Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
In a message dated 2/20/2004 3:52:23 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: In Austria in Bavaria it is called #Scheisshaken# (sheet hook). But it comes in the Mellofone form (very unusual here) or in the Es-alto-horn form or as little upright basset. Anyway, the sound is special ugly special when played with the alto (alto trombone like) mouthpiece. Over here, the mellophone form is often referred to as 'snitweasel', certainly by me. I made a solo alto by taking a small upright alto and rotating the valve cluster. It was originally in high pitch, but I spliced in a length of French horn leadpipe and dropped it to modern pitch I agree on the sound of the thing in any form. I always play it with a horn mouthpiece. My son plays it with a cup mouthpiece, and actually gets a decent tone. He says the secret is to convince yourself beforehand that it does have a beautiful sound. Then you can find the sound in the instrument. I'm sure you do that naturally with a French horn. I think of it as getting to know the inside of a horn. My son plays all the brasses, so he is extraordinarily good at dialing in a strange instrument. However, an alto horn with a cup mouthpiece stretches his ability to produce a beautiful sound about as far as it stretches my ability to hear a beautiful sound. I can live with it in an antique brass group, but I don't have high expectations to hearing it any better. I recently obtained an upright alto by the Boston Musical Instrument Mfgy., from about 1875. Based on their reputation and my own experience, this horn should sound about as good as any American alto ever will. But first, I have to reconstruct the second valve, and it's not high on my priority list. I'm trying to collect a set of good working instruments from the Civil War period. I have a rotary Bb cornet and a rotary saxhorn (Eb bass), but I still need a euphonium and rotary Eb cornet. ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
Cool ! If you have digital photos on the web, I'd like to have the URLs. -AC. ~ At 05:12 PM 2/21/2004 -0500, you wrote: Over here, the mellophone form is often referred to as 'snitweasel', certainly by me.I made a solo alto by taking a small upright alto and rotating the valve cluster. It was originally in high pitch, but I spliced in a length of French horn leadpipe and dropped it to modern pitch I agree on the sound of the thing in any form. I always play it with a horn mouthpiece. My son plays it with a cup mouthpiece, and actually gets a decent tone. He says the secret is to convince yourself beforehand that it does have a beautiful sound. Then you can find the sound in the instrument. I'm sure you do that naturally with a French horn. I think of it as getting to know the inside of a horn. My son plays all the brasses, so he is extraordinarily good at dialing in a strange instrument. However, an alto horn with a cup mouthpiece stretches his ability to produce a beautiful sound about as far as it stretches my ability to hear a beautiful sound. I can live with it in an antique brass group, but I don't have high expectations to hearing it any better. I recently obtained an upright alto by the Boston Musical Instrument Mfgy., from about 1875. Based on their reputation and my own experience, this horn should sound about as good as any American alto ever will. But first, I have to reconstruct the second valve, and it's not high on my priority list. I'm trying to collect a set of good working instruments from the Civil War period. I have a rotary Bb cornet and a rotary saxhorn (Eb bass), but I still need a euphonium and rotary Eb cornet. ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
In Austria in Bavaria it is called #Scheisshaken# (sheet hook). But it comes in the Mellofone form (very unusual here) or in the Es-alto-horn form or as little upright basset. Anyway, the sound is special ugly special when played with the alto (alto trombone like) mouthpiece. Greetings from FarEast (SW Thailand) with 108 degrees. [EMAIL PROTECTED] schrieb: We use to call them a altoium! ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans.pizka%40t-online.de ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
[Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
Dear Friends, This reinforces my suspicion that those Eb alto horns are actually extra-large flugel horns, not little-bitty baritones. (However, the straight-ahead models may well be more tiring to hold in playing position than the upright models.) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=3705173344category=620 Not only that, when an oom-pah polka band somewhere needs somebody to play alto horn (or, pardon the expression, mellophone), I think it makes more sense to recruit from among the brotherhood of cornet trumpet players than from among us horn players. Right? That opinion, however, can be dangerous. When I voiced it to a local hothead fronting a semi-amateur Alpine band around here, he got so angry I wondered if he was going to try to punch me out. -- Alan Cole, rank amateur McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA. ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
We use to call them a altoium! ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
Altonium! My spelling stinks ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
You have to love instruments that sound like an element. I say Dr. Wiggins, pass me that vial of Altonium-134. It's right next to the Euphonium-219. At any rate I think the best nickname for a Euphonium is The Iron Cello. It almost works for a sax, as well, but they don't play near as many Cello solos. -William In a message dated 2/19/2004 10:08:27 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Altonium! My spelling stinks ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
At 12:58 PM 2/19/2004 -0500, you wrote: Dear Friends, This reinforces my suspicion that those Eb alto horns are actually extra-large flugel horns, not little-bitty baritones. (However, the straight-ahead models may well be more tiring to hold in playing position than the upright models.) We received in our library a picture book of the tuba picture collection of Mark S. Chalabala, which includes at least one photo of a 3 valve rotary baritone--bell front configuration...I don't know what the key is, but maybe it's all potatoes, potahtoes?...it also had a picture with instruments described as a 3 valve rotary baritone alto horn---Wagner Tuben configuration...and by the way, has anyone ever heard of a neocor...I found a reference to this instrument in an old Henri Lemoine catalog Amy ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
RE: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
= Original Message From The Horn List [EMAIL PROTECTED] = Dear Friends, This reinforces my suspicion that those Eb alto horns are actually extra-large flugel horns, not little-bitty baritones. (However, the straight-ahead models may well be more tiring to hold in playing position than the upright models.) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=3705173344category=620 I always found the upright models more tiring (and more of a pain) to hold. The ones I have played pretty much required both hands to hold and play the thing. The bell front models I have played had a thumb ring. This way, you could hold the horn and play with one hand when needed (like when flipping pages). It was a lot easier to keep stable when playing and marching, too. YMMV... [snip] -- Jonell Lindholm Reisterstown, MD USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Straight-Ahead E-Flat Alto Horn
In a message dated 2/19/2004 1:18:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: We received in our library a picture book of the tuba picture collection of Mark S. Chalabala, which includes at least one photo of a 3 valve rotary baritone--bell front configuration...I don't know what the key is, but maybe it's all potatoes, potahtoes?...it also had a picture with instruments described as a 3 valve rotary baritone alto horn---Wagner Tuben configuration...and by the way, has anyone ever heard of a neocor...I found a reference to this instrument in an old Henri Lemoine catalog In the American brass band era, they were usually referred to as a solo alto. ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
