CORNET |
 |
A 19th-century valved brass instrument similar to a trumpet. This is a vintage silver cornet made c.1890 by William Seefeldt in Philadelphia. It is in B flat and plays in Old Philharmonic Pitch: A=454. |
CORNETT |
 |
The premier wind instrument of the Renaissance and Early Baroque eras. It is a hybrid consisting of a woodwind body with a brass-style cup mouthpiece. This cornett is made of boxwood covered with leather. It plays in Renaissance High Pitch: A=465. |
The names of these instruments both share the Latin root corno, which means horn. The cornett descended from animal horns, like the shofar, while the cornet descended from the post horn; its name literally means little horn. Because both of these names sound alike, musicians often use the Italian term, cornetto, to distinguish the cornett from the cornet, however current scholarship overwhelmingly favors the English spelling.
To read a PDF of Elisa Koehler's article, A Trumpeter's Guide to the Cornett, on the International Trumpet Guild Journal's web site, CLICK HERE.
Page last updated on June 29, 2007.