Lowering the pitch of a cornet 1/4 step

Dale Proctor

Here's an interesting solution to lowering the pitch of a Bb cornet about 1/4 step. Our Civil War band has a mismatched set of instruments (as do most) and we have to tune with the lowest-pitched instrument in the group, which happens to be the Eb bass.

With his tuning slide pushed all the way in, my Bb cornet needs its tuning slide pulled way out, to the point of some leakage and poor playability.

I just bought a Reeves cornet-to-cornet mouthpiece adapter that is designed to place a piccolo trumpet in A when using the Bb pipe. Since it lowers the pitch 1/2 step on the picc, I reasoned it would lower the pitch about 1/4 step on my cornet. It's just enough on my cornet to allow me to push the tuning slide in with about 1/4" left to spare. The cornet seems to play better, and as a side benefit, the adapter moves my lyre a little farther away making it easier for me to see the music...

Here are a couple pictures. The tuning slide is that horizontal loop below the rotors.

_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

GordonH · Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 1:14 am Post subject:

In the 1960's when brass bands switched from high to low pitch a lot of the instruments were converted by having the slides lengthened. What you have done looks like a viable alternative as getting those conversions done now is expensive and invasive. Also, they often don't work with modern mouthpieces. I had one that had to be partially deconverted (10mm of each side of the main tuning slide) to get it back into a=440.
_________________
Bb - Scherzer 8218W, Schilke S22, Bach 43, Selmer 19A Balanced
Pic - Weril
Flugel - Courtois 154
Cornet - Geneva Heritage, Conn 28A
Mouthpieces - Monette 1-5 rims and similar.

Licensed Radio Amateur - GM4SVM

Wrms · Veteran Member Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 129

That looks like a great solution. I ordered one up. I'm always wrestling with the high pitch/low pitch thing with my collection and in my 1800s group, the Whiskey Flats Brass Band.

What do you do about missing leadpipes? I have a couple of horns that I think would be nice players but are missing leadpipes. As you know, they are not necessarily interchangeable.

Mark
_________________
A bunch of trumpets
and
A bunch of cornets

John Mohan · Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 11:23 am Post subject:

That is a very cool looking instrument Dale!

Christian K. Peters · Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 12:50 pm Post subject: Lowering pitch cornet

Hello Dale,
I had a Reeves adapter for my pic and did that with a turn of the century French C cornet. It worked great. Just pull the other slides a little and you are good to go.
_________________
Christian K. Peters
Schilke Loyalist since 1976

RandyTX

Dale Proctor · Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 6:57 pm Post subject:

I don't think the adapter by itself would lower a Bb cornet to A. I think you'd still have to pull all your slides (including the tuning slide) out a bit. It works on the picc because it's only half as long as a Bb cornet.
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

Dale Proctor · Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:05 pm Post subject:

Dale Proctor · Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:12 pm Post subject:

Wrms · Veteran Member Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 129

My adapter arrived yesterday and works a treat. Now I have (at least) three pre 1900 Ebs to choose from, my band mates will be thrilled

They love it when the Eb cornets pitch center changes every time he picks up a different horn.
The two high pitch horns are looking like tubas with the various bits on the mp side.

Mark
_________________
A bunch of trumpets
and
A bunch of cornets

Dale Proctor · Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:28 am Post subject: