18th-century cavalry did not normally use a standard bugle, but rather an early trumpet that might be mistaken for a bugle today, as it lacked keys or valves, but had a more gradual taper and a smaller bell, producing a sound more easily audible at close range but with less carrying power over distance. The earliest bugles were shaped in a coil – typically a double coil, but also a single or triple coil – similar to the modern horn, and were used to communicate during hunts and as announcing-instruments for coaches (somewhat akin to today's automobile horn). Predecessors and relatives of the bugle included the post horn, the Pless horn (sometimes called the "Prince Pless horn"), the bugle horn, and the shofar, among others. The ancient Roman army used the buccina.
18th-century cavalry did not normally use a standard bugle but rather an early trumpet that might be mistaken for a bugle today as it lacked keys or valves but had a more gradual taper and a smaller bell producing a sound more easily audible at close range but with less carrying power over distance The earliest bugles were shaped in a coil – typically a double coil but also a single or triple coil – similar to the modern horn and were used to communicate during hunts and as announcing-instruments for coaches (somewhat akin to today's automobile horn) Predecessors and relatives of the bugle included the post horn the Pless horn (sometimes called the "Prince Pless horn") the bugle horn and the shofar among others The ancient Roman army used the buccina