[TPIN] Starting a beginner on a Cornet vs Trumpet

[Mark Deaton]

Tim Phillips wrote:
 
RANT MODE ON
It's like beating your head against a wall to try and convince people of 
this - ESPECIALLY when it comes to orchestra guys.   Eh.. it's orchestra 
- play everything on C trumpet.  You'd think it was written in scripture
that "Thou Shalt have no other trumpets before thy C in orchestra (unless
thou needest  something smaller to make the part easier)".  I do understand
that I am in the minority, but like Don Quixote I'll keep raising the
standard whenever I can. 

Trumpets and cornets make VERY different sounds to me - just like different
pitched trumpets have different sonorities.  I could be wrong, it seems
quite obvious in a lot of band scoring that the composers used the cornets
to blend with the rest of the band more and the trumpets were used more
sparingly (especially in the war horse transcriptions).  
I think if band players were to use the cornets as indicated, they may find
a better blend and get the infamous left hand less often.
RANT MODE OFF

St. Timothy Phillips of Magnesia, Patron Saint of the Constipated
iplatrpt at unifourbrass.org http://www.unifourbrass.org

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I hear ya!  :-)  But, I think the question was about starting a "beginner."
Most beginners are small people, since most people who start playing trumpet
(or cornet) start when they are children.  I prefer starting a beginner on a
cornet simply because it often fits the child's hand and arm length better.
I like the thread going on about using a pocket trumpet, though.  Not a bad
idea, at all!

Mark Deaton