The smaller mouthpiece (model NDA) which we supply with our resin cornetti is generally referred to as an “acorn” mouthpiece; this is the one most usually associated with the cornetto. However, you may have a larger mouthpiece which we make with trumpet players in mind (model TTL). The ideal position for either type of mouthpiece is found by experiment and varies from one player to another, depending on the structure of lips and teeth and on experience with other cup-blown instruments. A central lip position is usual for the trumpet type mouthpieces. The acorns can be blown centrally too, but they may be better to one side where the top lip is thinnest. A position just inside the right eye-tooth can be comfortable and effective. Indeed I started playing myself in exactly this way…following the instructions, written by the late and inspirational Christopher Monk, on the reverse of my G fingering chart; I never looked back!
The sound is produced by vibrating the lips across the edge of the cup. The cheeks should not be puffed out. Resist the temptation to press the mouthpiece very firmly against the lips and do not blow too hard – the tube which you have in your hands is only small and it will not thank you for treating it like a sousaphone. Most important from the very beginning is that you refer to some fixed pitch source – a piano, say, or a recorder or tuning machine – and check that the pitch which you are producing, using the correct fingering, corresponds with the note as it should sound. This might sound obvious or unnecessary, but one of the problems with the cornetto is that it is perfectly possible to form a respectable technique – quite good enough to play dance tunes for example – but to have it ‘misaligned’ so that you are playing a semi-tone or even more out of tune in either direction. I have witnessed this myself on more than one occasion and you should guard against it from the start.
The fingering system operates similarly to that of the recorder. But how to hold the cornetto when playing middle A, which calls for all finger holes to be left open? It should be possible to support the instrument securely by pivoting it between the thumb, the heel of the index finger and the little finger of the right hand. This will almost certainly feel uncomfortable at first, but with time and patience your hands will learn to cope with this problem as well as with the stretch which the spacing of the holes demands.
Long notes and slow scales will achieve the quickest results, although this does not make for the most exciting practice. The true reward of playing the cornetto comes when you begin to join other musicians, and the very best preparation for this is routine practice. My Top Tip: little and often, say 10 or 15 minutes a day, twice a day if you can, six days a week. This is better by far than a sudden long burst on a rainy Sunday afternoon followed by nothing. If you pursue the latter approach, I fear that your friends will not invite you to join in with them! What you are doing is building up an embouchure, encouraging muscles you never knew you had to do things they have never had to do before, a task which takes time. But as you become stronger as a player, so your enjoyment will increase too. At the end of the day there is no sound to approach the thrill of a fine ensemble of cornetts and sackbutts as it fills a lofty church to the roof. Best of all, go and get yourself into a team which makes a habit of doing just that!
Enjoy! Jeremy West
The sound is produced by vibrating the lips across the edge of the cup. The cheeks should not be puffed out. Resist the temptation to press the mouthpiece very firmly against the lips and do not blow too hard – the tube which you have in your hands is only small and it will not thank you for treating it like a sousaphone. Most important from the very beginning is that you refer to some fixed pitch source – a piano, say, or a recorder or tuning machine – and check that the pitch which you are producing, using the correct fingering, corresponds with the note as it should sound. This might sound obvious or unnecessary, but one of the problems with the cornetto is that it is perfectly possible to form a respectable technique – quite good enough to play dance tunes for example – but to have it ‘misaligned’ so that you are playing a semi-tone or even more out of tune in either direction. I have witnessed this myself on more than one occasion and you should guard against it from the start.
The fingering system operates similarly to that of the recorder. But how to hold the cornetto when playing middle A, which calls for all finger holes to be left open? It should be possible to support the instrument securely by pivoting it between the thumb, the heel of the index finger and the little finger of the right hand. This will almost certainly feel uncomfortable at first, but with time and patience your hands will learn to cope with this problem as well as with the stretch which the spacing of the holes demands.
Long notes and slow scales will achieve the quickest results, although this does not make for the most exciting practice. The true reward of playing the cornetto comes when you begin to join other musicians, and the very best preparation for this is routine practice. My Top Tip: little and often, say 10 or 15 minutes a day, twice a day if you can, six days a week. This is better by far than a sudden long burst on a rainy Sunday afternoon followed by nothing. If you pursue the latter approach, I fear that your friends will not invite you to join in with them! What you are doing is building up an embouchure, encouraging muscles you never knew you had to do things they have never had to do before, a task which takes time. But as you become stronger as a player, so your enjoyment will increase too. At the end of the day there is no sound to approach the thrill of a fine ensemble of cornetts and sackbutts as it fills a lofty church to the roof. Best of all, go and get yourself into a team which makes a habit of doing just that!
Enjoy! Jeremy West