A Beginner’s Guide to Playing the Flugelhorn

The flugelhorn shares many similarities with the trumpet; however, it offers its unique, softer, and more expressive sound. This instrument is considered ideal for solo performances and background harmonies. If you’re new to the flugelhorn, we’ve prepared a guide to playing the flugelhorn to provide you with some helpful information. 

What You Should Know about a Flugelhorn

The flugelhorn is bigger compared to the trumpet, although it has the same amount of tubing but with a different tapering. It has a tiny section of cylindrical tubing, while the rest of the tubing is taper, expanding gradually toward the throat and a large bell.

If you lay two instruments next to each other, you will see the difference in the throat and bell size. The way the flugelhorn’s tubing expands does make an impact on its sound. Flugelhorns sound darker and mellow. The taper of this instrument is approximately half of that of the euphonium. The most common flugelhorns are those made by Getzen and Yamaha. Usually, flugelhorns come with three valves, however you can also find models equipped with four valves.

What sparks the interest in musicians to play the flugelhorn is its smooth, lyrical quality. Flugelhorns perfectly blend with other brass and woodwind instruments. Their sound sits between the trumpet and the French horn, which makes them suitable instruments for various musical genres. Flugelhorns are mostly used in jazz, gospel, military music, for playing ballads, and slow pieces of music.   

For musicians who play trumpets, the flugelhorn is rather easy to learn. You can just pick the instrument and start playing it. The only difference you may notice is a darker and mellower sound. 

Tips on Choosing Your First Flugelhorn

The first step you may take toward mastering this instrument is choosing the right model. On the market, you may find rather cheap options, and it can be tempting to buy one, however, a low price often goes hand in hand with a poorly quality that can affect the sound and consequently your progress. A poorly made instrument can also ruin your motivation and cause frustration.

Tip 1: Choose Quality Materials

Select the flugelhorn made from high-quality brass. You can find models available with nickel silver or gold plating. These features extend the lifespan of the instrument and enhance the sound quality. If you want to stand out, you may search for models featuring parts and accessories made by various manufacturers also known as custom flugelhorns.

Tip 2: Ensure the Valve Mechanism Functions Smoothly

The valves should operate with minimal resistance. If you’re making your first steps as a flugelhorn player, it’s crucial if valves don’t feel sticky, as sticky valves make practice more exhausting.

Tip 3: Select a Proper Mouthpiece

You should use a well-fitting mouthpiece to produce beautiful sounds.  Buy a flugelhorn-specific mouthpiece, as its size and shape differ from trumpet mouthpieces. For a warmer sound, you can select a mouthpiece with a slightly deeper cup.

How to Play the Flugelhorn: Basic Techniques

Once you’ve bought and received your instrument, it’s time to test it in practice and check how it feels.  If you’ve already played the trumpet, you won’t face significant challenges, as playing the flugelhorn is similar to playing that instrument. However, as a beginner, you should keep a few aspects in mind.

1. Proper Posture and Breath Control. These two aspects are important to consider if you want to produce a rich and full sound. You can take either standing or sitting position, however ensure you do it straight with your shoulders relaxed. Take the flugelhorn in your hands and hold it slightly away from your body. Make a deep breath using your diaphragm and play, maintaining a steady airflow.
2. Embouchure. The next aspect is how your lips interact with the flugelhorn mouthpiece. Don’t pull your corners back like when you smile, keep your lips stable. Your chin should be flat and hard against the teeth. The muscles above the upper lip and below the lower lip should be hard to produce necessary vibrates. Form your lips into a relaxed M shape and place the mouthpiece against them. You can pull your lips slightly apart to form enough space to vibrate. You can check it with your tongue. Also, lubricate quickly your lips with saliva, as wet lips are easier to vibrate. Buzz your lips gently into the mouthpiece, adjusting the tension to control the pitch and tone. Think about your teeth as the fretboard of the violin and your lips as vibrating strings.
3. Use the Valves. In addition to using your lips tension you should also use a combination of valves to produce different notes on the flugelhorn Start by practicing basic scales and exercises to get used to the instrument and improve your finger coordination.
4. Control Your Tone. The well-known flugelhorn’s mellow sound can be challenging to maintain. To master this feature, you should practice long tones and work on your dynamic range in soft and loud playing.
5. To adjust the overall pitch, use the tuning slide. Also make small adjustments with your embouchure to create good intonation.
6. Experiment with Additional Devices. To alter the sound of your flugelhorn you may try the flugelhorn mute. Made of leather, it helps produce a softer or more muffled sound. Compared to metal mutes, leather mute is lightweight, available in several colors, and easily sticks to the music stand thanks to the built-in magnet.

How to Care for Your Flugelhorn

A care routine is an important part of keeping the flugelhorn in good playing condition. Without regular cleaning and care your instrument loses its precise tuning, you increase the risk of blockage inside tubing that affects the airflow and spoils sound. The dirt accumulated in the instrument can not only damage your reputation as a musician but also reduce the life of the instrument and its components. That’s why it’s important to treat your caring process as a part of your artistic goals. Here is the list of quick tips on how to care for your flugelhorn to keep it in the best working condition:

Invest in High-Quality Cleaning Devices

Your cleaning kit should include valve oil and slide grease to provide them with smooth operation and thus effortless playing. The valve oil helps save valves from sticking, while slide grease applied to the tuning slides make them easier to adjust.

You will also need a snake brush to clean the inside of the instrument’s tubing. Once a month, you should give your instrument and its parts a bath. To remove dirt and debris from the inside of the flugelhorn you can use Aqua Nozzle, the device specially designed for brass instruments.

You should never overlook mouthpiece cleaning as it’s regularly affected by saliva, moisture and oil, all these aspects when accumulated can lead to the growth of bacteria. Remove the mouthpiece after each session and rinse it with warm water. From time to time, use a mouthpiece brush to remove debris.

Use the Right Bag to Protect Your Flugelhorn

If you don’t plan to use your instrument for some time or you want a comparatively cheap but reliable cover for your flugelhorn during rehearsals, consider storing it in a shelter bag. Made of flannel textile it gently protects the instrument from dust, moisture, and other dangerous factors.

When speaking about regular travel from one place to another or touring across the country, you should consider buying a well-padded flugelhorn bag. The reliable interior with soft lining, sturdy zippers, reinforced bottoms and sides can protect your instrument from accidental shocks, moisture and contact with other things during transportation. If you’re moving between your home, school, or rehearsal spots, then you can use a leather bag, which will securely accommodate your instrument. For frequent travel, select a hard case.

When you buy a bag for your flugelhorn consider the following aspects:

• Cushioned Padding: It will reduce the impact of external factors by covering all sides of the instrument, especially the bell and valves.
• Dimensions. It’s crucial to buy the bag specially designed to your model of the flugelhorn. If you’re planning to use a few instruments, consider buying a double case with separate sections for each instrument.
• Weight and Carrying Handles: Your bag should be comfortable to carry in city settings, so opt for lightweight cases featuring handles and shoulder straps to switch between several options.
• Waterproof Materials: When you’re on the road, you may experience various weather conditions. To protect your brass instrument from moisture, select the bag made from waterproof or water-resistant materials.
• Space for Accessories. It’s crucial to have a separate section for valve oil, cleaning kits and mouthpieces. Check if there are enough inside and outside pockets for your documents, sheet music and notebooks.

With leather bags, you may have additional option of personalization such as embossed symbols or characters that will help your bag differ from other bags and emphasize your artistic brand.

Conclusion

Learning to play the flugelhorn can be challenging for beginners at first time, however it will soon bring a rewarding experience. Thanks to its warm mellow sound, the flugelhorn fills the music with depth and emotions, perfectly blending with other brass instruments.  When you’re a beginner, it’s important to choose the right instrument, develop proper embouchure and playing techniques, maintain your instrument in top condition by using valve oils, slide grease and cleaning accessories.