What is the Difference Between a Trumpet and Cornet?

Introduction

When a child starts playing in band at a young age and they decide to play trumpet, they are generally given a cornet first instead and this is due to the small size of the cornet.  

When learning how to play cornet, many things are the same as the trumpet.  In fact, the fingerings on trumpet are exactly the same and so the transition between the two instruments is smooth.  

But with all of the similarities, trumpet and cornet are in fact two different instruments!

This video will explain the difference between trumpet and cornet plus 6 additional questions on the subject.

Questions

Is it easier to play trumpet or cornet?

Both the trumpet and the cornet are Bb instruments so they are at the same pitch which can make it easier to transition from one to the other in performance situations. Also, the small size of the cornet makes it easier to hold for children, compared to the trumpet.

Does a cornet sound like a trumpet?

They are similar but ultimately, no, they do not some the same.

Which is louder the trumpet or cornet?

In terms of decibel levels, they can come close to each other. The trumpet does have a brighter sound in comparison while the cornet has a warm sound compared to the trumpet.

Is the fingering the same on trumpet and cornet?

Yes!

Can you use a trumpet mouthpiece on a cornet?

Not directly. You will need a specially made adapter for each of the mouthpieces to fit in the opposite shank.

What is the difference between a trumpet and a cornet?

trumpet has a cylindrical bore which allows the sound to cut more than a cornet would. In comparison, the cornet has a continuous conical bore and as a result the sound is warmer than the trumpet. There is also an obvious difference in size. The wrap on the cornet is smaller than the trumpet although in terms of length the are the same (which is why both instruments sound a concert Bb). 

Transcript

What is the difference between trumpet and cornet? We're going to talk about that today. Let us begin with the trumpet. The trumpet has a cylindrical bore. So what that means is right here, where the mouthpiece enters the lead pipe, the size is primary, primarily the same.  

So you go from the lead pipe all the way through the instrument up until the point where you get to the bell. Now, the bell does begin to get bigger, all the way through  the flare, and that's what makes the trumpet different from the cornet.  

I'll show you what I mean. Here's the cornet. So right here where I put the mouthpiece in, the lead pipe gradually gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger, all the way through the tuning slide, throughout the entire instrument, all the way through the flare of the bell. 

So this is known as a continuous conical bore. And for that reason, the cornet has a warmer sound compared to the trumpet. The trumpet sound cuts through. So that brings us to your second question. 

Does a cornet sound like a trumpet? They are similar, but they are not the same for the reasons that I just told you. So this cornet sounds a little warm compared to a trumpet. Trumpet cuts through from the stage to the back of the room. 

I'm going to play a small sample for you on the cornet at first and then on the trumpet, and you can hear the difference for yourself. Alright. Let's do something similar on the trumpet. Alright. So there you have the differences between them and sound. 

The trumpet and the cornet are similar, but they sound different. All right. The third question is which is louder, the trumpet or the cornet? That's a good question. In terms of decibels, they're about the same and I'll show you what I mean. 

Let me get my decibel meter up. All right. I got the decibel meter here. I'm going to place some notes. Here we go. Trumpet is first. All right. Let's do the same thing on cornet. All right. So they are close to being the same volume. 

So the trumpet is not necessarily louder than the cornet. But again, they have different bores, so the trumpet does cut through. Is it easier to play trumpet or cornet? I want to say in terms of choosing your instrument, whether you're choosing a trumpet or a saxophone or a piano or a guitar or bass, I don't want you to choose your instrument, please, based on if it's easier than another instrument. 

Because the truth is. Each instrument has its own challenge and you're still gonna have to practice to overcome those challenges. So don't pick an instrument if you think it's easier than another. But with that said, the cornet is slightly more easy for a young person because the cornet is smaller. 

And so for that reason, it's easier for a young child to hold cornet. Also, the trumpet bell can be heavy, depending on which make and model you end up with. And so the weight pulls away from you and so it can become tiring to hold the instrument up. 

But besides that, they're the same and you're going to have to learn how to play them in about the same fashion. Is the fingering the same on trumpet and cornet? Yes, they are. They are identical. So if I want to play an F on the cornet, it's the same way on the trumpet. 

And so that's one cool thing that really makes it easy to go from one instrument to the other. Can you use a trumpet mouthpiece on the cornet? Well, look at this. I have my trumpet mouthpiece here and I'm going to put it in my cornet, or maybe I won't. 

No, the trumpet mouthpiece is too big. However, I can put my cornet mouthpiece into my trumpet, but you can see it's way too small for the trumpet, because I know you may be itching to hear this, I'm going to play the sound for you, a coordinate mouthpiece inside out of a trunk. 

So, yeah, the sound is actually warmer with the cornet mouthpiece, and that's because the cornet mouthpiece is conical. You can see it's funnel shaped. Compared to my trumpet mouthpiece, which is shaped more like a bowl. 

And so the bowl shape of the mouthpiece is one of the reasons why trumpet cuts and the funnel shape of a cornet is one reason why the cornet has such a warm sound. Now, how do you play cornet? 

That's a very good question, and I've answered it many times on the channel. So why don't you go ahead and click on the video right here on the screen and I'll be there to help you along to answer that for you.