Types of Certain Brass

So... There are two D trumpets: the high D one and...? And two F trumpets: alto (Rimsky) and soprano?

Because American orchestras use the piston valve trumpet whereas European orchestras favour the rotary valve version.

I wasn't talking about that. Anyway, British orchestras don't use rotaries.

Flugelhorn in Bb - Like a Cornet but even more mellow, often with four valves. Sounds like a high trombone.

It sounds like a flugelhorn. :shifty:

Also, I've never seen one with four valves...

I wasn't talking about that. Anyway, British orchestras don't use rotaries.

So why does it differ?

No, NOT often with four valves, but they exist, Robin. My school has a Blessing. Or maybe it was somebody's and not the school's, I've been looking for it and can't find it this year. Nobody used it much. Getzen makes one too:

I hear the 4-valve Getzen is crap, I don't know about the Blessing. 4 is the same as 1-3 valve combination and helps with intonation but sometimes sacrifices other aspects of the horn. I heard of somebody modifying it to lower a quarter-tone, too, but not sure if that's true.

To the composer, rotary versus piston valve instruments don't make a difference. I have a friend who has a double horn where the thumb trigger is a piston valve instead of a rotary. I couldn't tell the difference, honestly. Although I uphold the opinion that rotors are typically easier to play with because they're a bit smoother. I think somebody makes a rotary fluegel, too. :blink:

*Edit: just remembered, Nakariakov has a four-valver.

Sergei Nakariakov plays Bach's "Air"

Poulenc - "Les Chemins de L'amour"

and this is what he uses 4th for, horn and cello concerti, esp. the latter:

Sergei Nakariakov - Mozart KV495

Sergei Nakariakov "Haydn Cello concerto in C"

A YouTuber said it's a Courtois horn, I have no idea.

No, NOT often with four valves, but they exist, Robin. ...I think somebody makes a rotary fluegel, too. :blink:

Neat! I certainly didn't doubt their existence, I merely doubted Justin's belief that they're common. Either way, they're anything but. The rotory-valved flugels are considerably more common...however still a rare bird.

Odd, since the majority of flugels I've seen have been four valves. Perhaps I'm in a weird environment.

I have a french horn friend. I think most horns are in 'F' with the Bb thumb valve. She says that she uses the 'F' fingerings for notes up to the second space A, and uses the Bb fingerings with anything above that. I'm not sure but I think the Bb fingerings are the same as the Bb trumpets.