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MI Mellophones | History
What is a mellophone?
You've been asked.
You can't really explain it.
Let us help.
Contributed by Scott Gercken, Marching Illini Mellophone 2002-2005
(Caution...this is not a scholarly article.)
Concert Mellophone |
The mellophone is the alto voice of a family of brass instruments called saxhorns. Another familiar member of this family is its soprano voice, the flugelhorn. Saxhorns are direct descendents of keyed bugles found in the late 19th century. The alto saxhorn is usually pitched in E-flat or F, and have come in many different shapes for different purposes.
The concert mellophone shown at left, resembles the French horn in its circular shape, except that it uses piston valves worked by the right hand and the bell points to the left and behind the player. |
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Alto horn (tenor horn)
Yamaha YAH-201S
Click for image of YAH-202S
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In British-instrumentation brass bands, alto horns in E-flat are commonly used. They resemble a tuba or euphonium, except they are considerably smaller. In Europe, the term tenor horn is used for this instrument, even though it is the same as what Americans call the alto horn. |
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Blessing bell-front mellophone
from the original
Marching Illini fleet |
The bell-front mellophone was introduced to the public in the 1960's. They closely resemble trumpets, but are not equivalent to the trumpet in F. (By many accounts, the "Frumpet" was an innovation by the Getzen factory gone wrong.) While directing the marching band at Indiana State University, Gary Smith came to understand the advantages of using mellophones instead of French horns, and collaborated with arranger Allan Horney, to change scoring techniques for the new instrument. In 1976, when Mr. Smith assumed the directorship of the Marching Illini, he brought the mellophone sound and Mr. Horney's superb arrangements with him. |
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Matthew Kutylo,
2004-2005 MI Flugelhorn
Music Section Leader |
Beginning in the 1983 marching season, Gary Smith complemented the mellophone sound by replacing third cornets with warmer and darker sounding flugelhorns. Mr. Smith writes us in an e-mail:
I am a strong advocate of a big middle sound in a marching band. Trumpets playing in the lower tessituras produce a stuffy edge to their sound. Flugelhorns opened up more possible combinations solos and doublings with mellophones, trombone, baritones and saxes to enhance the midrange sounds. They become more than the second harmony part in the trumpet triadic scoring. Horney understood what I wanted and quickly adjusted his scoring. Early examples emphasizing flugelhorns included Autumn Leaves and Brazil. We featured them at the Rose Bowl. |
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Yamaha YMP-203 mellophone
currently used by the
Marching Illini
YMP-202 is also used |
The mellophone is considered to be far inferior to the French horn in many respects. Most are designed for use with a trumpet or special mellophone mouthpiece, but the Marching Illini and several other fine marching bands use French horn mouthpieces with horn to trumpet shank adapters, which usually shortens the length of the instrument. Intonation is an uphill battle for the mellophonists, but good instruments, mouthpieces, and players can solve this problem. |
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Things that a mellophone is not:
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Trumpet in F ("Frumpet")
(Getzen) |
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Many thanks to Dr. Kenneth R. Steinsultz from University of Illinois Bands for allowing me to photograph instruments from their vault.
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