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 .
Cavalry did not normally use a proper bugle , but instead used an early trumpet that made a sound which was easier to hear from nearby , but traveled less far .