If a Bb trumpet is called such because its highest note is a Bb above the staff....how can all you people be hitting a G above the staff? I know this will end up making me feel stupid for asking but I really want to know.

a Bb trumpet is not called so for its highest note *rolls eyes for stupidity*

A C on a Bb trumpet is equal to a Bb on a C instrument, such as a piano or flute.

a trumpet`s range is undefined (it can extend for forever higher and lower) it is the player that is limited to certain notes.

No need to be nasty Ethan...Everyone has their own level of knowledge

is called a B flat trumpet basically because if you play a C on the trumpet this is really a B flat at concert pitch, it has nothing to do with range

I`m sorry. I guess the nasty `Male Trumpet Player Ego` is catching up with me. *beats back rude comment with stick*

The highest note ever hit was the C above the C above the high C, and I think by Louis.

acutally that`s not right... not trying to sound nasty. the highest note ever was a c 4 octaves above the staff... a quad c... what you described was a triple c. i managed to squeak out a triple c once and then nearly fainted from how hard i was blowin

So why do they make the instrument to play a semitone below everyone else? Why not have everyone in perfect pitch?

its just how the instruments are made....im not sure if there was any like set pitch they wanted the horn to play in...the first trumpet...during a time when they had pitches, was probably in Bflat and they prob just stuck wit it

brass instruments are on Bb pitch, strings are on C and so on becuase these instruments sound best at these keys.

Instruments are unique and can`t be tuned to one pitch becuase they will sound like crap.

Sorry to bludgeon you guys with my ignorance but.....why then dont we as trumpet players just play all our notes a semitone higher? This way we aren`t screwing around with the configuration of the horn so it still sounds great and we are on pitch with the rest of the group?

I am not sure but I think its because the way trumpet music is written as compared to the other instruments...everyone IS playing at the same pitch. Hope this helps!!

that last guy (gal?) was right

"I am not sure but I think its because the way trumpet music is written as compared to the other instruments...everyone IS playing at the same pitch. Hope this helps!! "

Precisely.

When the band plays in "the key of C", the trumpet plays in the key of Bb.

The C scale on the trumpet is the Bb scale in the orchestra. Many brass instruments are pitched in Bb (with some baritones, tubas, and euphoniums in Eb and some french horns in F).

And as others said, that`s just how instruments are made. They all play in unison when in their said pitches.