Instrumentation

[davidp]

There are no Bb Mellophones.

But you could do quite nicely with all Bb horns - use Flugels and/or French Horns for your alto voice.

So... here's a question for you. I'm in a start-up mini corps, and I own a Bb marching french horn, but am considering buying a mello. Would I be better off with a flugel or a mellophone (and anyone else who is in the alto section)? Either one I purchase would be played with a horn mouthpiece (I play horn in a community band, and am not about to lose my horn chops! :) ). Or, would I do okay w/the horn I have? To me, the marching horn just doesn't have the range of a mello (but then, I haven't played a mellophone since "before the war" :) ).

[Shadow_7]

So... here's a question for you. I'm in a start-up mini corps, and I own a Bb marching french horn, but am considering buying a mello. Would I be better off with a flugel or a mellophone (and anyone else who is in the alto section)?

Is this min-corps on Bb horns?

Either one I purchase would be played with a horn mouthpiece (I play horn in a community band, and am not about to lose my horn chops! :) ). Or, would I do okay w/the horn I have? To me, the marching horn just doesn't have the range of a mello (but then, I haven't played a mellophone since "before the war" :) ).

You would probably do better on Mellophone. Not that I've ever played a flugel horn. But you just don't see many of them in drumcorps. And if you're gonna be using a french horn piece, it's a little more acceptable to do so on a mellophone. You might also look at getting the Mello 6v mouthpiece. A lot of french horn players use that on mellophone. From what I've seen it's a little deeper and more of a V cup than a plain Mello 6.

Or you could make do with your marching french horn. The one thing I noticed about french horn is it generally doesn't have the dynamic contrast that a mello does. At least in the sense that a mellophone can be almost twice as loud with less effort in some cases. If you're a lone alto voice competing against pairs of individuals in the other voices, you just can't compete on french horn IMO. You can give it a good try, but in the end is it really worth that much effort?

I normally play Euphonium, but in '05 I tried french horn, but ultimately went to mellophone. I had better endurance on french horn with regards to range. On mellophone I had a better range(upper), but not as good of endurance in range. The reduced effort to play loud on mello made it much easier to march with the mello. I prefer the sound of a french horn, especially now that I'm getting closer to a mouthpiece which works for me. But sometimes you've got to go with the horn that gives the audience the better final product.

[BMBob]

I think it would depend (for me) on what the rest of the section looked like. I think a mello in there adds the dynamic contrast that Shadow 7 mentioned. It also works better with a horn mouthpiece than a flugel. If you already have a marching horn, though, and there are other mello players, I would consider (with approval of the brass staff) staying on that instrument and using that tone quality to beef up the lower mello/horn part - adding a little bit of warmth. Then the first mellos can add the sizzle on top.

[mewzikman87]

You might also look at getting the Mello 6v mouthpiece. A lot of french horn players use that on mellophone. From what I've seen it's a little deeper and more of a V cup than a plain Mello 6.

This is a good suggestion. The mello 6 and 6v are the two most popular pieces for junior corps. The 6v has a more french horn like cup. Mello mouthpieces are larger and have a bigger rim than horn mouthpieces but the rim is much nicer to your chops in a marching setting. A huge percentage of junior corps mello players are horn players, many like myself are even music majors on horn, and as far as I've heard everyone uses mellophone mouthpieces of some sort- but that's junior dci corps...my experience doesn't go too far beyond that.

[davidp]

Is this min-corps on Bb horns?

Yes, and for now, I am the only horn player (we have two trumpets and a baritone as well; it's a "mini" mincorps at the moment). As I said, we are just getting started. One reason I was thinking about mellophone is because anyone else who joins my section would probably either already have a mellophone, or have better access to one than they would a Bb marching horn (that, and I'm needing another instrument to clutter up my apartment ). Also, mellophones seem to have a higher range than horns. BTW, I marched flugel one year in HS (I toyed with getting a flugel instead of the marching horn). I had to use a french horn mouthpiece for a while (evidently, there was a flugel mouthpiece famine that year), and just wrapped tape around it to make it fit. It worked okay, but I was glad when I finally got a flugel mouthpiece.

Thanks for all the input so far. I've been out of the "loop" for a while, and it's good to hear from people who know way more than I do.

Edited April 16, 2006 by davidp

[mchromik]

I am thinking that if you are the only true horn player you should stay on the marching frenchie. That small of an ensemble needs a true solid middle. I would think the trumpets would be better suited to playing the upper range stuff. It would be different if you had a few mellos where your seconds could anchor the middle while the leads go up for a little color. IMHO squealing mellos never sound quite right

If you are a double horn player, doubling on a F or G mello will not be to much of a switch. But please stick with a proper mello mpc like the 6V. The adapter route just makes a psuedo crappy french horn sound that is best suited to really bad HS marching bands. The mpc will not screw up your chops anymore then the different slotting and response of the mello will anyway. Doubling isn't so much physical as mental. I switch between a Bb trumpet and F mello with ease. The more you do it the easier it is to wrap your brain around.

So do I detect a note of scorn toward the idea of a mini-corps on Bbs? Just curious.

[BMBob]

If you are a double horn player, doubling on a F or G mello will not be to much of a switch. But please stick with a proper mello mpc like the 6V. The adapter route just makes a psuedo crappy french horn sound that is best suited to really bad HS marching bands.

I definitely agree with this.

[davidp]

I am thinking that if you are the only true horn player you should stay on the marching frenchie. That small of an ensemble needs a true solid middle. I would think the trumpets would be better suited to playing the upper range stuff. It would be different if you had a few mellos where your seconds could anchor the middle while the leads go up for a little color. IMHO squealing mellos never sound quite right

If you are a double horn player, doubling on a F or G mello will not be to much of a switch. But please stick with a proper mello mpc like the 6V. The adapter route just makes a psuedo crappy french horn sound that is best suited to really bad HS marching bands. The mpc will not screw up your chops anymore then the different slotting and response of the mello will anyway. Doubling isn't so much physical as mental. I switch between a Bb trumpet and F mello with ease. The more you do it the easier it is to wrap your brain around.

The only reason I was thinking about using a horn mouthpiece with a bit was because of the size of the mouthpiece, and the rim. I've never used a mellophone mouthpiece, but I know that a trumpet mouthpiece messes with my embrochure (sp?). I may see if I can "test drive" a mello mouthpiece the next time I'm at the store.

"So do I detect a note of scorn toward the idea of a mini-corps on Bbs? Just curious."

Not from me, I hope :) . I have no problem with it at all.

[Shadow_7]

I may see if I can "test drive" a mello mouthpiece the next time I'm at the store.

The one time I used a french horn piece with an adapater on a Mello was because you generally can't just walk into a store and find a mellophone mouthpiece. You can however walk in and find/buy adapters till you're blue in the face. You generally have to order mellophone mouthpieces, assuming the store is big/good enough to even know what a mellophone mouthpiece is. And if you order it from wwbw.com you can expect to wait 2 to 3 MONTHS till you get it. Even though it's listed as on-order or two to three weeks. There's probably better sources depending on where you live, but that's my experience from where I live.

[davidp]

The one time I used a french horn piece with an adapater on a Mello was because you generally can't just walk into a store and find a mellophone mouthpiece. You can however walk in and find/buy adapters till you're blue in the face. You generally have to order mellophone mouthpieces, assuming the store is big/good enough to even know what a mellophone mouthpiece is. And if you order it from wwbw.com you can expect to wait 2 to 3 MONTHS till you get it. Even though it's listed as on-order or two to three weeks. There's probably better sources depending on where you live, but that's my experience from where I live.

Now that I think of it, Freddy Martin yelled at us for doing that once (that's all it took :) ) during band rehearsal back in HS (said it sounded like we were playing 7C mouthpieces--we were very flat). The store I frequent (& from whom I take lessons) usually has a good supply of mouthpieces, though a mello may be a special order thing.