I've been playing the trumpet for a couple years. Now I want to play Mellophone. Is it much different?

Question

Is there anything I should know? Does it take a nicer set of chops to play the mellophone that it does the trumpet?

Answer 1

The mellophone is a brass instrument that is typically used in place of the French horn in marching bands or drum and bugle corps.

The mellophone has three valves, and the keys are pressed with the right hand. The fingerings of the mellophone are identical to the fingerings of a Trumpet, not the French Horn as is commonly assumed. Mellophones are typically pitched in the key of F. The overtone series is an octave above that of the horn. Many drum and bugle corps, however, use mellophones pitched in G, although the number has dwindled somewhat since the two major United States drum and bugle corps circuits (first Drum Corps International and then Drum Corps Associates) passed rule changes allowing use of instrumentation in any key (although corps using mellophones pitched in G typically have the whole of their brass section also using G instruments, while those using mellophones pitched in F generally have the remainder of their brass section using B♭; instruments). Mellophones, like most brass instruments, are available in a number of keys. Mellophones are usually in either F or E♭, although historically instruments were built to convert to many keys, including B♭, D and C.

Learn more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellophone

Answer 2

There are mellophones in F, Eb, and Bb -- the most common in marching bands is the F. It fingers identical to a trumpet and has the same essential written range.

If you do decide to play mellophone, do so with a mellophone mouthpiece and try to make it sound closer to a flugelhorn than a french horn. Those playing with adapted french horn mouthpieces don't get a true mellophone tone and are fighting the natural beauty of the horn.

If you can find one, an alto horn can be pretty interesting to play and when played well has an awesomely beautiful tone. It also fingers exactly the same as the trumpet.

A true mellophone (looks like a french horn with valves) is pretty hard to find these days (some are on eBay) and also can sound very pretty. They are closer to a french horn tone and finger exactly like a trumpet.

Answer 3

I even have performed the trumpet for 6 years additionally, and can somewhat say do not swap gadgets! you will audition for spots, so in case you prepare very perplexing, you may get into one in each and every of those spots. The horn is a reasonably perplexing tool. I had a chum that switched from 1st chair trumpet to french horn after 4 years on the trumpet. Now she is 5th chair french horn out of in basic terms seven human beings. additionally this is a great unecessay investment. heavily, i might see that as an rather undesirable concept to alter in basic terms for this one component. additionally, in case you do not make Sym Orchestra, you will possibly be in slightly much less proficient group, and get a sturdy chair. Or in case you're set on Sym Orchestra, prepare like loopy, and you are able to in all threat do it.

Answer 4

whats a mellophone?

Answer 5

Most of it is very similar. The tone is different, of course, but the tonguing and fingering are very similar.