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Cornet

Description

Bach Stradivarius Bb Cornet Model 184
Bach Stradivarius Bb Cornet Model 184

Range of the cornet in concert pitch
The CORNET is a close relative of the trumpet. The standard cornet in brass bands is the Bb cornet. The instrument’s pitch range is the same as that of the trumpet. The cornet is the most numerous instrument in the brass band, with about a third of the players playing cornets. A full brass band also includes the soprano cornet, a smaller version of the instrument, which is pitched in Eb.

Physical Description

The cornet is the smallest instrument used in the brass band. The main tube has a conical bore, gradually tapering from the leadpipe to the bell. Virtually all cornets have three valves of the piston type. The instrument is equipped with rings or levers on the third and (sometimes) on the first valve slide. These are used to compensate for intonation problems that are inherent in any brass instrument design.

When played, the cornet is held straight out from the lips, with the valves vertical or slightly inclined to the player’s right. The right hand is used to manipulate the valves, and the left hand supports the instrument. If the cornet is equipped with compensation mechanisms, they are usually operated with the left hand.

Tone Color

The tone of the cornet is midway in color between the bright sound of a trumpet and the dark, complex tone of the flügelhorn. The relatively short air column gives the cornet agility and responsiveness.

Brass arrangers and composers sometimes modify the sound quality of the cornet by specifying various kinds of mutes. The straight mute and cup mute are the most common. More subtle changes in timbre can be achieved by writing in high or low registers, varying the key, instructing the player to play with the bell close to the stand, use of dynamics, or the presence or absence of vibrato.

Role in the Brass Band

In a brass band, the cornet supplies the principal soprano voice. This instrument occupies a position in the band similar to that of the violin in a symphony orchestra. In small groups, the cornet is almost always the principal melody instrument. However, even in small groups (such as a sextet), there are usually at least two cornet parts, with the second part supplying the alto voice.

In more complex arrangements, the cornet section is sometimes split into three or four parts. The parts are often subdivided as divisi into two, three or more voices. Because the cornet is the highest-pitched instrument in the brass band, and because its tone is relatively bright, it is capable of “cutting through” and being heard even when the entire band is playing. The agility and speed which can be achieved by a skilled cornet player also make it a favored instrument for solo items, both with and without full band accompaniment.

Because of its small size and relatively low cost, the cornet is the instrument most often used for beginner instruction.

Cornet vs. Trumpet

Physical

Although the length of the main tube is the same on both the cornet and the trumpet, the arrangement of the tubing is different. The trumpet’s tube is straighter, with fewer curves and loops. This makes the instrument longer in terms of the actual distance between the player’s lips and the flare of the bell.

Bach Stradivarius Bb Trumpet Model 180
Bach Stradivarius Bb Trumpet Model 180

Not only does the cornet have a more complex tubing design, but the tube itself is more tapered, with a conical bore instead of a cylindrical bore for the bulk of its length. Although the diameter of the bell at the extreme end of the flare is generally similar (this varies depending on the manufacturer and model), the cornet’s flare is more gradual.

Timbre

Both the tubing complexity and the degree of slope of the bore influence the final sound of the instrument. When viewed with an oscilloscope or a similar device, a trumpet tone is clearer (closer to a pure sine curve) than that of a cornet. The trumpet sound is also easier to “overblow”, when the sound is distorted into a harsh blast. A cornet, because the sound is more complex and “fuzzy”, is less easy to overblow (although it is still possible). The cornet’s sound is more gentle and warm than that of the trumpet. Trumpet players rarely employ vibrato, while that technique is frequently employed by cornetists.

Soprano Cornet

Yamaha Professional Eb Soprano Cornet Model 6610S
Yamaha Professional Eb Soprano Cornet Model 6610S

Range of the Eb soprano cornet in concert pitch
Larger bands usually include an Eb soprano cornet. This instrument is pitched a perfect fourth higher than the Bb cornet. It is brighter in sound than the “regular” cornet, and can be easily heard above the full band tutti. Some players use piccolo trumpets instead of the soprano cornet.

This variant of the common cornet is considered a difficult instrument to play, in part because of the exposed nature of the parts. There is almost always only one soprano cornet in a band, and soprano players are considered specialists. Although it possess the same agile qualities as the Bb cornet, and is generally played by a skilled person, the soprano is rarely featured as a solo instrument.

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Articles

Two-Part Hymn Series: Ten More Tunes

1 June 2019 14:24

The latest set of ten tunes in our Two-Part Hymn Series has been released. There are now 90 tunes available in the second phase, and 210 overall. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, Sheet Music

STANDING ON THE PROMISES (Tune of the Week)

10 January 2019 06:05

Tune of the Week for 10 January 2019. Read more

Posted in: Tune of the Week
Ken Graham

Staff Band Marks Passing of Ken Graham (1936–2018)

9 January 2019 06:36

The Canadian Staff Band (Bandmaster John Lam) has announced, with great sadness, the passing of Bandsman Ken Graham (North York Temple) on 24 December 2018. Graham was a member of the Staff Band cornet section for nine years, 1985–1994. Read more

Posted in: News

Joyful & Triumphant

8 January 2019 06:40

On 1 December 2018, the National Capital Band (Bandmaster Dr. Steve Kellner) was at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia, for Joyful & Triumphant, a Christmas concert and carol sing-a-long. Read more

Posted in: News

NICAEA (Tune of the Week)

3 January 2019 07:23

This is the first of a new series, Tune of the Week, featuring tunes from our Two-Part Hymn Series. Read more

Posted in: Tune of the Week

Two-Part Hymn Series Reaches 200

29 December 2018 10:57

The latest set of ten tunes in our has been released. This brings the total number of tunes in the series to 200. All of these tunes are free to download and use. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, Sheet Music

Away In a Manger (Cornet Solo)

19 December 2018 05:40

James Allen has crafted a beautiful and simple cornet solo that blends together two familiar tunes associated with the much-loved Christmas carol. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, Sheet Music
The New York Staff Band at historic Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, November 2018

NYSB Massachusetts Ministry Weekend

19 December 2018 05:23

On the weekend of 16 – 18 November 2018, the New York Staff Band (Bandmaster Derek Lance) traveled to the Massachusetts Division for a ministry weekend that included stops in Worcester, Canton, Boston, and Brockton. Massachusetts Divisional Music Director (DMD) Matthew Luhn and his team organized the events of the weekend. Read more

Posted in: News

Brass for GOSH Launched

3 December 2018 05:17

The London Central Fellowship Band (Bandmaster David Rudd) launched their latest recording with a concert at Regent Hall on 17 November 2018. Just under 300 people were in attendance for a fantastic night of music-making, raising funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Charity. All of the profits realized by Citadel Promotions, the producers, will benefit the hospital charity, leading to the title of the recording, Brass for GOSH. Read more

Posted in: New Releases, News, Recording
Kintambo Band at the 10th anniversary service for the Plateau District, eastern Kinshasa

Kintambo Band Supports Anniversary Service

1 December 2018 08:32

On Sunday, 28 October 2018, the Kintambo Band (Bandmaster Henri Makanda Nkodia) had the privilege of being on duty at the Menkao Post in the Plateau District (the eastern part of the city of Kinshasa) for the district’s tenth anniversary Thanksgiving service. Read more

Posted in: News
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