Hey people, does anyone else here play the bugle or herald trumpet? Sign below if you do!

Matt

I am a bugler for my Air Cadet squadron. Played for my town's Royal British Legion too.

I used to play the valveless trumpet; similar to the bugle, but larger and in Eb rather than Bb.

Cool! Thanks for posting people, it's good to know that there's buglers out there!

Oddball, I'm training to be a bugler for the Royal Marines band service, I havn't had much experience with Air Cadet bands though. What bugle do you use? And where did you get it from? I'm having trouble finding a decent instrument to play on.

YAP, isn't the instrument you're describing a herald trumpet? I know that they're usually in Eb. I've got a long valveless brass horn/trumpet thingy but I'm not sure what it is. I think it's either a post horn or a hunting horn.

Anyone else out there?

Matt

It was, it transpires, a calvalry trumpet:

BMM, I use a standard Bb Military bugle. Well, it's in B, it was squashed before I owned it. I use a trumpet mouthpiece 4B, can't get used to the bugle one. I got it from eBay. Tenner.

Mmmm, that's a nice instrument YAP! Wish my brass instruments were still that shiny!

Cool, thanks Oddball! I'm having a bit of a dilemma at the moment...I've been looking for a new bugle, and all I've found are bugles described as 'military replicas'. These sell for about £15 or less! On the other hand, I've found a Besson bugle for £60. Is the quality really going to be worth an extra £45?! What do people think?

Matt

I say it's the player. Of course the instrument plays a part, but I couldn't find many specifically military bugles for sale new, so I just got something old off eBay.

Oddball, I followed up your lead on old bugles and bought 3 second-hand from an military surplus store yesterday. They're easily as good as anything new I've ever tried!

Now all I need to do is drastically improve my bugle playing! Does anyone have any hints on embouchure?

Matt

What mouthpiece are you using?? I used a trumpet - nice, clear and bright.

Try normal brass embouchure excercises first. Mouthpiece buzzing, using the diaphragm to change pitch, not lip pressure.

Then put the mouthpiece in the instrument, and do the same again, working up through the harmonics.

Thanks Oddball! At the moment I'm just using the mouthpieces that came with the bugles. As an ex-tuba player I'm really struggling to get good sounds out of them because the size is so different to what I'm used to. Trumpet mouthpieces sounds a good idea, but will this affect the pitch of the bugle? And will any trumpet mouthpiece fit into a bugle?

Diaphragm instead of lip pressure sounds like very good advice, I'm definitely going to try that because at the moment I'm very much relying on lip pressure.

Thanks for your help, tis much appreciated.

Matt

Not a problem - lip pressure is a major issue.

Know anyone that plays trumpet? They might let you give the bugle a bash on one of their mouthpieces.

Whooooo go diaphragm!! I'm reaching notoriously high notes!! Fantastic!

Matt