whats the big deal with using French horn mouthpiece adapters on a mellophone? ive used one before and it felt awkward and i also hear about all kinds of tunning problems and stuff like that...it would make sense to me just to use the mouthpiece that is intended to be used on the instrument

What's your question here?
-"Why does everybody use adaptors?"

or

-"Why doesn't everybody use adaptors?"

I think he means "What's the big deal to where people want to use horn mouthpieces and adapters than just using a mellophone or trumpet mouthpiece?"

My answer is that I am much more comfortable, being a french horn player, to play on a french horn mouthpiece rather than a bulkier one (like a Mellophone or Trumpet mouthpiece). Sure, the adapter has some tuning issues, but the instrument is self has a lot of those anyways. It's something as a musician you must learn to cope and adjust with. Not to mention, after playing an entire marching season on Mellophone it takes me a few weeks to get back into "French horn" mode. So I don't want to imagine the damage of using another mouthpiece would do. Fixing style is one thing. Fixing style AND embouchure is another!

So for me...I will use a horn mouthpiece and adapter as long as I can.

Truly,

Joey

If that's the question, "Why does everybody want to use an adaptor with melophone?" Then I agree with the pope. The melophone is a marching band instrument to be played out on the football field at halftime so it's supposed to have a brassier sound to it. A french horn mouthpiece would make it sound too mellow.

You shouldn't worry about your embouchure getting messed up very much if you play on two different mouthpieces. I played trumpet in marching band and got first chair in the french horn section for concert band. But that was because I practice both instruments whenever I practice.

You also practice your french horn during marching band season, don't you? It's a BIG help.

I know a guy who plays very well on trumpet, horn & trombone in a chamber orchestra. (Brass needs change often in smaller orchestras.) He maintains all three w/o difficulty. It's one thing to prefer a certain type of mouthpiece, but we have to be careful not to become too dependant on it. It's the embouchure that does the work not the mouthpiece. I personally think it's wise to learn to be flexible & play well under a variety of conditions. I like the suggestion to practice on horn during marching season. I wish I had thought of that while I was still in highschool!
Valerie in Tacoma

I can play Super C's on trumpet. But I honestly prefer using a horn mouthpiece. A good horn player should be able to make his town brassy and be able to make it mellow when he wants too. Using a mellophone or trumpet mouthpiece you can only go so mellow before you just can't anymore. You guys can do what you want, but I can control my tone any which way on a horn mouthpiece.

<Added>

...and I mean tone as well as town.... I let some spelling mistakes go...but that one was a big one...lol...

I suppose a really good horn player could make it TOWN brassy, too.

Due to the emboucher positioning/etc of other brass mouthpieces, it can alter the horn's tone. Usually main horn players stick with the normal mouthpiece to make transitioning back during concert band easier. I know I used to play trumpet as much as horn, but I had to quit because playing trumpet was hurting my horn playing. After I stopped, my tone cleaned up A TON. Some college horn professors or other teachers treat playing different emboucher instruments while majoring/focusing on horn as a "sin". Like chewing gum in the band room. Haha... Anyways, that's all I got. Also, it's not too hard to get a brassy sound out of a mellophone using a horn mouthpiece. Then again, if all depends on your skill level and how well you are at changing your tone. Actually, in our field show this year, I let fatigue get to me and ended up playing a few long tones during the ballad more brassy than majestic, and the judge mentioned it on the tape (because I'm pretty much the only mello that plays, so i pretty much drive the entire section) about it... So. Yeah, it all depends.

Horn players generally play on horn mouth pieces. As mentioned in a previous post, when switching mouth pieces, tone suffers...alot. As for intonation, most intonation problems can be solved just by listening and bending the pitch a little.

Although some people can double on multiple instruments and maintain decent technique on them, I've found that people who double on trumpet tend to have an edgier tone on horn.

However, when I was taking trombone lessons, I found that it really helped my horn playing...but that was because I started using a lot more air. I'd warm up and practice on trombone early in the morning and then on horn for the rest of the day.

there r 3 mellophones in the marching band at our school.1 uses an adapter and one doesnt.they souund exactly the same 2 me. i can play on either mouthpiece it makes no difference, but if u play on the ,mellophone mouthpiece u have 2 practice your horn an = amount as u did w/ the mello or u will get your lip muscles confused.....not good. ~CoUrT~