What is a Fanfare?

10 hours ago
3 min read

Imagine you are at a big sports event or a royal parade. Right before the big moment, you hear a sound that grabs your attention! It's loud, bright, and exciting. That sound is probably a Fanfare.

A fanfare is a short, impressive musical piece that is usually played to announce an important event, person, or ceremony. It is designed to make you feel excited and ready for action.

Where Do We Hear Fanfares?

Fanfares have been around for hundreds of years, but we still hear them all the time today!

Ceremonies: Think of the start of the Olympics or when a King or Queen arrives.
Movies: Heroic characters often get their own little fanfare when they appear on screen.

Video Games: Sometimes a fanfare plays when you beat a level or open a treasure chest.

Fanfares are almost always played by brass instruments—like trumpets, trombones, and horns—because these instruments are naturally very loud and can play clear, bright notes.

The Secret Chord: The Triad

So, how does music sound so powerful and exciting? One of the biggest secrets is a simple three-note chord called a triad.

A triad is made up of three notes played together. Because these notes fit together perfectly, they create a strong, solid sound.

For example, a C Major Triad is made of the notes C, E, and G.

Note 1	Note 2	Note 3
C	E	G

When composers write a fanfare, they use triads in a special way:

Loud and Full: They often use many instruments playing the same triad at the same time to make the sound huge.
Bright Keys: They usually pick "Major" triads because these sound happy and triumphant.
Quick Movement: They use fast rhythms to move quickly between two important triads—the Tonic (the main chord, like C Major) and the Dominant (the powerful, "reaching" chord, like G Major).

This combination of loud brass instruments and simple but powerful triads, with quick rhythms is what makes a fanfare so exciting to hear.

Fanfare Gem Accumulator Quiz

Test your understanding of the fanfare with the following questions. Write the answers in your Music Journal and show your teacher to receive an extra 2 gems.

1. What is the primary purpose of a fanfare?

A) To provide soft background music for a dinner party.

B) To announce an important person, ceremony, or event.

C) To help listeners fall asleep with calm melodies.

D) To teach musicians how to play slowly.

2. Why are brass instruments like trumpets and trombones used for fanfares?

A) Because they are the quietest instruments in the orchestra.

B) Because they are difficult to hear at sports events.

C) Because they are naturally loud and produce clear, bright notes.

D) Because they can only play one note at a time.

3. Which three-note chord is considered the "secret" to the strong, solid sound of a fanfare?

A) A Duet

B) A Solo

C) A Quartet

D) A Triad

Download the Worksheet

Glossary of Key Terms

Term	Definition
Brass Instruments	A family of instruments including trumpets, trombones, and horns, known for their loud and bright sound.
C Major Triad	A specific three-note chord made up of the notes C, E, and G.
Dominant	A powerful, "reaching" chord (such as G Major) that composers use to create musical movement.
Fanfare	A short, impressive piece of music used to announce something important; it is designed to create excitement.
Major	A type of key or triad that sounds happy and triumphant.
Tonic	The main chord in a piece of music (such as C Major) that acts as the musical "home" base.
Triad	A simple three-note chord played together to create a strong, solid sound.