Imagine life without Brass Instruments? Nil Cornets & Trumpets. Negative Trombones (aarghh!). And Sousaphones (Mmm, not all bad then!)
John Williams film scores would be bereft of ‘The Dark Side’ and Fanfare Flourishes of triumphant victory. Brass Band contests (not that they would exist!) would be merely a repeated percussive ‘ditty’. In Orchestras, the String and Woodwind sections would have nothing to whinge about!!
Cornets & Trumpets, don’t panic. The Brass is going nowhere! It’s here to stay. Forever!
Secondary Schools are key to nurturing and enthusing students in musical performance. Head Teachers, Ofsted, and Music department staff have observed the academic, social, musical and community importance that Music in schools can deliver. This must continue.
In this article I will introduce you to the recommended range and brands of Cornets & Trumpets available here at Normans Musical Instruments. I can verify that my recommendations will be perfect for students, as they advance through secondary school and beyond.
Cornets
I remember listening to the sweet sounds of Jim Shepherd playing ‘Pandora’ as a young child. The tone, the ‘triple-tonguing’ technique, the emotion. When it comes to Cornets I can strongly recommend the following 3 great instruments. My selections are all perfectly suited to secondary school and brass band musicians of the highest standard.
The ‘tried-and-tested’ traditional Besson New Standard, the ‘new kid on the block’ the amazing Montreux ECR01, and the Yamaha YCR2330/YCR4330.
Besson New Standard
A real benchmark in student Cornets. This beautiful Besson model boasts a stunning Silver plate finish, precision stainless steel centre valves and yellow-brass bell.
All of this contributes to its exceptional sound and playability. This is a great choice for all student Cornet players and will not fail to impress you and your audience!
Yamaha YCR2330/YCR4330
These new Cornets have been improved by a new modified two-piece bell with a thickness of metal that has enhanced the tone, resonance and response. The main difference between the models, is the YCR2330 is produced using yellow-brass, giving a brighter tone and better projection, whereas the YCR4330 uses Gold-brass, producing a much warmer and rounded tone.
The new rounder shaped leadpipe offers less resistance, and the newly designed heavier caps and buttons give these Cornets a high level of playability, making them ideal starter Cornets for students of any age. Both models are available in clear lacquer or silver-plate finish. Comes supplied with a Yamaha CR11E4 mouthpiece and very protective bespoke hard case.
Montreux ECR01
Prepared to be amazed at this new brand on the market! Taking inspiration in its design, materials and build quality from some of the greatest, professional Cornets available, the new Montreux ECR01 is definitely ‘punching above its weight’. The sound production, tone and beautiful silver-plate finish is gaining a reputation of similarity to that of the Besson Sovereign. And crucially, at a fraction of the price. It is aimed at the dedicated and improving player who strives for perfection in tone, articulation and intonation with 1st & 3rd valve tuning triggers.
You will not be disappointed!
Trumpets
Orchestras, Jazz Bands, Pop Groups, Wind Bands, Big Bands, Brass Quintets…………weddings? Is there any event a trumpeter will not get invited to?!
Yamaha YTR3335/YTR4335 These two offerings from Yamaha share many of the high-end design and build features of their smaller Cornet ‘cousins’, again, available in either a clear lacquer or Silver-plate finish.
Yamaha YTR3335 Bb Trumpet
For the first time Yamaha has designed a student trumpet with a reversed main tuning slide, giving an exceptional feel and response.
The YTR3335 has the addition of a brace on the main tuning slide for a more stable and solid sound, and the newly-designed two-piece yellow-brass bell has a light response and ‘bright’ projection, making it easy for students to get started and develop a brilliant tone.
Yamaha YTR4335 Bb Trumpet
The new YTR4335 Yamaha trumpet offers some real improvements in playability and a more powerful sound. 4000 Series Yamaha trumpets now come with a modified two-piece Gold brass bell, delivering a warmer, fuller sound. The YCR4335 shares some features with the YCR3335, with the thicker bell alloy and newly-designed heavier valve caps and buttons, and the YCR4335 reverts to using a standard fit main tuning slide to give the trumpet more projection and power and less distortion.
All of our excellent instruments are checked to ensure only the highest quality reaches you in a perfect condition, and all of our Cornets & Trumpets come with mouthpieces and attractive protective cases.
No matter what your musical taste and preference is, from Mahler to ‘Matilda’, Holst to ‘Harry Potter’, or Black Dyke Mills to The Royal Marines Band, at Normans Musical Instruments we have a suitable and reliable, high-quality Brass instrument you can rely on.
