The mellophone is a brass instrument that is typically used in place of the horn in marching bands or drum and bugle corps.

Like the horn, the mellophone has three valves. However, the valves are pressed with the right hand for mellophone, instead of the left for a concert horn. The fingerings of the mellophone are identical to the fingerings of a trumpet. Mellophones are typically pitched in the key of F, like concert horns, the overtone series is an octave above that of the horn. Many drum and bugle corps, however, use mellophones pitched in G, although the number has dwindled somewhat since the two major United States drum and bugle corps circuits (first Drum Corps International and then Drum Corps Associates) passed rule changes allowing use of instrumentation in any key (although corps using mellophones pitched in G typically have the whole of their brass section also using G instruments, while those using mellophones pitched in F generally have the remainder of their brass section using B♭; instruments).

The main reason that the mellophone is used in place of the concert horn for marching is that the mellophone is a bell-front instrument, so that the sound goes in the direction that the player is facing. This is especially important in drum corps-style marching, in which the audience is typically standing or sitting on only one side of the band.

The direction of the bell, as well as the much-reduced amount of tubing (as compared to a concert horn) makes the mellophone look like a large trumpet. In fact, most mellophones use trumpet-style parabolic ("cup") mouthpieces rather than the smaller, lighter, conical ("funnel") mouthpieces used on concert horns. When using a horn mouthpiece, an adapter is always used so that it fits in the mouthpipe of the mellophone. However, use of a "cup" mouthpiece results in a more trumpet-like sound, as opposed to the more-desired horn-like sound produced from a "funnel" mouthpiece.

External links

• Archived discussion about mellophones from hornplayer.net
• Mellophone fingering chart
• The Middle Horn Leader

Brass instruments | Marching band instruments

Mellophon | Mellophone | Mellophone | メロフォン | Mellofoon