The brass family of instruments can play louder than any other in the orchestra or band and can be heard from far away. Brass instruments are essentially very long pipes that widen at their ends into a bell-like shape. The pipes have been curved and twisted into different shapes to make them easier to hold and play. While the brass instrument family got its name because the instruments are made of brass, not every instrument that is made of brass belongs to the brass family. For example, Saxophones are made of brass, but they belong to the Woodwind family. Although today's modern instruments are made entirely of brass, the oldest members of the brass family were made of shells, animal horns, or wood. What makes an instrument a member of the brass family is the way you play it. Like the woodwind family, brass players use their breath to produce sound, but instead of blowing into a reed, you vibrate your own lips by buzzing them against a metal cup-shaped mouthpiece. The mouthpiece helps to amplify the buzzing of the lips, which creates the sound. Most brass instruments have valves attached to their long pipes; the valves look like buttons. When you press down on the valves, they open and close different parts of the pipe. You change the pitch and sound by pressing different valves and buzzing your lips harder or softer. The brass family members that are most commonly used in an orchestra or band include the trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba.
The ancestors of the modern trumpet have been a part of human culture for a very long time. Old trumpet-like instruments played by ancient peoples were made of conch-shell, animal horn, wood or metal. Throughout history the trumpet has been used to sound alarms, gather people together, as a call to war, and to add luster to parade music. Like the violin, the trumpet is the smallest member of its family and plays the highest pitches with its bright and vibrant sound. Today's modern trumpet is a slender brass pipe with three attached valves, which is curved and bent into long loops. If you stretched out the trumpet to its full length, it would be 6 ½ feet long! You play the trumpet by holding it horizontally, buzzing your lips into the mouthpiece, and pressing down the three valves in various combinations to change pitch.
As its name suggests, the French horn originally comes from France. It developed from the French hunting horn of the 1600s, and produces a wide variety of sound ranging from very loud to very soft, and from harsh and blaring to mellow and smooth. The French horn's 18 feet of tubing is rolled up into a circular shape, with a large bell at its end. To play the French horn, you hold it with the bell curving downward and buzz into the mouthpiece. Your left hand plays the three valves and you can change the type of sound you make by the way you place your right hand in the bell. In a marching band, the French horn is replaced by an instrument called the Mellophone, which sounds like a French horn but is easier to play while marching.t
The trombone is the only instrument in the brass family that uses a slide instead of valves to change pitch. A standard trombone is made of long thin brass pipes. Two U-shaped pipes are linked at opposite ends to form an "S." One pipe slides into the other so the total length of the pipe can be extended or shortened. You play the trombone by holding it horizontally, buzzing into the mouthpiece, and using your right hand to change pitch by pushing or pulling the slide to one of seven different positions. If you stretch the trombone out straight, it is about 9 feet long.
The euphonium looks like a smaller version of the tuba. Many people not familiar with the instrument sometimes call it a tuba by mistake. Although the euphonium plays in the same range of pitches as the trombone, it has a more mellow, sound than a trombone. The euphonium is most commonly found in wind bands of various kinds, such as concert bands, brass bands, marching bands, and military bands. It is not traditionally an orchestral instrument and thus is not found in modern symphony orchestras. The name "euphonium" comes from the Greek word "euphonion", meaning "beautiful-sounding" or "sweet-voiced".
The tuba is the largest and lowest brass instrument and anchors the harmony not only of the brass family but the whole orchestra with its deep rich sound. Like the other brasses, the tuba is a long metal tube, curved into an oblong shape, with a huge bell at the end. Tubas range in size from 9 to 18 feet; the longer they are, the lower they sound. Standard tubas have about 16 feet of tubing. You play the tuba sitting down with the instrument on your lap and the bell facing up. You blow and buzz into a very large mouthpiece and use your hand to press down on the valves which changes the sound. It takes a lot of breath to make sound with the tuba!
Brass instruments have a bright, piercing sound that makes them perfect for a variety of situations. Throughout their history, brass instruments have introduced kings, led troops to battle, and celebrated great victories. Today, the brass family continues to fill football stadiums and concert halls with their exciting sounds.