Ok...I have a Bach Bb and a Courtois flugelhorn. I play mostly contemporary praise and worship at my church, and I love jazz and classical. My problem is this.......I am wanting to expand my "sound" a little more but I realized I didn't know the differences in the other horns. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even know the use or purpose of a C trumpet, much less a G, or a D/Eb compared to a Bb Trumpet. I know that they are in said keys, but is there a noticable difference in sound, or playability? Can someone break it down for me? Also, explain the sound of the cornet compared to the Bb. Thanks.

Since you play in church here is THE scenario.

The Messiah is available in two versions. The version most often used is the G. Schirmer edition distributed by Hal Leonard. Go to your music store and order it. The order number is HL50342600. You will receive the first and second trumpet parts.

When it arrives, transpose all the first trumpet parts to piccolo trumpet in A.
Then transpose the first trumpet part to trumpet in C.
Then transpose the second trumpet part to trumpet in C.

Now do it all over again, first and second trumpet parts to trumpet in D.

Now buy an A pic, C and D trumpets. Practice all the parts until you can play them perfectly on all three horns.

When you have mastered the parts tell the choir director you're ready to accompany the choir.

I own a Bach C and the Yamaha Bb/A pic.
I sold my Blessing D. Susan Slaughter uses a D.

Now you know why you need all those trumpets.

...

Originally Posted by shooter

Ok...I have a Bach Bb and a Courtois flugelhorn. I play mostly contemporary praise and worship at my church, and I love jazz and classical. My problem is this.......I am wanting to expand my "sound" a little more but I realized I didn't know the differences in the other horns. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even know the use or purpose of a C trumpet, much less a G, or a D/Eb compared to a Bb Trumpet. I know that they are in said keys, but is there a noticable difference in sound, or playability? Can someone break it down for me? Also, explain the sound of the cornet compared to the Bb. Thanks.

Shooter,
higher pitched trumpets were originally designed to increase security when playing. In the mean time, the concepts have grown up and they boast "unique" sound.

The Bb is still the universal horn for jazz, classical and just about anything else. Symphony players in the US have the C trumpet as standard. It has a creamier, smoother sound than the more brazen Bb. D and Eb trumpets are specialty instruments and you will know it when you really need one. Anything higher pitched than the Eb is commonly referred to as a piccolo trumpet. This is a very versatile instrument that helps one play cleaner in the upper register. We use it for baroque music as well as to "cheat" when we have not prepared high things on the bigger instruments! The most common piccolo is pitched in high A and with another mouthpipe in high Bb - exactly an octave higher than a standard trumpet.

The cornet is the highest pitched instrument in the horn family. The horn family differs from the trumpet family in that it has primarily a tapered bore. The cornet mouthpiece receiver (where you put the mouthpiece in) is MUCH smaller than the trumpet and this allows for more taper from mouthpiece to bell! The sound is softer, darker, smoother and with less edge.

As you have a Bb trumpet and a flugelhorn, my suggestion for your next instrument would be a high A/Bb piccolo trumpet. That would expand your range of sound the most! Search on that here at TM, there is a ton of advice available!

Listen to Rowuk. Great info and advice from him yet again!

Hey Rowuk, that is exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you so much. A couple of songs that we do at church demand quite a bit of continuous higher register playing (high for me anyways), and the piccolo sounds like a perfect choice. Thanks again. I will start looking for the right one for me.

Let us know what you decide on!