A major family of instruments is the brass instrument family. It includes the trumpet, tuba, trombone, French horn, bugle, and cornet, just to name a few. Most brass instruments are made out of, you guessed it brass! They are used in all sorts of music making a brilliant and, often, loud sound.
What makes an instrument part of the brass family?
The main difference between brass instruments and other instruments is how the vibration to create the sound and notes is made. With a brass instrument the vibration is created by the lips of the musician. By pressing the lips up against the mouthpiece and blowing, a vibration is created. The rest of the horn helps to amplify the noise and create different notes. This is different from the woodwind family where air blowing across an edge or reed causes the vibrations.
Making the Sound
Brass instruments get their sound from the vibrations of the musician's lips. This works by the player putting their lips tightly into the mouthpiece and blowing. The vibration between the lips and mouthpiece causes the air to vibrate down the long brass tube.
Musicians can vary the notes they play, the tone of the music, and the loudness by controlling the vibration of their lips. This takes a lot of practice to get right.
Valves and Slides
Brass instruments that are a fixed length can only make a few notes. This is the way all horns were for a long time. Then the slide and the valve were introduced. These allow the musician to change the length of the tube. They are each different in how they work.
Valves
When you look at all those tubes and curves in a trumpet, French horn, or tuba it can look almost like a mess of spaghetti. However, all those tubes help the instrument to make different sounds and notes. The buttons on these instruments are called valves. By pressing the valves the player adds in additional length to the tube.
The air that is blown into the mouthpiece eventually goes to the end, or bell, of the brass instrument. But it doesn't always travel through all those tubes you see. When a valve is pressed an additional curve or length of tubing is added into the path that the air takes. The musician can add in and take out sections of the tube in order to make a wide variety of notes.
Slide
Another way to change the length of the tube is by using a slide. The slide is used in the trombone. By moving a long section of the tube in and out, the musician can change the length of the tube and, therefore, the notes. Since the tube can slide gradually, the musician can "slide" between notes giving a smooth sound.
Bore and Bell
The tube of the instrument is called the bore. The end, where it flares out wide, is called the bell. The shape, width, and length of the bore and bell have a lot to do with the tone of the brass instrument. They can cause the instrument to have a crisp blaring tone like the trumpet or a warm mellow tone like the French horn.
Types of Music
Brass instruments are used in all sorts of music. Some of the most popular type of brass music is played in big bands, classical orchestras, and jazz. One of the main places we see brass instruments played today is in marching bands. This is because brass instruments can be played loudly without electrical amplification. Plus they can be played and carried while marching.
Smaller groups of brass instruments may be used in rock music, mariachi bands, and smaller ensembles. These generally use instruments like the trumpet, trombone, and saxophone (which is really a woodwind).
Fun Facts about Brass Instruments