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Why all Mellophones?


randomnoise

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As far as french horns go....I always assumed they were impossible to play with todays drill style (run....bounce....run.....bounce).

I played one in 2000 in Kilties and it was not a huge problem but we weren't doing a drill like Cadets or Cavaliers either.

I actually liked playing the mello this year. Was something different.

Hopefully I'll be playing mello next year somewhere. in a blue uniform.

:lol:

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What if the lower soprano parts (in the staff, or lower) were played on altos or flugels? Keep the mellos seperate. Sops used only for lead and second parts? any thoughts?

I think this has been done a few times.

Fluegels on lower soprano parts really mello out the sound, and let the higher range of the soprano really get more brilliant (as only the higher parts are on soprano)

Altos really are slightly darker than a Fluegel, and really shouldn't be used by people looking for the most French Horn-like sound. They blend almost too well with Sopranos

Mellophones are the easiest of the family to play, and since mellophone mouthpieces are similar to a trumpet mouthpiece, it is easy to march with. The Mellophone isn't as dark as a French Horn, but with a larger bore mouthpiece and proper training, it can achieve a sound close to what is desired.

French Horns are the best sound in the family and closest to a concert French Horn. The biggest problems are #1 The Mouthpiece. Being such a sharp cut, it is the most difficult mouthpiece to control. I remember French Horn players in HS having bruised lips in Marching Band. Now this can be overcome (and has) by proper body control. #2 It seems like a good number of 'mellophone' players are actually trumpet players. This makes an awkward transition (even though French Horn players do it to by going to a mello mouthpiece)

I personally like to see a mix of 3 of the 4 (I HATE Altos) to fully explore the timbres of each. Of course, that is all dependant on what your corps can afford and what your talent level is.

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Why has the all-Mellophone midvoice section become the prevailing standard?

Are we going to let the mid-80s Garfield Cadets and the early 90s Star of Indiana rule drum corps orchestration forever?

Arrangers - write for French Horns and Flugels, too!

Wonderful timbres await you.

Chris,

Much of the all and only Mellophone trend was "enforced" after the switch to three valve bugles in 1990. The manufacture of other mid-brass was pretty much eliminated, excepting the french horn. So if one wanted flugels or altos it was necessary to write for two valve instruments, which is a problem in a three valve world.

The flugel is making a comeback with Crossmen employing six and others using it as a solo instrument. Interestingly the move to multikey brass may increased the variety of brass played on the field. The Glassmen flugel solo was played on a Bb with the rest of the corps in G in 2001. I think the suitability to mix it with other mid and low brass will see more flugels hit the field.

The french horn will likely never see it's popularity restored. The original french horn, designed way back by Cesar LaMonica and Jim Donnelly for an era of no valve drum corps was based on a small belled baritone design. This essentially was a baritone trumpet with a french horn mouthpiece. This instrument blended very well with the brass instruments of that era, soprano, tenor, and baritone.

With the introduction of mellophones, bass baritones, euphoniums, and contrabasses, utilizing a more conical bore, the french horn sound stuck out of the ensemble. Various redesigns to give it a truer horn shape, larger bell, and gentler sound were employed, but they never truly caught the ear of the community as did the long model french horn.

When the G-F bugle was legalized in 1968, the middle register of the horn, (below middle C) was now playable and the mellophone moved into the range that was once the sole province of the french horn. From that day on the french horn began disappearing from the world of drum corps. If there is a resurgence, it will need to be from a new instrument design, IMHO.

Getzen even marketed a drum corps style french horn for marching band in F/Eb during the 60's and 70's and called it a frumpet. They pop up on eBay all the time.

Finally, the mellophone pyrotechnics from Jim Prime's pen became widely imitated throughout the marching world. Those flying appegios really established the mellophone as the middle voice.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm not sure some of you are aware of this, but SCV has been marching 6 french horns and 4 mellos since 2001. IMO, it just makes the alto line harder to hear.

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I'm not sure some of you are aware of this, but SCV has been marching 6 french horns and 4 mellos since 2001. IMO, it just makes the alto line harder to hear.

Of course - only 10 people in a big hornline like that! Should be more like 6 and 6. Back in the day, SCV had 4 mellos and 8 FH in a hornline of 62. No problem hearing them.

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