What is the difference between a cornet and a trumpet?
ANS: In essence, there is no significant difference between a cornet and a trumpet from the standpoint of a student musician. While the trumpet appears to be larger than the cornet, they are both the same size. The cornet merely has more bends in the tubing and thus appears shorter. In the hands of a beginning player of smaller stature, the cornet sometimes seems easier to handle because its center of gravity is closer to the body. The tone on both instruments is produced the same way and the fingerings on both are identical. There is no discernible difference in tone quality in the hands of a student musician. Many public school bands have a roughly equal mix of cornets and trumpets.
