BRASS INSRUMENTS

DEFINITION
• A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces
sound by “sympathetic vibration” of air in a tubular
resonator in “sympathy” with the vibration of the player’s
lips. Another name for brass instruments is labrosones,
meaning “lip-vibrated instruments”
(http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_instrument). This
means that when the player’s lips vibrate in the cup of the
mouth piece of a brass instrument, the air in the brass
instrument is sensitive to this and starts vibrating to create
sound. Because of the form and metal of the brass
instrument the sound is amplified (made louder), creating a
“brassy” sound true to the brass instrument family and
providing the player the capability to play very loud.
 HISTORY
• Brass instruments have a cup-shaped mouth
piece, which if you blow in it will start vibrating
the air in the instrument and is amplified (made
louder) by the tube and the bell flaring out at the
end of the brass instrument (R. Kamien, Music an
appreciation, 2011).
• Brass instruments to this day are sometimes
referred to as horns because of its history.
Ancient societies used animal horns for
signalling.
• The ancient Egyptians made horns of silver and bronze with
long pipes and a bell but no valves or keys. Examples were
found in the tomb of Tutankhamen who lived centuries
ago. These horns could only play a limited amount of notes
usually a 5th apart and could not play chromatic music.
• It was only in the early 1800’s that valves were added to
the trumpet and was then valued as a true instrument that
could be added to an orchestra. Before that brass
instruments were only used for announcements in
churches and in the military.
Information from: www.ehow.com/about_5076759_history-
brass-instruments.html
TYPES OF BRASS INSTRUMENTS USED
IN THE ORCHESTRA
• Valved brass instruments: The instruments use
valves to change pitch. Usually such an
instrument has an amount of 3 to 4 valves.
Instruments in the orchestra using valves are the
trumpets, french horns and tubas.
• Slide brass instruments: Brass instruments using
a “slide” to change the length of the tubing in
order to change pitch. An instrument in the
orchestra using a slide is the trombone.
• Information from:
http://en.m.wikpedia.org/wiki/Brass_instrument
TRUMPETS
• The trumpet has the highest pitch
of the brass instruments in the
orchestra.
• The trumpet is a transposing
instrument pitched in B flat;
meaning if a player plays B flat on
the trumpet, it sounds like a
concert C.
• The trumpet is constructed from
brass tubing and is bent twice in a
rounded oblong shape.
• The trumpet has a cup-shaped or
funnel-shaped mouth piece. When
blowing into it with pursed lips, it
causes a vibration to create sound.
 TRUMPETS (CONT.)
• The trumpet works with a valve system. Trumpets
contain 3 to 4 valves that cause the trumpet to change
pitch chromatically.
• The trumpet’s range is approximately 3 octaves
• Music is written in the treble clef for the trumpet with
its transposed key signature; in other words, if the
trumpet is a B flat trumpet and the music is in C major,
the key for the trumpet will be in B flat major (minor
7th higher).
Information from:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org
/wiki/Trumpet
FRENCH HORN (HORN)
• Rather referred to as “horn”
• The horn has more than 6.1 meters of tubing
that is coiled and flairs out in a bell-shape at
the end of the tubing. The horn is constructed
out of brass metal.
• The horn is also played with a valve
mechanism (as the trumpet) and has 3 valves
that change the pitch.
• The horn has a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped
mouth piece. When blowing into it with
pursed lips, it causes a vibration to create
sound.
• The pitch of the instrument is controlled
through the adjustment of lip tension in the
mouthpiece and by operating the valves with
the left hand. The right hand is placed inside
the bell of the instrument when paying it.
 FRENCH HORN (HORN)
• The French horn is also a transposing instrument. It is
usually tuned to F. This means that when a horn player
plays an F it sounds like a C. In other word, a horn sounds a
perfect 5th lower than what the music written for.
• The horn is the second highest brass instrument in the
orchestra.
• The pitch range for a horn starts from an F# immediately
below the bass clef staff to C 6.
• When writing music for a horn, a treble clef is used with
the transposed key signature.
Information from: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn
TROMBONE
• As the horn, the trombone has a cup-
shaped or funnel-shaped mouth piece.
When blowing with pursed lips into it,
it causes a vibration to create sound.
• Nearly all trombones have what is
called “telescoping” slide mechanism.
This causes the instrument to vary in
length and this enables the instrument
to change pitch. The further the slide is
pulled out, the longer/bigger the
instrument and therefore the lower
the sound.
• The trombone is the second lowest
brass instrument in the orchestra.
 TROMBONE
• The lowest note a trombone can play is B flat 2
and the highest tone is E 4.
• The trombone is not considered a transposing
instrument.
• The trombone is typically notated in the bass clef.
Information from:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombone
TUBA
• Sound is produced by vibrating
or buzzing the lips into a large
cupped mouthpiece
(http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Tuba)
• The tuba is the largest and
lowest-pitched instrument in the
brass family
(http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Tuba)
• The tuba serves as the bass of
the orchestra and sometimes
doubles up with the bass strings
and woodwinds
 TUBA
• The tuba changes pitch by pressing down one
or a combination of the three valves
• The tuba player reads his/her music in the
bass clef and it sounds an octave lower than it
is written
• Information from:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuba
 EXTENDED PLAYING METHODS
• Flutter tonguing: The trumpeter rolls the tip of the tongue as if say an “R”
in the Afrikaans or Spanish language. This produces “growling like” tone.
• Growling: The player hums while playing a note. This creates two sets if
vibrations that interfere with each other and create a characteristic
“growling” sound
• Double tonguing: the player articulates using the syllables “ta-ka”
repeatedly and at a very high pace
• Glissando: the trumpeter slides between a high to low pitch or from a low
to high pitch by depressing the valves halfway and changing the lip
tension.
• Vibrato: The micro fluctuation of pitch. This fluctuation consists of a
regular, pulsating change of pitch. The character of the vibrato is
determined by the amount of pitch variation (extend of vibrato) and the
speed with which the pitch is varied (rate of vibrato)
(en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrato)
• Information from: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/trumpet