cornet

A cornet is a brass instrument similar to a trumpet, but with a more conical bore—meaning its tubing widens more gradually. This gives it a mellower, warmer tone than the brighter, more direct sound of a trumpet. You'll often hear cornets in brass bands, concert bands, marching bands, and early jazz. Imagine the rich, lyrical melodies of a traditional parade; chances are, a cornet is helping create that warm sound. The modern cornet grew out of the 19th-century cornet à pistons, an early and widely used valved design that made it easy to play a full chromatic scale. In some places (especially in British English), "cornet" can also mean an ice-cream cone.

The word "cornet" most often refers to a valved brass instrument that looks a lot like a trumpet, but with a more conical bore—meaning the tubing widens more gradually. This contrasts with the trumpet's more cylindrical tubing, which tends to produce a more brilliant, direct sound. Historically, the cornet evolved in the early 19th century as an adaptation of earlier post horns and bugles. With the addition of valves (pistons), makers created an agile instrument capable of playing a full chromatic scale and handling melodies that were difficult or impossible on valveless "natural" brass.

There are several types of cornets: the standard B-flat cornet is the most common, while the high-pitched E-flat soprano cornet is a staple of the British brass band tradition. The cornet à pistons (French for "cornet with pistons") was the influential 19th-century valved form that helped make the instrument popular. In the world of jazz, the cornet holds a place of honor; it was the instrument of choice for early New Orleans legends like King Oliver and Louis Armstrong before the trumpet became the dominant lead instrument. Beyond jazz and brass bands, the cornet sometimes appears in classical works when composers want a softer, more "vocal" brass color than a trumpet.

"Cornet" also has a couple of non-musical meanings. In British English, it can mean an ice-cream cone. More rarely, it can refer to other cone-shaped items (such as a paper cone used for holding something small), and it has been used historically as a military term in some cavalry units.