Tenor cornetti

As every renaissance instrument, the cornetto also developed into a family. The tenor cornetto, tuned in C (a fifth lower than the soprano) was very popular in italy during the renaissance and early baroque, were the alto trombone was not in use and therefore the best (and sometimes only) choice for alto voices in a wind ensemble was a tenor cornetto.

In spite of its name the tenor cornetto plays in an alto range.

Tenor cornetti were also popular in the north but shared their duty with alto trombones.

Traditional tenor cornetti are made in one piece and therefore are difficult to carry (they don‘t fit in a soprano cornetto case).

Using the flexibility of 3D printing we have developed a tenor cornetto in three pieces, very easy to carry and more flexible in tuning. This is not a historical model but a very practical modern rendition of the historical tenor cornetto.

Tenor cornetti require a big hand extension. Through extreme oblique undercutting and by moving both ring finger holes to the side we expect this instrument to be as comfortable as possible, but it still remains a tenor cornetto, not a soprano one.

Download tenor cornetto fingering chart as PDF