Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Richard I. Schwartz

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This section of the document lists alphabetically by author, in accepted bibliographic form, many methods for the cornet in the nineteenth century. Most of the methods below are listed only by title to serve as a starting point for further research. In some cases, only a few comments were made. An invaluable and very scholarly work that goes well beyond the scope of this list is Ernst Anzenberger, "Ein Überblick über die Trompeten und Kornetschulen in Frankreich, England, Italien, Deutschland und Österreich von ca. 1800 bis ca. 1880," PhD diss., University of Vienna, 1989. The work is in German and was not used for the list below. Another massive resource which was utilized for entries in this list was "A History and Annotated Bibliography of Tutors for the Trumpet and Cornet: Volumes I and II" (Baird 1983). The 771 page dissertation covers the broad history of methods for the two instruments. It lists and discusses 828 methods alphabetically by author, by date of publication, and by title. There is a bibliography at the end of the work and a listing of abbreviations for the locations of all methods in the work.

Note: Baird’s work provides a resource for the entries below that do not list a parenthetic reference. Other references used for this section are listed parenthetically within the corresponding entry. All methods in Baird’s dissertation are listed alphabetically and are easy to locate in his work.

Arban, Jean Baptiste. Grand Méthode complète de cornet à pistons et la saxhorn.

[Première Edition]. Paris: Léon Escudier, Editeur, [c185-].

________________. Grand Méthode complète de cornet à pistons et la saxhorn.

Quatriéme Edition. Paris: Léon Escudier, Editeur, 1864.

This very famous and standard method for cornet was also published by Escudier in both English and Italian editions in [1864]. A total of sixteen different editions are listed by Baird before the turn-of-the-century. They appeared in short editions, for Saxhorn, Baritone, Bb Bass, Bb Tenor, and in English, French, and Italian.

________________. Arban’s Method for the Cornet and Sax-horn. Boston: Jean

White, 1872.

This earliest American edition was shorter than the complete method and was published again in a short edition by White in 1875.

________________. Arban’s World-Renowned Method for the Cornet. Revised

and compiled by T. H. Rollinson. Philadelphia: J. W. Pepper, 1879.

Another short edition.

________________. Arban’s Method for the Cornet and Sax-Horn. Boston: Jean

White, 1881.

Some of the instructions are omitted, but extra lip slurs, finger exercises, broken chords, portato tonguing, and metronome markings are added.

________________. Abridged Method of Instruction for the Cornet à Pistons

and Saxhorn. Boston: Thompson & Odell, [189-].

________________. Arban’s Celebrated Method for Cornet. Abridged Edition.

New York: Carl Fischer, 1893.

________________. Complete Celebrated Method for the Cornet: World’s

Edition. New York: Carl Fischer, [c1894].

Full edition and tri-lingual.

________________. Arban’s World-Renowned Method for the Cornet. Excelsior

Edition. Ed. and compiled by T. H. Rollinson and Harry Prendiville. Philadelphia: J. W. Pepper, 1896.

Arbuckle, Matthew. Arbuckle’s Complete Cornet Method. Boston: Oliver Ditson,

1866.

Contains rudiments, short lessons, multiple tonguing, etudes, and only five solos.

It is eighty-three pages long and not as comprehensive as Arban’s Grand Méthode (Baldwin 1990, 31).

Baron, n.n. Méthode élémentaire cornet à pistons. Paris: Henry Lemoine et Cie.,

[1895].

Baissières-Faber. Nouvelle Méthode Simplifiée Pour le Cornet à Pistons. n.p.:

1834.

Only simple exercises and transcriptions of popular airs  (Anzenberger 1994 [85], 79).

[Bayley, W. R.]. Scales for the E-flat Saxhorn or Cornet B-flat or A-flat.

Philadelphia: W. R. Bailey, 1860.

One sheet of scales with fingerings (Galloway 1985, 74-75).

Bonnisseau, [J. A.]. Complete Instruction Book or Tutor for the Cornet-à-Pistons. London: Rivière & Hawkes, [187-].

Extensive method. Complete in all areas of study.

Brett, Harry. The Cornet. Ed. by Sir John Stainer. London: Novello, Ewer and Co.,

[1888].

Only 59 pages long, it is short but comprehensive (Baird 1983, 175-176). It emphasizes "perfect quality of tone" (McCann 1989, 53).

Brulon, Adolphe. Méthode De Cornet à deux & à trois Pistons . Paris: Joly,

[1854].

Citing comes from Brass Bulletin (Anzenberger 1994 [86], 24).

Brulon, Adolphe. Nouvelle Méthode De Cornet A 3 Pistons…. Paris: Joly, [1851].

Citing comes from Brass Bulletin (Anzenberger 1994 [86], 24).

Brulon, Adolphe. Méthode De Cornet à trois Pistons. 3^e édition. Revue et

augmentée par J. Halary. Paris: Joly, [c1898].

Burditt, B. A. The Complete Preceptor for the Cornopean. Boston: Elias Howe,

1850.

A short and basic tutor for the instrument. Only twenty-five pages long.

Burke, E. A-B-C Instructor for the Cornet. Cincinnati: A. Squire, 1885.

Complete but limited instructions (Baird 1983, 186-187). Emphasizes playing with a pure tone (McCann 1989, 48-49).

Canti, Ant[onio]. Metodo per cornetto flugelhorn in si bemòlle e per flugel basso.

Milano: G. Ricordi & Co. , [c1892].

Exercises, scales, intervals, melodies, and virtuoso pieces.

Caussinus, [V.]. Caussinus’ New Melodic School for the Cornet and Sax-Horn.

Boston: Jean White, 1878.

A complete method for the instrument. Approved by a committee of the Institute of France, Royal Academy of Fine Arts. An American publication of Caussinus’ French edition of 1846.

Caussinus, [V.]. Solfège-méthode…de cornet à pistons…[A Progressive Solfeggio Method for Teaching the Cornet and Sax- Horn]. Paris: n.p., [c1846].

Multiple tonguing, quadruple tonguing, and rhythmic exercises up to thirty-second notes are unique in this complete method.

Clappé, Arthur A. Self Help for the Cornet. Philadelphia: Harry Coleman, [c1895].

Clodomir, Pierre François. Méthode complète de cornet à pistons. Part I. Paris: Alphonse

Leduc, [187-].

Clodomir, Pierre François. Méthode élémetaire de cornet à pistons. Paris: Alphonse

Leduc, [1870].

Coletti, n.n.. Metodo completo e graduato di flicorno maccchina o cornetta a pistoni, o bugle a chiava. Milano: G. Ricordi & Co., [c1892].

Collins, n.n. Collins’ Daily Embouchure Drills. Boston: Geo. A. Winchester, [c1890].

Treble and bass clef editions were published.

Dauverné, François Georges Auguste. Méthode Théorique & Pratique De Cornet à Pistons ou à Cylindres. Paris: Henry Lemoine, 1846.

This entry comes from the Brass Bulletin (Anzenberger 1994 [85], 77).

Dauverné, François Georges Auguste. Valved Trumpet Method. n.p., 1834 or 1835

A short chapter for the two-valve cornet (Anzenberger 1994 [85], 79).

Distin, John. Distin’s Tutor for the Sax-horn, Sax-Tuba, and Cornet-à-pistons, or

Cornopean: containing the art of single and double tonguing, after the method of M. Arban…Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1851.

Complete and progressive (McCann 1989, 39-41).

Ditson, Oliver. A New and Improved Instructor for the E-flat Cornet (Saxhorn) with Either Piston or Rotary Valves. Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 1859.

The publication is thirteen pages long, elementary, and few instructions are included.

Dodworth, Harvey B. Dodworth’s Brass Band School. New York: H. B. Dodworth, 1853.

Complete with clear instructions (McCann 1989, 42-43).

Dodworth, Harvey B. Dodworth’s Cornet Instructor. New York: S. T. Gordon, 1873.

A complete method which has a range extended beyond c³ and many technically difficult etudes (Galloway 1985, 75-76).

Dodworth, Harvey B. Rudimental Instructor for E-flat and B-flat Cornet. New York: S. T. Gordon & Son, 1876.

Dufrène, [L.] Grande Méthode Raisonée de Cornet-Trompette À Pistons […]. Paris: Gambaro, 1834.

For two-valve instruments (Anzenberger 1994 [85], 79)

Dufrène, [L.] Méthode théorique & pratique du cornet à pistons ou cylindres.[Paris: c1846].

This entry comes from the Historic Brass Society Journal (Tarr 1993, 236, 258)

Eaton, E. K. Eaton’s Cornet Instructor. Boston: Pussel and Tolman, 1860.

This entry came from A History of Trumpet and Cornet Pedagogy in the United States (McCann 1989, 44).

Eaton, E. K. Eaton’s New Method for the Cornet. Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1870.

A complete beginning method in three parts. Many melodies occur in this method with few instructions.

Fischer, Carl. Carl Fischer’s Celebrated Tutors, E-flat cornet. New York: Carl Fischer, 1889.

A new and revised complete method of 173 exercises which progresses into intermediate skills. Exercises on multiple tonguing and ornaments are included.

Forestier, J. Méthode pour le cornet a pistons. Paris: n.p., c1835.

This entry comes from Brass Instruments: Their History and Development (Baines 1976, 270).

Forestier, J. Méthode complète, théorique et pratique pour le cornet chromatique à Pistons ou cylindres…adoptée pour l’enseignement au Gymnase Musical Militaire. Paris: [1844].

This entry comes from the Historic Brass Society Journal (Tarr 1993, 258).

Gérin, n.n. Méthode de cornet à pistons. n.p., [a1899].

Guichard, Michel. Grande Méthode. n.p.: [a1864].

This method was written before Arban’s Grand Méthode (Anzenberger 1994

[86], 25).

Harper, Thomas Sr. Instructions For The Trumpet, With the use of the Chromatic Slide, Also the Russian Valve Trumpet, The Cornet à Pistons or Small Stop Trumpet, And The Keyed Bugle, In which the Rudiments of Music and the Various Scales, Are clearly explained in a Series of Examples, Preludes, Lessons, Solos, Duets & c. for each Instrument. London: by the author, 1835.

This monumental work was sold by Cramer, Addison & Beale Music Publishers in London. It is a major work for the slide trumpet. It is also the first trumpet method to include information about the Russian valve or stop trumpet, the cornet à pistons, and the keyed bugle. The contents of the work include a signed portrait of Harper Sr.(Plate III, iii), a mouthpiece diagram (Plate IV, ii), an illustration of a Russian valve or stop trumpet, a cornet à pistons or small stop trumpet and a seven keyed bugle.

Information about the slide trumpet includes instructions, progressive exercises on fixed pitches, exercises on the use of the slide, progressive duets, a march, a flourish and "God save the King" for four trumpets, trombone, and drums. Information about the Russian valve trumpet or stop trumpet includes an illustration of the instrument, instructions for a two valved instrument, scales, trills, and exercises.

Information about the cornet à pistons includes an illustration of the instrument (with three valves), instructions, the use of crooks, scales, exercises, and some melodies. Information about the keyed bugle includes an illustration of the instrument, instructions, exercises on fixed pitches, exercises in different keys, scales, "God save the King," and some popular melodies. Instructions include the advice of putting 2/3 of the mouthpiece in the center of the upper lip and articulating with the tongue on the upper lip. He recommends also sliding the mouthpiece down nearly 1/3 of the upper lip, pressing the mouthpiece and tightening the lips across the teeth for a good mouthpiece position, without any unnecessary violence or force. The cornet to Harper is also known as the stop horn, post horn, cornopean, and other names. It sounds best in Bb, can go down to E, but the lower keys are out of tune. Information for this entry was extracted from an article entitled, "The Harpers and the Trumpet" (Sorenson and Webb 1986, 35-57).

Harper, Thomas Sr. Instructions For The Trumpet, With the use of the Chromatic Slide, Also the Russian Valve Trumpet, The Cornet à Pistons or Small Stop Trumpet, And The Keyed Bugle, In which the Rudiments of Music and the Various Scales, Are clearly explained in a Series of Examples, Preludes, Lessons, Solos, Duets & c. for each Instrument. 2^nd edition with improvements. London: by the author, [1836].

This edition was sold by Cramer, Addison & Beale Music Publishers in London. The date listed for this edition by the British Museum Library, London is 1837. The date of 1836 is given in the article entitled, "The Harpers and the Trumpet" (Sorenson and Webb 1986, 35-57). This edition contains a portrait different than the one in the first edition of Harper holding a slide trumpet, discussions about music fundamentals, terms, definitions, trumpets with different crooks; and instructions about the use of the slide trumpet, the Russian stop trumpet, the cornet à pistons, the keyed bugle, and the cornetto. This cornetto was not the Renaissance variety. It was similar in sound to the bugle and was used frequently in British Brass Bands. It had three pistons like the cornet à pistons, but the first valve was nearer to the mouthpiece than on the latter. Depressed, the first valve lowered the instrument a half step, and the second valve lowered the instrument a whole step. Usually in D, it can be lowered to Db, C, B, and Bb.

Hoch, Theodor. Tutor for the Cornet. Philadelphia: Harry Coleman. 1880.

.

Hofmann, Richard. Schule fur Althorn oder Es- Cornet. Leipzig: Hofmeister, [c1885].

This entry appears in A History of Trumpet and Cornet Pedagogy in the United States: 1840-1920 (McCann 1989, 55-56).

Howe, Elias. Howe’s New Cornet Instructor. Boston: Elias Howe, 1860.

A short and elementary method for the instrument. Few instructions and exercises are included, but it has many contemporary melodies.

Kastner, Jean Georges. Méthode Elémentaire pour le cornet à pistons…par Georges Kastner. Paris: n.d.

Established as 1844 by the Biblioteque National, Vm⁸.L.4. (Tarr 1993, 259)

Kastner, Jean Georges. Metodo elementare per cornetto (o flicorno) a due e tre pistoni. Florence: G. Ricordi, [c1892].

Langey, Otto. Otto Langey’s Celebrated Tutors, B-flat Cornet. New York: Carl Fischer, 1899.

Same material as Carl Fischer’s Celebrated Tutors, Eb cornet. Carl Fischer claims their methods to be original and not a reprint of any other publisher’s.

Marsicotti, Luigi. Nouvelle Méthode Complète de Cornet à Pistons …. Paris: by the author, 1837.

This entry appears in the Brass Bulletin (Anzenberger 1994 [85], 77).

Odell, I. Herbert ed.. The Imperial Method for the Cornet. New York: The John Church Company, 1898 and 1899.

A complete method which emphasizes musicality and not speed.

Parès, Gabriel. Methode de corneta ou saxhorn-contralto. 2^a Ediao Modificada. Paris: Lemoine & Fils, 1895.

A very popular method in Portuguese which was published many times, even until 1957.

Prentiss, Henry. Prentiss’ Complete Preceptor for the Cornopean, Bugle Horn, and Key’d Bugle. Boston: Henry Prentiss, [between 1839 and 1846]. Facsimile edition by Edward Tarr (Nashville: Brass Press, 1980).

Material is also included for common or natural trumpet and keyed trumpet (McCann 1989, 36).

Rollinson, T. H. Fifty Exercises for Tongue and Lips. Philadelphia: J. W. Pepper &

Son, 1881.

Rollinson, T. H. Rollinson’s Modern School for the Cornet. Boston: Oliver Ditson

& Co., 1893.

This complete method emphasizes technical exercises. It is one of a series of methods for various instruments.

Ryan, Sidney. Ryan’s True Cornet Instructor. Cincinnati: John Church & Co., 1874.

Elementary method with few exercises and instructions.

Saint-Jacome, Louis A. Saint-Jacome’s Grand Method for the Cornet. The World’s Edition. New York: Carl Fischer, Inc., [c1894].

Saint-Jacome, Louis A. Saint-Jacome’s Grand Method for the Cornet. The World’s Edition. Part II. New York: Carl Fischer, Inc., [c1894].

Saint-Jacome, Louis A. Saint-Jacome’s Grand Method for the Cornet. Ed. Harry

Coleman. Philadelphia: Harry Coleman, [c1895].

Saint-Jacome, Louis A. Saint-Jacome’s Grand Method for Trumpet or Cornet.

New York: Carl Fischer, Inc., [1895].

Schlitz, n.n. L’Art du cornet à trois pistons. Paris: Aulagnier, [184-].

A very short sixty-four page work, but covers most of the topics that a larger work would.

Schubert, C. Méthode de cornet à pistons ou à cylindres. Paris: Philipp, [c1848].

Sedgwick, Alfred. Sedgwick’s Complete Method for the Cornet. New York: J. L. Peters, 1873.

The method has few instructions, but many melodies.

Sedgwick, Alfred. Sedgwick’s Perfect Method for the Cornet. New York: J. L. Peters, 1876.

Similar contents as above (McCann 1989, 48).

Sinsolliez, Ainé. Méthode complète de cornet à trois pistons. n.p., [c1848].

Snow, Billy. Billy Snow’s Banjo and Cornet Instruction. New York: New York Popular Publishing Co., 1883.

A very elementary method of only sixty pages.

Weber, Carl. The Premier Method for Cornet. Philadelphia: J. W. Pepper, 1896.

Complete, but few instructions.

White, Jean (publ.). Jean White’s Elementary Method for Cornet-Saxhorn. Boston: Jean White, [c1875].

Winner, Septimus. Hurst’s Model Cornet School. New York: Hurst & Co., 1884.

Winner, Septimus. The Ideal Method for the Cornet. Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co.,

1882.

Winner, Septimus. J. W. Pepper’s Self Instructor for the B-flat Cornet or B-flat Fluegel Horn. Philadelphia: J. W. Pepper, 1886.

Winner, Septimus. J. W. Pepper’s Self Instructor for the E-flat Cornet. Philadelphia: J. W. Pepper, 1886.

Winner, Septimus. Winner’s Cornet Gamut. Philadelphia: Septimus Winner & Son,

1877.

Winner, Septimus. Winner’s Eureka Method for the Cornet. Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 1891.

Winner, Septimus. Winner’s New American School for the Cornet. Boston: White-Smith & Co., 1883.

Winner, Septimus. Winner’s New School for the Cornet. Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 1870.

A popular method with editions up to 1912 (McCann 1989, 46).

Winner, Septimus. Winner’s Practical School for the Cornet. Philadelphia: n.p., 1884.

Winner, Septimus. Winner’s Primary School for the Cornet. Cleveland: S. Brainard’s Sons, 1872.

Winner, Septimus. Winner’s Self-Instructor for the Cornet. Philadelphia: M. D. Swisher, 1887.

World’s Complete Cornet or Alto Method. Boston: Jean White, [c1898].

World’s Method for the Cornet. Boston: Jean White, [c1881].

432 pages long, but the music is from other publishers.

The World’s Method for Cornet and Sax-horn. Pt. I. New York: Carl Fischer, Inc., [c1887].

Wurm, Wilhelm. Method for Cornet à Pistons. n.p., 1893.

In this work and his Training Manual for Cavalry Trumpet Playing in Armies (1879), he advocated for the first time the notion of buzzing. Other works for the cornet/trumpet include forty-five easy etudes, twenty, forty, and sixty etudes. His etudes have been quoted in works of more modern methods for the instrument, such as Ferling, Lupht, Kopprasch, and Sachse (Selianin 1983, 42).

According to McCann, many of the American methods above use pressure systems and advocate stretching the lips before placing the mouthpiece on them, with the placement of the lips on the mouthpiece varying from method to method. "No pressure" systems were not used until 1910. The earliest "no pressure" system listed in "A History of Trumpet and Cornet Pedagogy in the United States, 1840-1942" was Walter Eby, Virtuoso Course of Instruction (Buffalo: The Virtuoso Cornet School, 1910) (McCann 1989, 58). According to the above dissertation (McCann 1989, 58), there are also sixteen correspondence courses listed in Frank Baird’s dissertation, "A History and Annotated Bibliography of Tutors for Trumpet and Cornet: Volumes I and II." Other cornet methods became popular in the early twentieth century, such as "easy" or "scientific" methods of instruction.

The larger "complete" early French cornet methods before Arban (1864) explore scales, arpeggios, and intervals very much in the same manner that Arban does, but range was more limited and there was an absence of lip slur exercises. Popular dance tunes (galops, waltzes, polkas) were quite commonly used in these early French methods before Arban, e.g., methods by Brulon, Guichard, Dauverné, Dufrène, Dauverné, and even Mariscotti (Anzenberger 1994 [85], 76-79; Anzenberger 1994 [86], 23-25).

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