Best Flugelhorns of 2026
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Flugelhorns are a type of brass instrument that are similar in appearance to a trumpet but produce a mellower and more subdued sound. These instruments are commonly used in jazz and brass bands, as well as in orchestras and concert bands. Flugelhorns come in a variety of sizes and materials, with different bore sizes and bell shapes that can affect the instrument's tone and projection. Whether you are a professional musician or a beginner, a flugelhorn can be a great addition to your collection of musical instruments.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 6 Flugelhorns
playLITE Hybrid Flugel Horn with Valves
The playLITE Flugel Horn features fast action aluminium lined valves, allowing for quick and responsive playing, which is essential for musicians looking to enhance their performance. The fully adjustable valve slides give you the flexibility to customise your instrument to suit your playing style. With a traditional shaped plastic body, this horn produces an authentic sound and impressive projection, ensuring that your music stands out. Additionally, its lightweight and durable design makes it easy to maintain and carry, perfect for both practice and performance.
playLITE Hybrid Flugelhorn with Aluminium Valves
The playLITE Hybrid Flugelhorn features fast action aluminium lined valves, which allow you to play smoothly and quickly with less effort. Its traditional shaped plastic body offers a lightweight yet sturdy design, making it easier for you to handle and carry. You can expect authentic sound and projection, ensuring your music sounds rich and clear to your audience. Additionally, the fully adjustable valve slides give you the ability to fine-tune the instrument for better playability and comfort. This makes the playLITE Hybrid Flugelhorn a practical choice for both beginners and experienced players.
Yamaha SILENT Brass System for Flugelhorn
The Yamaha SILENT Brass System offers innovative features that enhance your playing experience. With new USB connectivity, you can easily record your music directly to a computer or smart device, making it perfect for practice or sharing. Its easy-to-attach design means you can quickly set it up or remove it as needed. Weighing so little, you’ll hardly notice it’s in your horn, allowing for a comfortable playing experience. Additionally, the specially designed mini microphone ensures your sound is captured clearly, giving you the best audio quality possible.
Yamaha 14F4 Flugelhorn Mouthpiece with Gold Rim
The Yamaha 14F4 Mouthpiece features a 16.76mm inner rim diameter, which provides a comfortable fit for your playing style. Its deep cup shape enhances volume, making it ideal for performances that demand a rich sound. The relatively large inner rim diameter is perfectly matched to the original "V" cup, allowing for a smooth and controlled airflow. This mouthpiece is an excellent choice for professional studio applications, ensuring you achieve the best sound quality in your recordings.
Yamaha 14F4 Flugelhorn Mouthpiece with V Cup
The Yamaha 14F4 Mouthpiece is designed with a relatively large inner rim diameter and a "V" shaped cup, which helps you achieve a rich and smooth sound, ideal for demanding professional studio work. Its 16.76mm inner diameter and standard cup offer a familiar feel that suits many players. The semi-flat rim provides comfortable support for your lips, making long sessions easier. Additionally, the extra thick silver plating adds durability, so you can enjoy this mouthpiece for years without worrying about wear.
Yamaha Eric Miyashiro Flugelhorn Mouthpiece D
The Yamaha Flugelhorn Mouthpiece features a 16.06mm inner rim diameter, which can enhance your playing comfort and precision. Its semi-flat rim contour helps provide a stable grip, allowing you to maintain control during performances. With a thin rim, you can experience less fatigue while playing, making it easier to achieve longer practice sessions. Additionally, the relatively shallow cup design contributes to outstanding control of tone and pitch, ensuring you can express your musicality with clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are flugelhorns used for?
The Flugelhorn (or "fluegelhorn") was originally used on the battlefield to summon flanks of soldiers – a far (and perhaps, less-dramatic) cry from it's current use as the horn of choice when commercial trumpet players want to play a soft ballad or smooth jazz tune!
2. What is the difference between a trumpet and a flugelhorn?
To many people, the flugelhorn is a unique and interesting instrument. It looks bigger than a trumpet and in some ways it is bigger. It is heavier and has a larger bell. But when stretched out to its full length, a Bb flugelhorn is exactly the same length as a Bb trumpet and cornet.
3. Is flugelhorn harder than trumpet?
The flugelhorn is slightly harder to play than the trumpet. Playing flugelhorn involves more intonation challenges due to its conical bore and the V-shape mouthpiece, and its mellower sound does not project as easily.
4. How many flugelhorns are in a brass band?
There's only one flugelhorn in the brass band. It's is built in the same B♭ pitch as the cornet, but has a much darker and more mellow sound due to it's shape. It can play solos, play melodic lines with the cornets or take a role with supporting harmony.
During our flugelhorn research, we found 15 flugelhorn products and shortlisted 6 quality products. We collected and analyzed 2,477 customer reviews through our big data system to write the flugelhorns list. We found that most customers choose flugelhorns with an average price of £141.24.
The flugelhorns are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of flugelhorns, including playLITE, Yamaha.
Hayden was born in Liverpool, and he never left his hometown until university. In his freshman year at the University of Manchester, Hayden was the group leader of a popular music group. Hayden is responsible for the popularity of his music, and this is because of his natural ability to play with keys and strings. He graduated with BFA in 2016 and returned in 2018 as a lecturing staff in the School of Music.