Trumpet - Usually a soprano brass instrument with a larger proportion of cylindrical bore to conical bore. Modern trumpets have valves; natural trumpets do not. Most trumpets are built in Bb, butsome specialist trumpetsare built in C,D,Eb and Piccolo Bb etc. The modern Bb trumpet has approximately 4.5 ft of tubing (excluding valve tubing)
Cornet - A soprano brass instrument in Bb or high Eb invented in the 19th century as a valved development of the post horn. Itsinvention inspired developments in other brass instruments. Cornets differ from trumpets in having a greater proportion of conical bore than trumpets. This gives them a slightly warmer tone. British and French modelsare normally much shorter in construction than trumpetsand with a shepherd's crook at the start of the bell branch. The name cornopean is applied to early forms of the cornet. The length of tubing isthe same as that of thetrumpet.
Bugle - A conically bored natural trumpet used as a military signalling instrument. The bugle is a metal version ofa simpleanimal horn trumpetlike the ceremonial Hebrew Shofar.Military bugles are usually pitchedinBb.American bugle bands use a range of instruments with valves. The3-valve typesare theequivalent of bell-forward saxhorns, but mainly pitched in G. There are even bell-forward versions of the tubas (as described below) carried on the shoulder in the manner of a hod of bricks!
Flugelhorn - A soprano valved bugle in Bb mainly used in brass bands and for jazz. High Eb flugelhorns also exist on the Continent. Even mellower in tone than the cornet and trumpet. The length of tubing is the same as that of the trumpet.A German variation of the flugelhorn is the Kuhlo horn, which was 'designed' by Pastor Johannes Kuhlo for use in churches. It is almost circular in design and has a trumpet mouthpiece receiver and rotary valves.
Trumpet (left), Cornet (right)and Flugelhorn (below)
The Orchestral or French Horn (really a misnomer)is normally just referred to as the Horn. This is the modern valved orchestral development of the larger type of hunting horn known as the parforce horn. The small hunting horn known as the furst pless horn is more similar to the bugle. Most modern horns are double instruments pitched in F/Bb. See below. They are actually much longer in their basic tubing than similarly pitched brass instruments, some12 ft, as they are played in higher harmonics than most brass instruments, and are harder to play.They utilise a funnel-shaped mouthpiece and have 4 rotary valves operated by the left hand. The right hand is placed inside the bell. Single horns with 3 valves, and pitched in F or Bb are commonly used by younger players. The horn plays in the orchestra and the military or concert band, but not in the brass band.
Wagner Tubas in F or Bb are essentially relatives of the orchestral horn and played by horn players. Built in upright oval form, they have a much narrower bore than real tubas, and are played with funnel, not cup, type mouthpieces. They use rotary valves operated by the left hand (unlike superficially similar German style oval tenorhorns and baritons, which are right handed).Only used orchestrally. Not likely to appear very often on eBay!
Orchestral Double Horn (left) and Wagner Tuba (right)
Eb/F Tenor Cor or Mellophone - This is a development of the 19th century Koenig horn. It appears in a variety of shapes;like a large flugel horn or coiled like the orchestral horn. The horn-like version isnormally called the'tenor cor', and the bell-forward version, the 'mellophone' or even the 'mellophonium'.Thereare historical variants of the instrument referred to as 'ballad horn' and 'vocalhorn'.The instrument as a type differs from the saxhorn in having a proportionately larger, exponentially-flared bell more similar to the horn.Unlike the horn, the tenor cor has a much shorter length of tubing, the same as the tenor horn (described next), and is played with the right hand, not the left. The other hand is not placed in the bell during playing. The tenor cor is usually equipped with Perinet (piston) valves rather than rotary valves.It is sometimes used in the concert band instead of the French horn, or in marching bands, but it is notpopular in the U.K.3 valves and approximately 6-7ft of tubing (excluding valve tubing).
Eb/F Tenor Cor(left) and marching Mellophone (right)
Eb Tenor Horn or Tenor Saxhorn increasingly known as Eb Alto Horn to match up with American and European naming. The standard brass band tenor horn. 3 valves. Approximately 7ft of tubing (excluding valve tubing). Style varies considerably - see photos below. There are also some bell-front marchingversions resembling large flugel horns.
Eb Tenor Horn saxhorn style (left), and open wrap style (right)
Bb Baritone (Horn) or Baritone Saxhorn, the standard brass band baritone; more or less equivalent to the German Bb Tenorhorn (the latter is normally constructed in oval form). Usually 3, but sometimes 4 valves. Approximately 9ft of tubing (excluding valve tubing).Style varies in the same way as with tenor horns. The baritone has the same pitch as the two instruments below, but it has a lighter tone than the euphonium, closer to the trombone in sound.
Bb Baritone Horn saxhorn style (left), and open wrap style (right)
Bb Bass Saxhorn - largely obsolete, but still used in French military bands alongside the euphonium. Courtois still manufacture them with four or five valves. The now obsolete orchestral French Tuba in C is a six-valved version. The bass saxhorn resembles a compact euphonium, and has a low upper bow and a tuning slide between the leadpipe and the valve block. It is wider bored than the baritone. In sound, it lies between the baritone and the euphonium, and in a band tends to blend more easily with the woodwind than the euphonium. 3, 4, 5 or even 6 valves! Approximately 9ft of tubing (excluding valve tubing).Below centre.
Euphonium or Tenor Tuba, normally in Bb or Bb/F. The smallest of the tubas (see below), and wider bored than the saxhorns (see above).Most modernversions are constructed witha tuning slide beyond the valve block, creating better intonation. The euphonium produces a broader and mellower sound making it ideal as a solo instrument in the tenor/bass range. Standard in brass, military and concert bands; occasionally found in the orchestra. 3 or 4 valves. Some older models have 5 valves. Confusingly, 3-valve euphoniums in the USA are still usually called 'baritones'. Approximately 9ft of tubing (excluding valve tubing). Below right.
Baritone / Bass saxhorn / Euphonium compared
A German-style Bb Tenorhorn (left) andBb Kaiserbariton or Euphonium (right)in oval form
Tubas are wide bored versions of the lowersaxhornfamily. Bass tubas are built in F or Eb and Contrabass tubas in C or Bb. Double letters, e.g. EEb, tend to indicate large-bored instruments with extension down to the fundamental note. Standard in bands and orchestras.Tubas are simply referred to asbasses in the brass band. 3, 4 or 5 valves, and some 12 to 18ft of tubing (excluding valve tubing). Tubas vary greatly in form, some point the bell to the right and some to the left. Some have piston valves, othershave rotary valves. A traditional name for the bass tuba in Britain is 'bombardon', but this is rarely used these days.
Helicons and Sousaphones are coiled tubas which are carried over the shoulder and around the body. Really only marching band instruments. Sousaphones differ from helicons in having a 'gooseneck' angle near the top of the bell, and usually a very much larger bell.
Illustrations of Tuba (left), Sousaphone (centre)and Helicon (right)
Trombones need little introduction except to say that they are mainly tenors in Bb or Bb/F, or wider bored basses in Bb/F. Essentially a tenor trombone is a bass slide trumpet! The dual pitch trombones have additional rotary valve(s) operated by the left handas well as the slide operated by the right hand. Old brass band bass trombones were pitched in G, and the slide was fitted with a handle. There are smaller and rarerEb alto and even Bb soprano trombones. Occasionally trombones are fitted with valves instead of the slide. The old English name for the trombone is the Sackbutt. Renaissance sackbuttshave a narrow bore and a very small bell compared with the modern trombones.
Bb/F Bass trombone (left)and cimbasso (right)
The Cimbasso is a contrabass valve trombone, usually in F or Bb, and originating in Italy. Its pitch and range is similar to that of the tuba, but its tone is more strident. Usually 4 or 5 rotary valves. Not commonly used and infrequent on eBay.
Cornett - Renaissance lip-reed instrument constructed of wooden strips bound with leather and provided with 6 finger holes and a thumbhole to vary pitch. Usually constructed with a gentle curve to the right. Straight cornetts are called mute cornetts. The cornett produces a uniquely beautiful and delicate sound. The tenor cornett is called the lysard and has an s-shape double curve. Bass cornetts are serpents.
Ophicleide - This is the early 19th century keyed bass bugle, essentially a brass-built keyed serpent which filled the bass brass role until the development of the tuba, the instrument which superseded it. The so-called Russian bassoon or basshorn is an earlier stage in its development.
cornetts, serpent and ophicleide
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