B♭ cornet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B♭. It is not related to the medieval cornett or cornetto. Cornet, Bb, large photo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Cornet, Bb, large photo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image of a trumpet, foreground, a piccolo trumpet behind, and a flugelhorn in background. ... Trumpeter redirects here. ... The bore of a wind instrument is its interior chamber that defines a flow path through which air travels and is set into vibration to produce sounds. ... A transposing instrument is a musical instrument whose music is written at a pitch different from concert pitch. ... Three different cornetts: mute cornett, curved cornett and tenor cornett The cornett, cornetto or zink is an early wind instrument, dating from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. ...

The cornet was originally derived from the post horn. Sometimes it is called a cornopean, which refers to the earliest cornets with the Stölzel valve system. The Post horn (also posthorn or post-horn) is a valveless brass instrument used to signal the arrival or departure of a mounted courier or mail coach. ...

This instrument could not have been developed without the improvement of piston valves by Heinrich Stölzel and Friedrich Blühmel. In the early 19th century, these two instrument makers almost simultaneously invented the modern valves, as still used today. They jointly applied for a patent and were granted this for a period of ten years. The first notable virtuoso player was Jean Baptiste Arban, who studied the cornet extensively and published La grande méthode complète de cornet à piston et de saxhorn, commonly referred to as the Arban method, in 1864. Up until the early 20th century, the trumpet and cornet coexisted in musical ensembles. In symphonic repertoire one will often find separate parts for both trumpet and cornet. As several instrument builders made improvements to both instruments, they started to look and sound more alike. The modern day cornet is used in brass bands, concert bands, and in specific symphonic repertoire that requires a more mellow sound. Piston valve in a brass instrument A piston valve is a device used to control the motion of a fluid along a tube or pipe by means of the linear motion of a piston within a chamber or cylinder. ... Heinrich Stölzel (1777-1844) was a horn player who developed some of the first valves for brass instruments. ... Jean-Baptiste Arban Joseph Jean Baptist Laurent Arban (28 February 1825 - 9 April 1889) was a cornetist, conductor, pedagogue and the first famed virtuoso of the cornet à piston or valved cornet. ... The Arban Method (La grande méthode complète de cornet à piston et de saxhorn par Arban) is a complete pedagogical method for students of trumpet, cornet, and other valved brass instruments. ... The Lochgelly Band, a Scottish colliery band, circa 1890 A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. ... A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family. ... For other uses, see Orchestra (disambiguation). ...

The name cornet is derived from corne, meaning horn, itself from Latin cornus.^{[citation needed]}

Ensembles with cornets

Brass band (British style)

British style brass band ensembles consist completely of brass instruments (except for the percussion section). The cornet is the leading melodic instrument in this ensemble and trumpets are never used. The ensemble consists of about thirty musicians, including nine B♭ cornets and one E♭ cornet (soprano cornet) in the higher registers. The Lochgelly Band, a Scottish colliery band, circa 1890 A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. ... Percussion redirects here. ...

Concert band

The cornet also features in the British-style concert band, unlike the American concert band or wind band, where it is replaced by the trumpet. This slight difference in instrumentation derives from the British concert band's heritage in military bands, where the highest brass instrument is always the cornet. There are usually four to six B♭ cornets present in a concert band, but no E♭ instrument, as this role is taken by the E♭ clarinet. A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family. ... Trumpeter redirects here. ... Military Band marching A military band is a group of soldiers assigned to musical duties. ...

Fanfare orkest

Fanfare orkesten ("fanfare orchestras"), only found in the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France, use the complete saxhorn family of instruments. The standard instrumentation includes both the cornet and the trumpet; however, in recent decades, the cornet has largely been replaced by the trumpet. The saxhorn is a valved brass instrument with a tapered bore and deep cup-shaped mouthpiece. ...

Jazz ensemble

In old style jazz bands, the cornet was preferred to the trumpet, but from the swing era onwards it has been largely replaced by the trumpet, although it has never passed completely out of use. The cornet is now rarely found in big bands mainly because of its limited volume and less piercing tone in comparison to the trumpet. A growing taste for louder and more aggressive sounding instruments has been the chief cause of this trend, especially since the advent of bebop in the post World War II era. A jazz band (or jazz ensemble) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music usually without a conductor. ... A big band, also known as a jazz orchestra, is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music, especially Swing. ... This article is about the genre of music, for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character see Bebop and Rocksteady. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The legendary jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden played the cornet, and Louis Armstrong, probably the best-known jazz cornetist, started off on the cornet as well, but later switched to the trumpet. Cornetists such as Bubber Miley and Rex Stewart contributed substantially to the Duke Ellington Orchestra's early sound. Other influential jazz cornetists include King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Ruby Braff and Nat Adderley. Notable performances on cornet by players generally associated with the trumpet include Freddie Hubbard's on Empyrean Isles by Herbie Hancock and Don Cherry's on The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman. Charles Buddy Bolden (September 6, 1877–November 4, 1931) was a cornetist and the first New Orleans jazz musician to come to prominence and also credited as the founder of jazz. ... Louis[1] Armstrong[2] (4 August 1901[3] – July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo[4] and Pops, was an American jazz musician. ... James Bubber Miley (April 3, 1903 - May 20, 1932) was an early jazz trumpeter, specializing in the use of the plunger mute. ... Rex Stewart (1907–1967) was an American jazz cornetist best known for his work with the Duke Ellington orchestra. ... Joe King Oliver, (December 19, 1885 - April 8, 1938) was a bandleader and jazz musician. ... Bix Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was a notable jazz cornet player. ... Reuben Ruby Braff (March 16, 1927 - February 9, 2003) was a American jazz cornetist. ... Nathaniel Adderley (November 25, 1931 - January 2, 2000) was an American jazz cornetist who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. ... Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (born April 7, 1938 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American jazz trumpeter. ... Empyrean Isles is an album by jazz musician Herbie Hancock, recorded July 17, 1964 for Blue Note Records. ... Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois) is an Academy Award and Grammy award-winning American jazz pianist and composer. ... Don Cherry (November 18, 1936–October 19, 1995) was an innovative jazz trumpeter probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. ... The Shape of Jazz to Come was the first free jazz album ever recorded. ... Ornette Coleman (born March 9, 1930) is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. ...

Relationship to trumpet

The cornet was invented by adding valves to the post horn in 1814. The valves allowed for melodic playing throughout the register of the cornet. Trumpets were slower to adopt the new valve technology, so for the next 100 years or more, composers often wrote separate parts for trumpet and cornet. The trumpet would play fanfare-like passages, while the cornet played more melodic passages. The modern trumpet has valves that allow it to play the same notes and fingerings as the cornet. The Post horn (also posthorn or post-horn) is a valveless brass instrument used to signal the arrival or departure of a mounted courier or mail coach. ... For other uses, see Fanfare (disambiguation). ...

Cornets and trumpets made in a given key (usually the key of B♭) play at the same pitch, and the technique for playing the instruments is nearly identical. However, cornets and trumpets are not entirely interchangeable, as they differ in timbre. Also available, but usually seen only in the brass band, is an E♭ soprano model, pitched a fourth above the standard B♭. There is usually only one E♭ cornet in a band, adding an extreme high register to the brass band sound. It can be effective in cutting through even the loudest tutti climax. For other uses, see key. ... In music, timbre, or sometimes timber, (from Fr. ... In music, a tutti section in a concerto is one in which the orchestra plays and the soloist does not. ...

Unlike the trumpet, which has a cylindrical bore up until the bell section, the tubing of the cornet has a mostly conical bore, starting very narrow at the mouthpiece and gradually widening towards the bell. The conical bore of the cornet is primarily responsible for its characteristic warm, mellow tone, which can be distinguished from the more penetrating sound of the trumpet. The conical bore of the cornet also makes it more agile than the trumpet when playing fast passages, but correct pitching is often less assured. The cornet is often preferred for young beginners as it is easier to hold, with its centre of gravity much closer to the player. Trumpet mouthpiece from the side On brass instruments the mouthpiece is the part of the instrument which is placed upon the players lips. ...

A drawing of a cornet from Webster's Dictionary 1911.

The cornet in the illustration is a short model traditional cornet, also known as a "Shepherd's crook" shaped model. These are most often large–bore instruments with a rich mellow sound. There is also a long-model cornet, usually with a smaller bore and a brighter sound, which is closer to a trumpet in appearance. The Shepherd's Crook model is preferred by cornet traditionalists. The long-model cornet is generally used in concert bands in the United States, but has found little following in British-style brass and concert bands. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Playing/technique

Like the trumpet and all other modern brass wind instruments, the cornet makes a sound when the player vibrates ("buzzes") the lips in the mouthpiece, creating a vibrating column of air in the tubing. The frequency of the air column's vibration can be modified by changing the lip aperture or "embouchure". In addition, the column of air can be lengthened by engaging one or more valves, thus lowering the pitch. For other uses, see Frequency (disambiguation). ... The embouchure is the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument. ...

Without valves, the player could only produce a harmonic series of notes like those played by the bugle and other "natural" brass instruments. These notes are far apart for most of the instrument's range, making diatonic and chromatic playing impossible except in the extreme high register. The valves change the length of the vibrating column and provide the cornet with the ability to play chromatically. Pitched musical instruments are usually based on a harmonic oscillator such as a string or a column of air. ... Military bugle in Bâ™­ Bugler redirects here. ... Diatonic and chromatic are important terms in Western music theory. ...

Cornet mouthpieces differ from trumpet mouthpieces; they have a shorter shank, and smaller throat to fit the smaller mouthpiece receiver. The cup size of the mouthpiece is often deeper than the trumpet's. Trumpet mouthpiece from the side On brass instruments the mouthpiece is the part of the instrument which is placed upon the players lips. ...

Lists of important players

Today's players

These are some influential cornet players in the world today.

• Olu Dara, jazz musician and father of noted rapper Nas.
• Dave Douglas, New York based jazz musician and composer, with a long association with John Zorn's Masada.
• Chris Howley, principal cornet of the Gloucester based Polysteel Band.
• Kevin Metcalf, former principal cornet of the Salvation Army Canadian Staff Band.[1]
• Ron Miles, Denver based jazz musician and composer; frequent collaborator with Bill Frisell
• Mark Roberts, Parramatta—based traditional style player and Parramatta Salvation Army's YP Band Master.
• Chris Tyle, traditional/swing jazz and recording artist, leader of the Silver Leaf Jazz Band of New Orleans.
• Warren Vache, Jr., mainstream jazz and recording artist.
• Gordon Ward, principal cornet of the Salvation Army New York Staff Band.
• Roger Webster, current principal cornet player of Grimethorpe Colliery Band and formerly Black Dyke Band.
• Philip McCann, Ex-principal cornet player of Sellers International Band.

Olu Dara (born Charles Jones III in Natchez, Mississippi[1] in 1941) is an American cornetist, guitarist and singer. ... For other uses, see Nas (disambiguation). ... Dave Douglas (born March 24, 1963) is a U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer whose music is notable for drawing on many non-jazz musical styles, including classical music, European folk music and klezmer. ... John Zorn (born September 2, 1953 in Queens, New York) is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. ... Combatants Jewish Sicarii Roman Empire Commanders Elazar ben Yair Lucius Flavius Silva Strength 960 15,000 Casualties 953 Unknown Masada (a romanisation of the Hebrew מצדה, Metzada, from מצודה, metzuda, fortress) is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of... Shield of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a non-military evangelical Christian organisation. ... Mark Roberts (born December 12, 1964 in Liverpool, England) is a famous British streaker who has run naked during several international events. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Parramatta Salvation Army (abbreviated to PSA) is a Salvation Army Corps located in the CBD of Parramatta, New South Wales. ... // Chris Tyle (born in Vancouver, Washington, May 1955) is a traditional jazz (i. ... Warren Vaché (born February 21, 1951) is a jazz trumpeter, cornetist and flugelhornist born in Rahway, New Jersey. ... Shield of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a non-military evangelical Christian organisation. ... Roger Webster (b. ... Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Selby Abbey, 2000 The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band formed in 1917 as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery. ... The Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands. ... The Sellers International Band is a brass band from Chapel Hill in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the UK. It was formed in January 1986 by Phillip McCann as Huddersfield Tecol Band. ...

Important players from the past

• Herbert Lincoln Clarke, one of the finest cornet soloists and band leaders at the turn of the 20th century.
• Jean Baptiste Arban, one of the most influential cornet performers and pedagogue.
• Leon Bix Beiderbecke, one of the best known jazz cornet players, he had a huge influence on many future jazz musicians
• Louis Armstrong, arguably the best known cornet player, also a skilled trumpet player and singer, and one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz and American music
• Nat Adderley, jazz artist and brother of the famous alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley
• Buddy Bolden, often considered the father of jazz, but his playing is unrecorded
• W.C. Handy, influential composer and band leader, has been called the "Father of the Blues"
• Joe "King" Oliver, the first important recorded jazz cornetist, he greatly influenced Louis Armstrong, who played in his band
• Brian Evans, virtuoso cornet player with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, Black Dyke Mills Band and Wingates Band. Best known for playing soprano cornet with Brighouse for the Floral Dance, which reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1977.

Herbert L. Clarke Herbert Lincoln Clarke (September 12, 1867–January 30, 1945) was a noted American cornet player, bandmaster, and composer. ... Jean-Baptiste Arban Joseph Jean Baptist Laurent Arban (28 February 1825 - 9 April 1889) was a cornetist, conductor, pedagogue and the first famed virtuoso of the cornet à piston or valved cornet. ... Leon Bismark Bix Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was a notable jazz cornet player, as well as a very talented classical and jazz pianist. ... Louis[1] Armstrong[2] (4 August 1901[3] – July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo[4] and Pops, was an American jazz musician. ... Trumpeter redirects here. ... Nathaniel Adderley (November 25, 1931 - January 2, 2000) was an American jazz cornetist who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. ... Julian Edwin Cannonball Adderley (September 15, 1928 – August 8, 1975), originally from Tampa, Florida, was a jazz alto saxophonist of the small combo era of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Charles Buddy Bolden (September 6, 1877–November 4, 1931) was a cornetist and the first New Orleans jazz musician to come to prominence and also credited as the founder of jazz. ... W.C. Handy photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1941 William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 - March 28, 1958) was an African American blues composer, often known as The Father of the Blues. ... Joe King Oliver, (December 19, 1885 – April 10, 1938) was a jazz cornet player and bandleader. ... Brian Gordon Evans (b. ... The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. ... The Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands. ... Wingates Band is a brass band based in Wingates, a settlement near the town of Westhoughton in north-west England. ... British Hit Singles redirects here. ...

External links

• The Cornet Compendium
• brass-forum.co.uk - UK based brass discussion forum.