Bugle is a wind instrument that consists of a curved brass or copper cone-shaped tube. It has a cup-shaped mouthpiece at one end and a bell (flared opening) at the other end. A bugle player produces tones by vibrating the lips while blowing into the mouthpiece.
Unlike most wind instruments, traditional bugles have no valves or keys. Different tones are produced on valveless bugles by changing the tension of the lips. Many buglers have difficulty blowing more than eight different tones on a valveless bugle. However, military calls, such as reveille and taps, are easy to learn and play because only a few notes are used. Some armies still use the bugle to give certain orders to large groups of soldiers.
In the 1800’s, valves were first added to the bugle, allowing a larger range of tones to be played. Today, three-valved bugles are most common in drum corps. These modern bugles can play melodies in different keys. The bugles are made in sizes ranging from the piccolo (the smallest) to the contrabass (the largest).
The bugle dates back more than 2,000 years. It was first used as a hunting and signal instrument. The instrument was originally a straight cone-shaped tube, but its design changed into an S shape. By the 1700’s, it was shaped in a semicircle and later was coiled. In the early 1800’s, a bugle with keys similar to those of a saxophone became an important band instrument for a short time. However, the cornet soon replaced this instrument. The bugle was first used in military bands in the 1700’s.
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