Flugelhorns - By: Toby Carberton

Legacy of the Flugelhorn

It is widely accepted that the flugelhorn was created from the bugle design by Michael Saurle in the early 1800’s. Flugelhorns were named from the German word Flügel which translates as wing or flank in English. In the beginning, the flugelhorn was mainly used on the battlefield to organize the flanks in an army.

Look and Use

Flugelhorns are a member of the horn family and a brass instrument that resembles trumpets but with a fatter bore. The appearance of the flugelhorn has also been compared to a cornet, although the trumpet is probably a closer comparison. The flugelhorn traditionally has three valves and utilizes the same piston valve system of other brass instruments. Four valve and rotary valve versions exist but they are not the standard. Some modern flugelhorns include a fourth valve as this is becoming more accepted. Nowadays the flugelhorn is used in jazz, brass band, and fashionable music applications. The tone is considered to be fat and mellow compared to a trumpet. The actual sound probably falls somewhere in between a trumpet and a horn.

Choosing a Flugelhorn

Resources about the flugelhorn are hard to find as this is a genuinely unique brass instrument. If you have a local music instrument store that happens to sell flugelhorns you are fortunate and probably want to try one out there. For nearly all people, the best option for locating a flugelhorn will be on the internet. Flugelhorns are costly compared to other brass instruments but you will find that they are worth the price for the true brass instrument player due to the unique sound and playing qualities. It is possible to find good deals on the flugelhorn if you use the proper resources on the Web.

The flugelhorn is a one of a kind instrument and this article explores everything there is to understand about it.

A complete flugel horn resource guide is available at flugelhornguide.com.