B♭, C and piccolo

Most players own a B♭ trumpet, and most published parts are written for it. Orchestral repertoire frequently calls for a C trumpet, which reads at concert pitch and is standard in professional orchestras. The piccolo trumpet, usually in A or B♭, exists largely for the high Baroque repertoire — the Bach second Brandenburg above all.

Publishers often issue the same solo in both B♭ and C editions. Buying the wrong one means transposing at sight, which is a normal professional skill and a miserable surprise for anyone else.

Cornet, flugelhorn and the brass band tradition

British brass band music is written for cornet rather than trumpet, in treble clef, transposing. The parts are readable on a trumpet but the instruments differ in bore and tone, and a band expecting cornets will notice. Flugelhorn parts are also in B♭ and readable on a trumpet, with the same caveat.