Jump to content

Trumpet=Soprano?


Is it OK to call the Bb horns sopranos, contras, ect?  

161 members have voted

  1. 1. Is it OK to call the Bb horns sopranos, contras, ect?

    • Yes
      110
    • No
      51


Recommended Posts

Before the parody picture thread gets hijacked even more, I think it's time for another "Bb=sopranot?" thread :P

So the poll is, is it OK or proper to call the modern horns that most corps use, which are pitched in Bb, by the old names such as soprano and contra? Using real reasons, why or why not?

Edited by G-Cym
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 31
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

The term Soprano refers to the voice in the brass ensemble. The Trumpet is the Soprano voice of a brassline, just as a mellophone is the alto voice, bari and euphs are the baritone voice, and tubas are the contra voice. These terms apply to the voice of the instrement in relation to the ensemble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree - it would be referring to the voice represented by the instrument. As long as the people that are being spoken to understand, I don't see any problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

honestly, i like to call an instrument it's actual name. you wouldn't call a trumpet a soprano in a concert setting, and you wouldn't call a tuba a contra in the same setting. if i were to have taught drum corps in the days of the G-pitched instruments, i still would have called them trumpets, tubas, mellos, etc. because that's what they are. they aren't sopranos, they aren't altos. that's describing the voicing that they play. i prefer to call an instrument by it's name. c-trumpet, Bb-trumpet, g-trumpet, c-tuba, f-tuba, etc.

to use a bad example:

say, for instance, you are leading a trumpet ensemble. there are high trumpets and there are low trumpets. using the same principle as some people use with the names in drum corps, you would call the highest trumpets "sopranos" and the lowest trumpets "contras". it's just silly. call the instrument what it is.

just my $.02

Michael Terry

Drum corps fan since 1986

Cadets Baritone 2000-present

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think this topic is more than reasonable enough, i think its alright to interchange trumpet, soprano, contra, tuba, i doubt anyone would really throw a fit. I cant say how many times rehearsals have been interrupted because somebody yelled out a comment to the "sops" which people misheard as stop, lol, other than that, its really no big deal what you call them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...