If I hear a soprano called a "trumpet"...

[ffernbus3]

Soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Traditional 4 part vocal harmony.

Not brass choir....vocal choir, though nomenclature could be used in a general theoretical sense with a brass choir situation, I guess, to distinguish between positions in the score.

Drum corps nomenclature probably owes to the vocal harmony model to differentiate it from traditional band instrument: you couldn't call it a "trumpet bugle," eh? Soprano makes more sense in this case.

If it's in Bb and has 3 valves and plays the upper voice in the brass choir it's a darn trumpet! If you can use your current horn in both band, orchestra and corps, it's a trumpet.

If it's in G, and has one, two or three valves, my guess it's a soprano bugle (in this case), I'd speculate.

Same would apply for tubas vs. contra basses, I would think.

Argument does not extend to orchestral vs. corps french horns due to bell placement...bell front still being the standard for drum corps and some marching bands. Not to mention key signatures for the instrument (ie, horn in F as opposed to french horn bugle in G).

Same/same for corps vs. orchestral euphoniums: bell placement and the occasional 4th valve and/or double bell.

Of course I could be totally wrong in my nomenclature accessments.

RON HOUSLEY

Edited February 18, 2006 by ffernbus3

[argonaut]

When I was a little snot nosed kid in the 70’s playing on a valve rotary G bugle, I wished we could play a three-valve trumpet. When I switched to a two-valve bugle, I thought it was better, because it wasn’t much of an adjustment from my three-valve trumpet that I played in winter band. I still would have preferred a third valve, but it was better than the rotary. I was recently playing in a group that used three-valve G bugles, and found myself wishing that they were Bb trumpets, since most of my life I’ve played on Bb. I guess the moral of the story is that I’m just never happy person. I quit the G bugle group to play with another group that plays Bb, and now I wish that I could play the saxophone.

I can’t really say what it is, but recently I’ve come to terms with the evolution of drum corps. Amps don’t really get me upset as they used to, and though I rarely enjoyed any of the vocals that I’ve heard the last couple of years, that hasn’t bothered me as bad ether. But for all I know I have suffered some kind of brain trauma and don’t realize what’s going on around me. I heard all the arguments and some of them are very valid. The one about letting the concessions stands sell alcohol, during the shows is one that I can raise my glass to. No matter what they add or remove, someone is going to be against it, and that is the way things are. I’m against some of the changes, but I still enjoy the shows and love the activity. God Bless America.