blower

I am primarily a Cornet player but during my many years playing have spent some time on the Trumpet. This may be me but I have always found the higher range easier on the Trumpet than on the Cornet. At one time I could manage the Haydn concerto on the Trumpet which reaches Eb above the stave something I have never managed on the Cornet. Somehow the Cornet (I've tried several makes) seems to become so much harder to sound notes above G, I recently tried a Trumpet for a friend and was quite happily playing 2 or 3 notes above my usual Cornet range. Is it only me?

Dale Proctor

I've noticed the same thing, but I think it's more of a function of the mouthpieces I use on each horn, and to a lesser degree, the design of the horn itself. I play in a British-style brass band, and use a deep, open mouthpiece (Wick 4B) on cornet. I normally use a 3C on trumpet, which is tiny in comparison, and I have a much easier upper range with it. The cornet is a large bore, while the trumpet is a ML, so that may also play a part. It's sort of like comparing apples and oranges for me, though. A better test would be a comparison between two more similar horns, say a Bach Strad ML long cornet with a 37 bell and a Bach Strad ML trumpet with a 37 bell, playing both on a 3C mouthpiece, for example. I also have an older Conn 5A Victor short cornet, and with a 3C cornet mouthpiece, it's pretty easy to match my range on trumpet when using the same mouthpiece. Anyway, what I'm saying is I think it's mostly a difference between individual models of horns and mouthpieces, not a general difference between cornet and trumpet.

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trumpetnick

Dale made clearly his point, though I would not agree fully with him. Your range should be similar on trumpet and cornet regarding of the mouthpiece. However, a shallower=C cup mouthpiece will help your articulations (attack) and will surely make your sound in the high register brighter, more brilliant and will help you last up there. On the contrary, a deep V cup would omit the high harmonics which well make your sound darker and thiner in the high register. Lasting there will be much more difficult. If you want to do the Marsalis thing at the end of the Carnival, for example, on V cup will be much more difficult and probably almost impossible to sound like him. He uses a 1 1/2 C equivalent cup on that recording as far as I know.

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johnmarkpainter

I'm with Dale on this one....my Cornet mouthpiece is a Wick no letter "Stovepipe". I lose my edge above an A.
Plugging that mpc into a Trumpet yields the same results.
Much like my old Couesnon Flugel toilet bowl mpc.

I have an Olds ambassador Cornet that came with a much more trumpet-like mouthpiece that I can functionally play much higher.

jmp

rowuk

There is no "fundemental" difference in range between a trumpet or cornet of equal "quality".Some mouthpiece shapes can support the chops better and provide short term relief, at the expense of sound.

The Haydn Concerto WAS written for trumpet, albeit a very castrated version. Still, the trumpet is the correct instrument for that music.

As far as high range goes, there are many factors that influence how easy it is. The first and most significant iare YOUR practice habits (extreme range is possible with any mouthpiece). High notes can sound more focussed with a shallower mouthpiece and finally, there are many horns out there that are not easy to play in the stratosphere. We unfortunately cannot diagnose this over the internet. What does your teacher say?

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Cornet1

Rowuk is right that there is no fundamental difference in range, however, good cornet playing is intrinsically different to trumpet in many respects. Not the least of these is the need to be able to vary the sound characteristics on cornet and the resulting mpc choice problems. A surprisingly large number of trumpet players are happy to 'hit' high notes without too much thought to sound quality. In fact, a roughness in timbre is often seen as helpful to the sound. This is not possible in good cornet usage.

In addition, mpc choice IS a feature of this in that cornet mpcs MUST be of a certain volume in order for obtain the required richness of sound, and there is no doubt that for high range a mpc which is smaller rather than larger is a help.

oldlou

Another aspect of the 'usual' differences between the trumpet and cornet is the bell throat to bell flare shape. Many trumpets are designed with a relatively closed throat and quick flare on the bell. This has been done to an extreme in some cases to enhance the high register. Cornets, conversely, 'usually' have a very open throatted bell and a slow flare to enhance the sweetness of the emitted sound. Flugels show this to an extreme degree, along with a much larger than trumpet size bell. In my collection I have several cornets that were intentionally designed with trumpet type bells to make them sound more like a trumpet. I also have several cornets with a wide taper on the bell tube and a gradual flare that sound as sweet as honey, but, are difficult for me to play the upper register, but, that might just be psychosomatic on my part. As the brits say," different horses for different courses".


OLDLOU>>

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Vulgano Brother

A lot will have to do with the brand of instrument--try out a Besson trumpet and cornet, then the same with Yamaha and Bach and Getzen and whatever you can find. Usually, "matching" cornets and trumpets play pretty much the same, but will sound different.

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