Musical Instruments

The Trumpet and Cornet

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The Trumpet and Cornet are wind blown "lip reed" tubular brass instruments, using valves to alter the pitch of the notes produced. They are similar in appearance and play but differ in historical development and tone. Two of the instruments in our collection were made by Pan American in the 1950's. The cornet is identical to the one I played in 4th-7th grades in Indiana. All except the last one were purchased from eBay.

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The articles provided here are:
• The Trumpet - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this type instrument.
  :
  The Parts of the Trumpet from the site: Trumpet Hub.
  The Different Types of Trumpets from the site: Trumpet Hub.

• The Cornet - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this type instrument.
  (see also: "A Brief History of the Piston-Valved Cornets")
• The Pocket Trumpet - WIKIPEDIA - is a half-size instrument with full-size trumpet sound.
  (also visit: PocketCornets.com - "The World’s Largest Virtual Museum of the Smallest Cornets and Trumpets Ever Made!")
• The Bass Trumpet - WIKIPEDIA - is a lower register instrument that today is "quite similar (virtually identical) to" the Valve Trombone, "although the bass trumpet has a harder, more metallic tone".
• The Piccolo Trumpet - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing the smallest instrument in the trumpet family. (see also: History of the Piccolo Trumpet)
• The Post Horn - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing the instrument from which the Cornet was adapted.

• The Valve - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this feature of the instrument
  Why The Valve? and Early Valve Designs - are articles describing a lot more on the subject from this web site.

• The Mouthpiece- WIKIPEDIA - an article describing the Mouthpiece and Leadpipe on brass instruments
  Mouthpiece Styles - an article describing the various styles of Mouthpieces for brass instruments. (Note: the mouthpieces of the Trumpet and Cornet are not interchangeable because of the difference in diameter of the receiving hole on the instrument.)

• Embouchure - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing the use of mouth and lips to make sounds - see especially the section on "Brass Embouchure".
  Guide to Brass Embouchure - This web site is helpful in developing proper techniques for creating sounds with the trumpet, including diagnosis and correction of problems.
  What Makes a Good Embouchure - From the TrumpetHub web site.
• Some Miscellany
  Brass Instruments - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this class of Instruments
  Brass Instrument Pitch - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this characteristic of Brass Instruments
  Introduction to Brass Instrument Acoustics - Some science behind how these instruments work
  :
  The Trumpet Blog - interesting information on playing and useful "How-Tos"
  Beginning Trumpet Fingerings - Grouped by valve keys pressed (successive notes in a group are accomplished by change of embouchure)
  Standard Trumpet Fingerings - in order of pitch (curiously, the B natural note is omitted for all except the highest pitch)
  Trumpet Tuning Chart - a spreadsheet for recording and evaluating the frequency of notes for a Bb Trumpet. (Click here to download a zip file containing the spreadsheet.)
  Taps - try this bugle standard, using all open notes
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  Identifying Vintage CONN and Pan American Brass Instruments
  How to Care for your instrument when supplies are hard to come by
  ....(a set of WWII publications produced by CONN)
  Or click: Intro, Valve Instruments, Slide Instruments, Storing,Handling,repairing
  :
  Also look at: Proper Care of Your Conn Instrument from a 1958 CONN brochure.

• Other Brass Instruments
  Baritone Horn - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this instrument
  Flugelhorn - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this instrument
  Mellophone - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this instrument
  Euphonium - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing this instrument
  

• Piccolo Trumpet Particulars
  Introduction to Piccolo Trumpet (Youtube)
  Piccolo Trumpet: the Untold Truth (Youtube)
  10 Simple Tips for Piccolo Trumpet Playing
  Piccolo Trumpet Playing/Tuning Tips
  

• Trumpet Practice Book
  Arban Method - WIKIPEDIA - an article describing a "Complete Conservatory Method for the Trumpet used for more than 150 years, including 350 pages of practice and performance exercises. A copy of this book is in our library.
  Arban's World Renowned Method for the Cornet (1879 version - 96 pages) - This is a Link to an archived version of the book. (A pdf copy of this public domain book can be downloaded from there (7.9 MB)).
  Arban's Complete Celebrated Method for the Cornet (1893 version - 355 pages) - This is a Link to an archived version of the book.

  Sections: (Select section of the above manual to view PDF copy)

  • pg 000 (2.7 MB) - Introduction
  • pg 011 (0.7 MB) - First Studies
  • pg 023 (0.1 MB) - Studies on Syncopation
  • pg 037 (1.9 MB) - Studies on the Slur
  • pg 057 (3.0 MB) - Scale Studies
  • pg 087 (3.2 MB) - Studies of Grace Notes
  • pg 123 (3.0 MB) - Studies on the Intervals
  • pg 153 (3.3 MB) - Studies on Tonguing
  • pg 191 (4.5 MB) - The Art of Phrasing (150 Classic and Popular Melodies)
  • pg 246 (2.7 MB) - Sixty-eight Duets for Two Cornets
  • pg 283 (1.8 MB) - Characterisgtic Studies
  • pg 300 (3.5 MB) - 12 Celebrated Fantaisies and Airs Varies

• WIKIHOW - Instructions for playing and maintaining the Cornet.