Ceremonial trumpet in C

The trumpet was largely restricted to ceremonial or martial occasions until the sixteenth century, when a number of technical and design changes, such as the discovery of a technique for bending the tube without distorting its shape, greatly improved its musical properties. Trumpets were usually made of brass and were preferred by the solo players as they sounded better. The silver trumpet was chosen by royal dignitaries as a sign of opulence. Most trumpet makers were also players, as was William Bull, who appears to have been the most important English maker in the late seventeenth century. However, only four of his pieces are known to survive.