Music AppreciationBrass

Brass

• There are multiple types of brass instruments. To list a few there are . . .

• Trumpets, Trombones, Tubas, French Horn, Euphonium, the tenor horn, the baritone horn

• They all have slightly different sounds, some have valves and some don’t.

Brass

What defines a brass instrument-

It is an aero phone. which means it is an instrument where the musician must blow air into the instrument. The musician produces the tone by buzzing the lips into what is generally a cup-shaped mouthpiece. It doesn’t mean that the instrument is necessarily made of brass

Brass

• The pitches change based on the amount of tubing that is used on the instrument. That’s why the trombone has a sliding bar, and the trumpet has valves.

• The valves change the amount of tubing the air is going through

Brass

• The first horns were made of brass or ram’s horns.

• The shofar is one of the first horns used by the Hebrew people.

Brass

• Other single not tubed horns were used that were made of metals

• Other ancient horns

Brass

• Through the medieval times there was not much development in horns but in the renaissance the popularity and availability increased. With the addition of the slide trumpet and trombone

Brass

• Eventually the trumpet got valves and other valved instruments got popular as well.

• The trombone has a particular sound

Brass

• We already saw the slide trumpet or soprano trombone, but mr. Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis made great use of their trumpets with valves.

Brass

• The tuba is the bass of the horn and brass world

• It has a distinct sound and is very fun to listen to in polkas

Brass

• The French Horn is another instrument that became very famous in symphony and orchestra music

• Here is an example. . .

Brass

• Lastly we will look at the Euphonium and what it sounds like

• You are now understanding that many horns sound similar but they vary in tone and in pitch.

Brass

• Brass in popular music. . .

• They are very popular in classical and in jazz, but in popular music brass is not heard as often.

• But various bands like Of Monsters and Men, and Modest Mouse have used horns and the songs were well received. Not to mention the ska bands and reggae bands.

• Little Talks

Brass

• What brass songs are your favorite?

• What instrument is your favorite?

• Is there a song you really like that has an awesome brass section or solo?