I am totally new to brass instruments and am considering taking up flugel. I know very little about it, and was wondering a couple things. If I think it's too tough I won't bother buying one.
1) How hard is it to "lock onto" notes? Do you have to play a ton of intonation games and use tuners to make sure you're hitting notes right? I know you have to vary lip vibration but how hard is it really?

2) what is the trigger ring for

and also briefly how you tune it

any input would be appreciated. I don't want to pay for a teacher and am not in school or anything.

The flugel horn plays very much like a trumpet/cornet, but with a deeper, more mellow tone. I personally find the flugel to be a slightly easier "blow" than my .460 (medium-large) bore trumpet. For many players, some notes play on trumpet and/or flugel using 1st and/or 3rd valve are characteristically "sharp" and sometimes need to be tuned "on the fly" using 1st and/or 3rd valve finger rings/hooks. The third valve trigger on flugels so equipped is for the same purpose. Using a "flugel horn" mouthpiece (even though they will fit physically, trumpet mpc's don't usually work well on flugels) "locking in" on notes should be no more problem nor require any more adjustment than doing so on trumpet.

I'm selling a Blessing B155 flugelhorn for 700$. it's only been played twice. I'm selling because i bought a new getzen and i can't justify a reason for having 2 great flugelhorns. the 700$ includes shipping with insurance.

<- Hey chack that out, that's my baby!

I find flugel to be easier than the trumpet simply because it's easier to get a good sound out of it. Any sound out of it sounds like instant jazz, kind of like a saxophone. Even still, you would have to work on proper technique and whatnot. The flugel is conical, meaning that the tubing is tapered from the mouthpiece to the bell (similar to the french horn). This makes moving between harmonics a little easier than that of the trumpet.

The problem I have with some people with flugels is that they use it as a crutch to compensate for poor trumpet technique. If you can play the flugel well, then you should be able to play the trumpet just as good.

But yeah! the flugel is a great instrument to play.

- Roy

<- Hey check that out, that's my baby!

I find flugel to be easier than the trumpet simply because it's easier to get a good sound out of it. Any sound out of it sounds like instant jazz, kind of like a saxophone. Even still, you would have to work on proper technique and whatnot. The flugel is conical, meaning that the tubing is tapered from the mouthpiece to the bell (similar to the french horn). This makes moving between harmonics a little easier than that of the trumpet.

The problem I have with some people with flugels is that they use it as a crutch to compensate for poor trumpet technique. If you can play the flugel well, then you should be able to play the trumpet just as good.

But yeah! the flugel is a great instrument to play.

- Roy

If you are planning to play flugelhorn in a brass band, that can be hard. You have to work a long time with your airflow. Flugelhorn is much easier as a solo instrument, becouse then you can find your own style and tone. In a brass band you have to work to get a tone that don't separate from the others, or dissappear.

Thank you for your tips. I am still considering taking it up but the major problem I have is that it would disturb the others around me. I'd have to play it in the car if I bought one. It could be done, but it would be tough.
I am interesting in learning Flugel as a solo jazz instrument, not to play in a brass band. I suspect that would be easier but I'm still worried about my abilities to really lock onto notes and especially to hit the high ones. I play keyboards so brass is like a different universe.
To the person selling theirs for $700, sorry but I don't want to go more than a few hundred on one. I'd probably spring for one of those barrington or similar beginner models, as junky as they may be, but I want to make a minimal investment incase I decide it isn't for me.
If anyone knows of any websites or maybe a good book/DVD of instruction please post it(I don't want to pay for a teacher).
Thanks,
Rick

If you want to practice in your house/home whatever without disturbing others, you should get a silent brass, or practice mute for flugel. It greatly reduces the sound that comes out of the bell, and allows you to practice inside.

About hitting pitches. You should practice bending notes with your air stream/ tongue and then centering them. Hitting notes is not hard.

The ring is for your pinky as a rest. The trigger is usually for extending the tubing of the flugel for tuning on low Ds and C#s.

All flugels will have a tuning slide where you can adjust the intonation of the instrument. If you pull the slide out, if lowers the pitch whereas if you push in the slide, it raises the pitch. Some flugel tuning slides are beyond the valves, and some are right after the mouthpiece.

It's a beautiful sounding instrument and one of my personal favorites. good luck

If you want to start out on Flugle thats really cool thing. But i'd suggest getting a trumpet more. Even though a Flugle in some respects is easier to play. Lots of music tho that is composed today doesnt need or sounds bad with a flugle because of its lower-like sound. In my 8 years of playing i have come upon only bought 5 out of 50 pieces of music that require flugle. (and those were around 80-90 years old!!!)

Thank you for your advice. You're right I could get a silent brass system like the one Yamaha sells but I have heard the main drawback is that they restrict your airflow and you have to blow harder than you normally would to compensate. I suspect this is the case for any mute. If anyone here has the Yamaha silent brass system and could comment on how good it works and how much it muffles the sound, that would be appreciated. Does it knock the sound down to a level, say, like what you might hear from music coming out of headphones?

Flugelhorns are quite fun, I play one with my Jazz Band quite often, but if you're just going into brass, you might want to try with trumpet first. It might not sound as melodic at first, but frankly, flugelhorns aren't that common in musical pieces of a group, and so it wouldn't be much use as anything except a solo instrument. (Even if that's all you're intending for it, it'd still be better to take the route that's more traveled for now.)

As for the Silent Brass system, it's actually surprisingly easy to play with it in. It may restrict the air flow a bit, but if you practice with it enough, it's almost no problem at all. It cuts the sound down DRAMATICALLY, maybe down to a loud humming, I'd say, and if you're playing quietly, there's almost no sound that other people hear at all.

thank you for your advice..you're right the trumpet is obviously more of a used instrument and I'll definitely consider picking one up and the silent brass system sometime when I save up the money....