Yes DCI Drum and Bugle Corp is interesting. The reason they are so odd is because initially the kids that joined this groups relieved no formal training at school or private lessons. As I have been told it was old military veterans that volunteered to teach these kids to march and to play drums and bugles. As I understand it often these veterans had no formal training themselves. As I have been told in the 1950 onward public schools across America started to have band programs and there was an explosion of School Sponsored Band Programs. This meant a lot of kids would be getting training from professional music teacher's. This also meant a lot more professional music education teachers would be in demand so Universities churned them out. This meant that in many cases their was a cross over of talent between the DCI kids and the public school music programs and it also meant there where more music teachers nationally. Just like a kid that plays football might also play basketball and run track the same thing happened in this regard. As the level of musical education and skill grew people became frustrated with the restricted instruments of just a various sized bugles in G and various Drums. The old guard where like all military men very traditional and slow to change that is why we have so many single pistons horizontal.... piston and rotary valve.....two pistons than finaly 3 pistons. Their are still some Drum and Bugle Corps that do not allow Bb instruments. Kanstul make some Drum Corp bugles in G still with 3 valves and they also make a lot of Marching Band Instruments in traditional modern keys just designed for marching. Kanstul has two 3 valve G Bugles one has a modern bell the same bell that is used on the Bb COL103 Trumpet the 102 has the same bell. The Model 100 G bugle has a very fast vintage taper very funnel shaped. kanstul.com/category.php?category_search=Bugle&metaPage=Bugle kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jpylkq-VrtnHf6c.html If you ask around Trumpet Master or Trumpethearald soemone one can point you to some amazing solo's on G bugles by various Drum and Bugle Corps. Also one of Monettes Clients had a Cornet in G built for himself for Jazz. It gave him options he would not have on a conventional Bb trumpet or cornet kind of like how some notes are easier on a C trumpet than a Bb trumpet.

Like you stated, sadly, here in America, that grand traditional "drum and bugle corps" activity really no longer exists. Back in the year 2000, the "powers that be" began to allow "three-valved brass in ANY key"...meaning the traditional soprano G Bugle has now been replaced with the standard Bb trumpet, as used by high school and college kids the world over. That unique sound of awesomeness projected by the corps of an era past...no longer exists. And with the added electronics and "theatrics"...the activity is now more akin to "ballet with band instruments." :-( About the only group that still uses the traditional G Bugles is the United States Marine Corps "Commandant's Own" drum and bugle corps.

Great info... I am actually in a drum and bugle corps ( excelsior drum and bugle corps placed in Troy, New York) and I actually have my grandfather's soprano bugle (exact one in the video) and it amazes me how drum corps back in the pre-1980's were able to play such melodic tunes with only 1-valve instruments

I was in a Drum and Bugle corps in Belleville Illinois, USA. I have the entire set like yours, soprano, cellophane, baratone, and Contrabass. I also have the valve/rotary in all DCI horns, and most of the later 2 upright piston horns. 10th in the US IN 1973!😊

Heeyyyy I PLAY THE BUGLE!!!! THE CONTRABASS BUGLE

that "taps and faucets" joke was so good

Interesting tidbit about these. Players would often polish their tuning slides to put the instrument in F# or F and move it back to G (and C# and C), it was a similar effect to a short trombone slide. That gave them 6 harmonic series instead of 2, it allowed for some more creative arrangements before DCI allowed piston/rotor and 2-valve bugles. “French Horn” bugles were also very important because they could sound so many more notes than the sopranos, tenors, and baritones.

Hey I just wanted to let you know most Marching French horns are also in Bb, but aren't really used in DCI.

Some marching horns in the US are in the key of Bb but the music is still written in F. I play one and we are taught to read the music as though we are playing a double horn with the Bb valve always down.

Enjoyed learning about the bugles. Always a pleasure, Trent!

Love your videos! Sax player myself, but your videos have gotten me into trying to learn bugle. Picked up single valve bugle the other day. It's very fun!

I played a 2 valve bugle in F in a US Navy drum and bugle corps in 1984. They referred to it as a "French Horn Bugle" but it resembled oversize standard bugle and had a proportionately sized bell. Nice horn, with standard upright piston valves. I've never seen another one like it since.

The first and third harmonics of that first bugle are a minor 9th apart! Ouch!

An fyi, american drum corps use Trumpets, Mellophones, baritones, bari/euph hybrids, and tubas. All tuned in Bflat and 3 valved

by the way I love your videos it has taught me so much about brass instruments even though I play bass clarinet and tenor sax

could you go in depth between baritone and euphonium?

From my research the reason they allowed the one valve ones was because corps were trying to hide the valve. I also love bugles, although I only have two, ome is a wfl single valve

There are Drum and Bugle corps in Europe and Asia BTW :)

very cool little horn!

You're good at these...awesome!

Wow omg these are awesome! 😀👍

Hey Trent, I myself am an American and I happen to be in a Drum and Bugle Corps. I play the contra bugle (now actually just a tuba but still nick named contra) it is in BBb instead of G. the official switch from G to BBb bugles was actually 2000. Which MANY people are still very angry about because of traditions and they were apparently much louder. I do belive Drum Corps would still be played with G bugles today had it not been for some events. G bugles had been manufactured mostly by the same company, and because different corps were really the only ones buying them the price was really quite unbearable. so for any corps trying to start up or even established corps like The Cadets, Cavaliers, or Blue Devils the price took so much of the budget. Now as you probably know b flat instruments are the standard (plus they play in tune SO much better) so some corps pushed to have Bb as the standard just because of company's greed. NOW... Anyway I'd like to tell you that hornlines are a little different than they used to be. to complete a hornline you need Trumpets, Mellophones, Baritones, Euphoniums, and the Contra (tuba). BUT!!! New rules in recent years have come about and now trombones, and French horns are being used to march. (of course nobody actually marches on a field with a French horn in their hands... of you want to see how they are being used I'd suggest you look up "The Cadets French horn feature 2015") but the basic hornline does not have these in it. anyway thought I might just share some info from an actual member of a Corps. :)

I play guitar and no wind instruments and I was just wondering, how can you play so many notes with so little to press? How does the way you blow effect it?

I don't have any sheet music for it, but check out my bugle comparison video: BUGLE vs. BACH STRAD kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ntdkhNFentWxdps.html

at my school we had a drum and fife corps in and play for us, i talked to him alot about his bugle he even let me play it, he told me the valve is on the side so its hidden from people to see so they think its traditional yet giving them more series

I know this comment is kinda late but I appreciate you looking into drum and bugle corps. you should look into DCI, especially Santa Clara vanguard 1989, perfect example of g bugles at their best

We have this weird thing in the US called bugle corps .... my local one is called Vanguard and they're really good.

You have an instrument on your shelf I would like to know about. The farthest stage right. Almost looks like a mellophone with a smaller bell. Is this a flugelhorn? Thanks

I bought a bugle exactly like this on impulse.30 bucks.i figured it would be a good start to learn how to play!

I was recently at an estate sale and bought what I believe to be a tenor or baritone bugle, single-valve. It is quite dented, but the main problem is that the valve is missing. Is there any chance of having the valve replaced?

I have a question regarding the single valve bugle: Today I received a Ludwig single piston valve competition bugle and the valve is very slow moving and frequently gets stuck. I cleaned the valve but it only helped slightly. Is there a way I could clean the valve to get it fully functional?

Any thought I'm considering a Ludwig single valve bugle learning to play taps, call of duty etc? But from what I've heard not just limited to these types of tunes any comments

Hey, i have a question. I and my friend play the same kind of trombone, exactly the same, and his trombone is a lot easier to play. People from my orchestra say that the metal of the trombone gets used to certain kind of vibration and its different for everyone, and they say i need to play a lot of very very loud notes, to fix that. Have you ever heard about this mystery?

Thank you very much for your videos. Several of them have helped me a lot and they make me smile. I would like some advice please, based on what you did in this video. I am a beginner and have I have limitations due to brain damage. I want to play simple tunes and pop melodies. Q1. Is it possible to play a usable scale on a regular trumpet by using only one valve and transposition? If so please can you please give me the notes to play? Q2. What are the most simple scales to play which involve the minimum of valve change-combinations? This includes valves that I can hold down throughout?

hey I live in america and I recently inherited my great grandfather's bugle and it is in the key of a flat it is made by the kings co and sounds really weird and I was wondering if you would no anything about it. please respond

The Blue Knights drum and bugle corps are selling some G mellos on their website.

just got one today

What's that bell front tenor horn/alto flugelhorn you've got in the background there? I'd love to see you do a video on that if you haven't done so already.

are French horns left-handed?

Wouldnt two valves give four harmonic series not three

You should check out the Mexican Bugle in Bb just search Banda de Guerra Mexico

you can share them on a video if you want

Can you please do a double pedal note video for bass bone? You're awesome btw

Now what about an ophicleide?

I have a two valve bugle. One valve is rotary. Where can I begin looking to research this instrument?

I have an old painted (sadly unrestorable) bugle in G with a piston valve and a rotary trigger valve, but it is unrestorable and I will never be able to play it

Hey, I've got the lacquered baritone version of this!

yeah

I'm not certain, but I don't think DCI uses marching French Horns.

I've messed around a bit on a few different shofars - you know, the traditional ram's horn thingie. Well, I thought that any .... tube ... played would be consistent with itself. In other words, it may be "tuned" in a funny key like f# but 75 "cents" above or some damn thing, but you'd still get true fifths and octaves, etc. Well! This turns out not to be the case. The overtone series on your average shofar, which really never wanted anything more in life than to go around on an animal's head, are weird. You don't get a 5th and you don't get an octave. This is probably why the traditional musical literature for the shofar consists of two notes: High and Low. And I thought it would be hilarious to play "Mess Call" before the "oneg" which is a bit of bread and wine and snack foods after the service ...

Hi Trent. I found your video very interesting. I'd been trying to track down information on single piston bugles. I used to play in a school brass band in the late 60s. BTW I am from Sydney Australia. We had bugles and one valved bugles. With the one valved bugles we could play the Grand March from Aida, which I loved playing very much. I never encountered these instruments again, despite playing in brass bands til the mid 70s. Though supefluous today, I have a hankering to buy one and see what i can still play Robert

Have you ever played French Horn? I'm a trumpet player and have always considered switching over. Any advice?

is it really bugle not natural trumpet

Where Can I Buy an G piston Bugle? And Is it Louder than the Trumpet?

Audio is off. :/

Looks like you're missing an Alphorn. I've been after one for a while, but they're never a good price.

I will send you a video tomorrow morning

5:43 An ophicleide has six keys!

Notification squad

wait I need your email address to send it to you

That is ABSOLUTELY not what drum and bugle corps are

I know NOTHING about brass playing.

I know this comment is kinda late but I appreciate you looking into drum and bugle corps. you should look into DCI, especially Santa Clara vanguard 1989, perfect example of g bugles at their best