Trumpet vs. Cornet | Comparison and Demonstration

In case anyone is wondering about the differences between a trumpet and a cornet. They're in the same key and range, just with different shapes, and moreover different uses. A cornet is built to blend, whereas a trumpet is made to pierce through.

[@dylan3315]

When I heard your voice, I wasn't expecting you to look so young lol. Great presentation! This helped me decide which to buy!

[@AlpaChino393]

I know I'm a little late, but for what it's worth, your presentation in this video is fantastic. You express your ideas clearly and concisely and since I'm watching this as I cram in jazz history homework, I really appreciate that. Cheers!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

So glad you enjoyed this video! The new ones are better though :)

[@jeffyoung4078]

Nice video, the difference between the two instruments is very noticeable. Your playing has come so far and really developed.

[@jeffyoung4078]

I just realized I left two comments on the same video. Does that make me a fangirl?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

No Jeff, you're better than that ;)

[@hayesman76]

Great job explaining and demonstrating the differences. Thank you.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.

[@LucyWinter12]

Omggg I LOVE the sound of the cornet. 🥰

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thanks! I definitely prefer its sound over the trumpet.

[@indianajonesforceghost3156]

I’m new to the cornet itself (been playing trumpet for a while) and have always been told that trumpet is better for jazz and cornet is more for a classical vibe. But I would also think that the cornet would be better for a kind of slow bluesy vibe too, if it’s more mellow? Asking bc I want to start playing blues in my own time and wondering which would be better

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

You're quite right that it's not as linear as trumpet = jazz and cornet = classical for multiple reasons. Firstly, every major orchestra around here uses trumpets and only occasionally pulls out cornets for very specific circumstances. Secondly, like you said, cornets have been used in the blues traditionally. It depends on the era of your choosing. Jazz started on the cornet, but beyond the 40s and the heyday of big bands the trumpet phased it out somewhat. I like the sound of jazz cornet, but it was an aesthetic that only lasted a few decades before the trumpet took the front seat. I personally would get a cornet because then you have the flexibility to get a mouthpiece that makes it sound like a trumpet or a traditional cornet, whereas trumpet mouthpieces tend to be a little less versatile. However, in the US, it's always a bit tough being a cornet player if you go pro because most of the jobs are on trumpet.

[@indianajonesforceghost3156]

Samuel Plays Brass Thanks for replying so fast! I’ll give the cornet a try!!

[@eustace8520]

Both can be played for both genres. I mean, just listen to Bix Beiderbecke!

[@EnglishTMTB]

Also, I know you already know this but it's a very apples-to-oranges comparison when we're using very different mouthpieces... Cornets can get VERY bright if you use trumpet-cupped mouthpieces (like Bach's, which Blessing's are copies of). To some extent, the cornet tends to get used with those huge buckets because it's the sound that's expected from a cornet (and vice versa!) - there's a lot more chicken:egg going on here than a lot of people think.... that's not to say it's all illusory, but quite a bit of it is.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

That’s fair. Especially with trumpets being more conical than they used to (my Shewhorn is remarkably conical for a trumpet) it’s often just down to mouthpiece choice. You’re absolutely correct that a Bach/Blessing will produce a very bright and compact sound even on a brass band cornet, but you don’t see hardly any trumpet mouthpieces with a Wick no-letter cup. It’s sort of a given that mouthpieces aren’t as deep on trumpets. I just recently got a really nice Bach 1.5A for symphony, and despite being an A cup, it’s not terribly deep; far shallower than the Wick 2.

[@wilhelmorangenbaum2]

Trumpet and Cornet mouthpieces should NOT be interchangeable.

[@EnglishTMTB]

@@wilhelmorangenbaum2 depends what type of cornet and what you're using it for. For Dixie stuff you don't want deep V cups, for example. Depends on the player to a large extent too. Then you have cornets that actually have trumpet receivers - Yamaha's C cornet for example... Some soprano cornets come with trumpet shank leadpipes, too. Just saying to be careful with the generalisations, that's all.

[@wilhelmorangenbaum2]

@@EnglishTMTB That's something in jazz and related genres, where the sound of the individual musician is more important than the orchestration and combinations of sound colours. In concert bands and brass bands, the sound colors that the composer wants to achieve are the most important thing: if I, as a composer, want the colour of a cornet, then I don't want anything that sounds like a trumpet, and the mouthpiece is a crucial factor in that. Trumpets and cornets started out as two completely different instruments, but as time went on, their characteristics blended. A bit similar on how the original saxophone mouthpieces produced a warmer and rounder sound, more ideal for blending, but when jazz players took up the saxophone, they called for mouthpieces that produced a more shrill, projecting, bright sound to cope with trumpets and trombones. The point is that, as is the case with horns, trombones and tubas, cornets should have their own standard type of mouthpiece and changing the mouthpiece should be seen as an exception to the rule. All instruments must have their own peculiar sound that is independent from the player.

[@EnglishTMTB]

@@wilhelmorangenbaum2 Out of interest, what experience do you have with competitive level brass banding? I say this as I've been in the situation many times where the composer is conducting their own works (with serious bands) and they're nowhere near as straightjacket about what they wanted to hear as seems to be the implication here - they may have written it, but they still expect and want the band to breathe it's own personality into the music - I've known some very good players using trumpet cups on Bb cornet (including one who played bumper up for one of the permanent fixtures in the British open, for example)... Yes, there are loose rules but the end product is what matters - and not only do players differ wildly in their natural tone and ability to influence the sound of what they're using, but the blend of a section overall doesn't just rely on homogeneity... I couldn't name you a single front row I've played with in championship section bands (regular or depping) where the entire front row was using the same brand of mouthpieces OR instruments (and as an equipment geek I tend to notice what people are using from the sop seat where I am), which kind of underlines my point - it is the end result that matters, not what a player chooses to use to get there.

[@lifetimesofamultiplemediam1003]

Very good comparison...

[@user-xd1pd7ih3k]

Thank you! That was very informative.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Glad you liked it!

[@paulgrimm6850]

Great Demo

[@casillasluisfernando5288]

Hey, does anybody knows what excerpts does he plays from 5:39 onward? I hear something about charlie “8 2” (?) but i have not been able to find anythig (sorry if i misheard the name, my native toungue is not english)

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Hi Luis- I'm playing Charlier 2 (the second etude Theo Charlier wrote) during that section of the video.

[@hvilletrumpet]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass I recognized it immediately.

[@diz7595]

What mouthpiece do you recommend for cornet to hit higher notes? If there is such a mouthpiece.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

They’re quite expensive, but I’m a brand ambassador for Karl Hammond Design, and the cornet mouthpiece they made for me (size 3L) made the higher register open up a lot.

[@twentynediscos3216]

Hey so I'm not NEARLY as good as you are, but I have trouble not moving my embouchure when going from high to low and low to high. I see you have the same struggle, as I see your whole embouchure moves a lot. Maybe try to keep your face more still when moving with wider ranges. I also notice when you go go to pedal notes you tend to get really loose and that is not good, and I think you can go flat from that. Maybe try to make sure your lips stay closer together and stay as tight as they are for other notes. just a tip :))))

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Good suggestions, but you’ll notice I sound a lot worse if I try not to move my embouchure at all. The low notes literally don’t speak.

[@pauldance7387]

Does the cornet play easier than the trumpet for a beginner ?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

It'll be easier for small hands to grasp, if you're talking about a child starting on brass, but it's not really noticeably "easier" per se than the trumpet.

[@KENZIEEEEEESS]

Paul Dance I just started the 6th grade with my cornet not difference between everyone else

[@tobiaguerri5448]

No, ma è scritto così!!! Complimenti!!

[@normalpair]

Cornets are cheaper? I would think they would be more expensive because they seem rarer. I haven't seen any Cornets in person at music stores, and I have only seen them online.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

No, there are levels to each. In the case of both, there’s a whole spectrum from the $100 used student models that you can find dime-a-dozen on eBay, up to several thousand for a brand-new, professional quality instrument.

[@trumpetplayerdude9838]

Do you play any jazz, and if so can you play some jazz songs ?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

I do play some jazz; I just don't know what sort of jazz songs I'd play

[@andrewiwai3881]

Could you use a French horn mouthpiece on a cornet?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

No, the shank sizes are different. I have seen an adapter than you put into a cornet receiver that will then fit a French horn mouthpiece, but it makes the instrument extremely out of tune.

[@jeremyhope1649]

Awesome!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thanks Jeremy!

[@hvilletrumpet]

What brand cornet are you playing? It looks just like my ACB doubler.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

It’s a John Packer JP-071, and it’s possible both companies import from the same Chinese factory.

[@hvilletrumpet]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass After I commented, I found another video in which you mentioned it being the JP. Looking at the two, the only difference is where the shank enters the leadpipe. You're likely right - same factory in China. I got my ACB a couple of weeks ago as they were selling a "demo" model at a discount. I'm a trumpet guy so it's a new world in some ways (an hour after arrival I had an invite to gig with the local brass band last Thursday - fun). But their Doubler flugel I use in my swing band was so nice I felt safe buying the cornet. It's a nice horn, especially for the price. I appreciate the cornet videos. I found them searching for mouthpiece demonstrations.

[@paulgrimm]

Does the shepherds Crux effects the sound any on the coronet?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

My opinion on the shepherd’s crook, which I am partial to on most cornets, is this: on its own, it has quite a minimal effect on the sound. It perhaps makes the instrument slightly more free-blowing due to the wider radius bend. However, the benefits lie in the perception of your own sound. The shepherd’s crook construction brings the bell closer to your ear and encourages you to play with a softer, lighter, and more intimate sound, which plays a huge role in the tone you actually hear coming out of the bell, on the audience’s side of things. So even if the objective answer is “not really,” I believe the crook has its benefits.

[@paulgrimm]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass Thank you. It does look cool 😎

[@Kernviter]

whats the excerpt @ 7:02

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring by J.S. Bach

[@EnglishTMTB]

Traditionally you're right that the trumpet should be much more cylindrical in it's bore profile than the cornet... these days, most trumpets don't fit the traditional definitions of a trumpet - they're more conical than they used to be. Still, there is an obvious difference between the two (most! of the time) in order to keep up the expected sound profiles and wraps... and when it comes to brass instruments, EVERYTHING has an effect on sound and response, including the wrap itself.

[@wilhelmorangenbaum2]

An unfortunate trend that needs to be reversed, trumpet should be cylindrical.

[@colindawson4818]

I've just bought my first cornet, having owned and played a Trumpet for 25 years. I recently (5 years ago) bought a new Trumpet as well. Both at the same level of Yamaha Silver plated (4000 series) the Cornet cost my more than the trumpet. So, I do no agree that a cornet is cheaper than a trumpet.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Of course cornets aren’t necessarily cheaper than trumpets, but in this video we’re comparing a $2000 trumpet to a $200 cornet. That’s just the way it worked out in this video, even though cornets and flugels will typically edge out similar trumpets’ prices.

[@jayprkr3336]

The largest market for instruments would be for students, not the higher end that is talked about more. Cornets cost more new, but in that giant secondary market geared to school based music education. The demand for trumpets greatly enhances their resale value. It was years ago, not current pricing, it was easy to pay a legitimate music store about 60% trumpet cost and get a slightly better quality cornet in their used section.

[@paulgrimm]

I like the coronet better.It’s mellow and softer.

[@teacher5376]

Hi.every player's, on wood winds , need to know , more on .....sounds , voices, of the instruments. Cost.prices , are be .will spends .all the good , and best ....we like .we share .....ok.yamaha trumpet 's , are super .cornet 's too...

[@kendrickpereira37]

Not a great deal of difference between the instruments as demonstrated in this video. The difference in type can be much greater.

[@colinball9032]

What about Long cornets? They can sound as bright or even brighter than a trumpet, this is far too simplistic, not all cornet players use "deep traditional mouthpieces" go listen to Wild Bill Davidson. Not very impressive playing either. Very confusing and inaccurate' and the more you talk the worse it gets

[@RyanLuchuck]

Looking forward to your video, showing us how it’s done.

[@wilhelmorangenbaum163]

Cornet players who don't use real Cornet mouthpieces only are doing a disadvantage for the instrument, they are destroying the sound of the cornet and blurring the lines between how a cornet sounds in relation to a trumpet.