Quintet: Mellophone or F. Horn?

cheiden · Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 8:43 am Post subject:

Since the OP mentioned the Paxman brand I thought this article might be intriguing.
http://orchestrationonline.com/orchestration-reviews/star-wars-the-force-awakens-orchestration-review-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-stop-mutes/

And FWIW on the same blog there are other interesting articles with at least one about trumpets.
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Classical Saxophonist · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 5:27 pm Post subject:

The mellophone can actually make a great substitute for a French horn if it is played with the right kind of mouthpiece. Mouthpiece's maked as "mellopone mouthpieces" can range from being basically trumpet mouthpieces, to being basically alto (tenor) horn mouthpieces, to being something in-between.

A trumpet mouthpiece gives an edgy, trumpet-like sound, while an alto (tenor) horn mouthpiece gives a round and mellow sound, which is what a mellophone is supposed to sound like.

If you want to try the mellophone, get a Denis Wick 3 or 5 tenor (alto) horn mouthpiece or a Blessing 5 mellophone mouthpiece. The Blessing 5 is the same as the Denis Wick 5 tenor horn mouthpiece.

Here are some videos that demonstrate what a mellophone can do:

Solo mellophone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVeCL2VoojE

Mellophone quartet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFfbIuAJTOU

GordonH · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:52 am Post subject:

Obvious point:

French Horn is left hand for the valves nd it is an octave apart on the valve fingering PLUS all the notes are very close together. So unless you intend learning how to play the french horn then a mellophone or tenor horn (alto horn) are likely to give you better results.

[Someone needs to find the clip of Laurel and Hardy playing Mellophone and put it in here!]
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Tenor Horn Fellow · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 3:54 am Post subject:

dershem · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:03 pm Post subject:

I have 2 horns - an Olds single, and a King double. I also have a Mellophone, and when my big band does the occasional McConnell or Kenton chart, I bring the Mello, just because it doesn't get drowned out. You don't lose the voice.
Then again, my band is a rehearsal band. If we did a gig, I'd bring the horn and ask to be mic'd ... in the very unusual circumstance of actually playing a chart that needed it.
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Tony Scodwell · Heavyweight Member Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 1960

Anyone who has heard Chuck Findley solo on his Calicchio slide trumpet might agree that a slide trumpet can be more than a "joke" instrument.

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bike&ed · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Posts: 1837

I guess that’s why I like playing euphonium, it jumps the “beautiful tone” gap over all those other instruments...

deleted_user_48e5f31 · New Member Joined: 03 Apr 1996 Posts: 0

Deleted by dfcoleman

Ed Kennedy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 3187

As a repairman who has serviced many school instruments, many of the "marching mellophones" I've worked on arrived with a french horn mouthpiece adaptor firmly stuck in the leadpipe. The high school directors usually have their Frinch horn players play the mellophone with a French horn mouthpiece.

RandyTX · Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 1:53 pm Post subject:

There are a fair number of quintet arrangements available (mostly outside the US) for what is essentially a BQ made out of Brass Band players. 2 cornets, Eb tenor horn, trombone/euph/bari, Tuba (bass for the BB purists).

I'd steer clear of a mellophone, which sounds closer to a dying calf in a hailstorm than anything else I can think of.
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Tenor Horn Fellow · Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:35 pm Post subject: Re: Per RandyTX

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Halflip · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:03 am Post subject: Re: Per RandyTX

Tenor Horn Fellow · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:04 am Post subject:

deleted_user_48e5f31 · New Member Joined: 03 Apr 1996 Posts: 0

Deleted by dfcoleman

Halflip · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:33 am Post subject: Re: Per RandyTX

Tenor Horn Fellow · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:24 am Post subject: Re: Per RandyTX

Halflip · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 2:24 pm Post subject:

Mark:

Check this out --

http://www.eliottonelliott.com/mellophone

Tenor Horn Fellow · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 3:31 pm Post subject:

chog410 · New Member Joined: 16 Jul 2018 Posts: 1 Location: Denver

Has anyone used the Alto Horn Bach 5 or 6 or Denis Wick 2 on a Mellophone? Would they fit an F.E. Olds Mello? How's the playability In the past I've been a somewhat serious jazz/pop trombone player and a mediocre trumpet player at best but I'm a professional bassist and tubist these days who plays bone occasionally. I was given a Mello a while back and have a pretty easy time getting around the horn in a jazz context but I feel like the tiny Bessing 6 mouthpiece makes the high range flat, low range sharp, and gets a fairly brassy tone. Would an Alto Horn mouthpiece mellow out the tone? I know it would be better in strengthening my embouchure for bone, often I practice medium high range on bone to strengthen the upper limit of my tuba range. I start to lose tuba range when I'm not playing trombone.