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Re: Flugelhorn - what should it sound like etc.

To: <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Flugelhorn - what should it sound like etc.
From: "TiBaR Services" <rthomas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 19:03:24 +1000
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My $0.02 worth - all the following should be preceded by IMHO.

Flugel is one instrument where you can produce more tone colours than most
of the other brass band instruments. (Trom is probably next in the order.)
The structure of the beast, the mpc and the chops behind it can make it
sound anywhere between a trumpet and a baritone. Personally I prefer to
think of it as the sop member of the saxhorn group leading down to the tuba
end. The tone has a prevalence of the lower end enharmonics rather than the
top end which gives it the dark rich tone.
Mpc and technique is important. Trumpet players on flugels especially with
shallow mpc's sound like trumpet players trying to play a flugel. Big bucket
mpc's give the tone but can restrict the range (irks trumpet players) but
there are satisfactory compromises.
>From a few years of playing cornet/trumpet /flugel and analysing what I do I
have found I use different embouchure, breathing and mindset for each
instrument. You can create close copies. For example, by using a cornet
embouchure, breathing techniques and mindset on a flugel you can produce
nearly a cornet sound. It's much harder to do it the other way around.
You asked how much is instrument, perception or technique - the instrument
is the medium, perception and technique can produce whatever sound you
want - for me the darker rich sound blends better with the rest of the brass
ensemble, but there are times when the orchestration calls for a change in
tone to blend with the sound that is being produced. All possible on a flug
and I've found it to be the instrument that gives me the most satisfaction.
A big plus is that if they offer to fill your instrument with beer it holds
more than a cornet or trumpet.
A big minus if they tell you to stick it........

TiBaR(|-)}
Bairnsdale or the Bush


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