[TPIN] Starting a beginner on a Cornet vs Trumpet - use of cornet - section blending

[William F. Dishman]

Cornets for beginners makes sense from the practical side of things
concerning size of the player and ease of holding the instrument with good
posture etc.  

In my day we were all told to get a cornet in beginning band and they were
easily available (if one could afford to get an instrument at all) at the
local music stores.  I was unable to obtain one until 3 years after
everyone else due to family finances.  Did get an old Reynolds cornet from
a neighbor's attic eventually.

One distinctionn that has become blurred however is the traditional cornet
mouthpieces were drastically different than the standard modern cornet
mouthpieces.  The traditional ones tended to have a "V" shaped cup to
varying degrees while at some point standard "C" cup trumpet mouthpieces
were put onto cornet shanks.  This transition blended and confused the
tonal differences between trumpets and cornets.


Ask a beginner and I bet they will not care what mouthpiece shape.  Just
the horn itself is the important thing.

Today the cornet availability for beginners is not so prevalent.  Music
stores in my experience don't carry many cornets in their rental programs.
It is trumpets only.  I have sent parents to try to get cornets and the
vast majority end up with trumpets.  Talking with music stores to convince
them to stock cornets is frustrating as they say everyone wants trumpets.

The only solution I see is for music programs to stock cornets in their
school inventories and issue them to the students a la school textbooks.

My high school had a matched set of professional model cornets with a set
of 4 professional trumpets as well.  If you made the symphonic band, you
played these horns (or a matching instrument of your own).

That 1st professional cornet was the first professional quality horn I
ever played until I was able to purchase my own professional quality
trumpet in 10th grade.  

Today I am a cornet enthusiast as part of my total playing experience
including bands, orchestras, brass quintets etc.

It all started with that Reynolds cornet from a neighbor's attic.

Question?????

Alfred Reed concert band pieces seem to reverse the standard 3 cornet/ 2
trumpet parts.  His are generally 3 trumpets/ 2 cornets.  Some of the
cornet parts are lyrical in nature but many seem to be more like the
typical "trumpet" parts.

Anyone know why he opted to do this...?


Bill Dishman
Gainesville, Florida