Quote:
Originally Posted by Newguy  ... I do believe I prefer the cornet over the trumpet... |
It would be great if you could visit a local music store and test drive different cornets just to see how different they can sound and feel.
For example, you might look for a student-level Holton C603 which has a larger .465 bore and shepherd's crook.
Its sound is bigger and mellower.
Then go the other direction and look for one of the vintage cornets that has a very small bore, much smaller than your present .460 bore, to see how much easier the high notes are, how much better your stamina is, how much more brilliant they are.
And also look for a really short cornet, such as the 13 inch one I use, to see that the short cornets have yet another sound quality.
No one type of cornet is really better than another type.
One cornet is only better than another if you like it better, if it fills your needs better.
Each type of cornet has its own "personality" in terms of its sound and feel.
Trouble is, if you go out test driving the different types of cornets just to see how different they sound and feel, you will end up having to explain to the wife why there are 4 cornets sitting on the dining table:
"Honey, they followed me home."
BTW, after you get the cornet and trumpet broken in, you could also experiment with moderately-priced mouthpieces.
I keep a Bach 7, Bach 7E, and Weril W46, all of which feel identical on the lips but have different cup depths, so that I can switch from deep mouthpiece for mellow ballads to shallower mouthpiece for practicing high notes.
Each cup depth gives your instrument a different personality, different ability.
- Morris