Questions tagged [brass]
The family of wind instruments that produce their tone through the buzzing of the lips into a mouthpiece. The most common brass instruments are the trumpet, trombone, tuba, and french horn.
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Circular breathing: same technique regardless of instrument?
Is the technique of circular breathing the same across all wind instruments? For example, if I learn to circular breathe on a didgeridoo, will it be easy for me to learn how to do so on a trumpet?
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How can horns, most of which have only three buttons, play all their notes?
I’m a big fan of the “horn” family but have trouble understanding how horns are able to play the same scales and modes that a piano is able to play, being that horns only have a few valves. In some ...
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Why are brass instruments more comfortable with flat keys?
Taken from the first answer to this question: Should you write in F# Major or Gb Major?
Some instruments—like brass—are more comfortable in flat keys.
Although players should be able to play in ...
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What kind of things should trombones do in marching bands in the following case?
I'm trying to write some simple stuff (kind of) for brass marching band and not entirely happy with how it sounds. (But this might be because of the MuseScore sounds.)
I have a trumpet playing the ...
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What are "Parforce Horns" and "Fürst Pless Horns"?
I suddenly found on Thomann these types of horns: Parforce horn and Fürst Pless Horn.
I searched for them on Wikipedia and similar sites, Google, etc., but all I find is in German or other languages. ...
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Which brass wind instrument has the widest range?
Which brass wind instrument has the widest range?
I mean, which one has more notes between playable lowest note and playable highest note?
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What is this natural trumpet?
In this picture of the London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble found here, one sees what I suppose are natural brass instruments.
Does the trumpet in the lower right corner have a specific name? It has a ...
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How do harmonic tones get "out of tune" on a brass instrument?
In a video I saw, a guy was reviewing a prototype trombone, and he said that "the high f is out of tune" (the sixth overtone) I don't understand how a fixed length of tubing (1st position) can produce ...
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Trumpet type or technique?
In Wagner’s “Rule, Britannia”, the orchestration calls for two trumpets.
I’ve had no luck searching for what “vent.” and “ord.” mean. “Open” and “muted”, or ...?
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Looking for "big & brassy" band finales [closed]
I apologize for the crude example, but the last part of "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch" (timestamp: 1:17) is a direct reference to the trope I'm talking about.
I've heard finales like these in countless ...
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Washing a soft (flute) case and removing mould
I am not sure if this question is a valid question as far as the Help Centre rules go.
I have recently purchased a used flute (Trevor James Cantabile) which comes with a hard case and a soft case. ...
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What is required in a hollow "tube" to resonate?
What is required in a hollow piece of tube of any shape to resonate and generate musical stable pitches and harmonics?
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What is this horn-like brass instrument which encircles the player's body?
I saw this in a parade.
The tone sounded like a horn. I guess it is enlarged to make it louder in open areas.
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Importance of jaw alignment for brass players
Some resources on brass instrument technique recommend pushing the lower jaw forward such that the front teeth are aligned. Is this a controversial recommendation? If not, how important is it to ...
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What are the common instrument blends in classical/romantic symphonies? [closed]
The motivation of my question "What are the common instrument blends in classical/romantic symphonies?" is to learn which instrument combinations (e.g. clarinet + violin, horn + oboe + bassoon etc..), ...
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How to distinguish between different instruments in a classical orchestra?
I want to train myself into distinguishing the instruments being played simultaneously in orchestral music (primarily Wagner and Bruckner, maybe Mahler). Ideally I want to be able to say at each point ...
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Coming from Trumpet: Which woodwind? [closed]
I've played trumpet for 3 years, and I'm thinking about picking up a simple woodwind instrument. I think personally, either clarinet or alto sax. But please, based on what I have played, price, and ...
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Best way to "clean up" an old trumpet?
I was given an old student trumpet (and case). It's surprisingly not dented, but looks awful--half the lacquer is gone and mixed with minor surface corrosion. However, it plays OK for a student ...
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What does the tuning of a brass instrument mean? [duplicate]
I've just purchased a bugle which is tuned to B flat. What does it mean for a brass instrument to be tuned to a particular note and how does this determine the notes that can be played on the ...
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Double and Triple Tonguing Syllables?
Brass and Woodwind players use specific syllables like ta-ka-ta for triple tonguing...
I would like to know:
What are the most common used syllables for double and triple tonguing?
Are they ...
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How to get a fuller tone from a small bore trombone?
I have an old 1962 conn 18h with a copper bell that has a
.484 bore. I am generally playing lower pieces that don’t sound as good as the high register. Is there any way (other than a new mouthpiece ...
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What are the effects of the shape of a bend in a brass instrument slide?
Some brass instrument manufacturers make a feature of the shape of the various slides - some have a semi-circular wrap, other more semi-elliptical. Some have a tight wrap (the two legs of the slide ...
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Trumpet playing to clarinet playing
Sorry if this has been asked here somewhere before but I haven't been able to find this question (I found the reverse situation of my question). I've been playing trumpet for several years now and ...
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Drying my trumpet out after playing
Whenever I practice on trumpet, after practicing there is a lot of water gathering inside the main tuning slide and thirs valve slide but also inside the valve caps so I have to unmount these valve ...
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Is divisi notation needed for brass or woodwind in an orchestra?
I'm composing for orchestra.
I've read that divisions [of parts] should be notated using divisi. (or div.) above the staff. But I'm wondering whether this notation is mandatory for all instruments.
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Sound changes: Putting curves or bends into a straight horn
I have some straight bell horns that are 26" and 29". They are powered by air compression tanks and have a very deep tone. I'm curious as to how bends in the horn would change it. Would they then need ...
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Why is my girlfriend's flugelhorn a semitone lower than my bass?
Firstly, I'll apologise in advance - I'm a self-taught rock 'musician' and I have virtually no knowledge of music theory (didn't stop me playing hundreds of gigs though!).
I have a four-string bass ...
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Time for muscular recovery for brass players
I've been practising a lot for an upcoming concert. Before a particularly demanding rehearsal a couple of weeks ago I was able to hit C6 reliably but since then my upper range has been effectively ...
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Why can a vuvuzela only play one pitch, while a non-valved bugle can play many?
According to our collective nightmares from the 2010 World Cup Wikipedia, the vuvuzela is a monotone instrument; it famously plays (roughly) the B♭ below middle C.
Why is the vuvuzela restricted to ...
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Trouble playing the tuba on the edge of the seat
I'm currently learning how to play the tuba in school, and I'm finding it extremely difficult to sit at the edge of the seat like I'm supposed to due to the weight of it. If I sit on the edge, I have ...
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What is the correct tonguing for this rhythm? [closed]
The rhythm is five sixteenth notes in a row, where the first is a pick-up, followed by three eighth notes. It is an orchestral trombone part. It must sound percussive. It's rather fast. Will this ...
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Tuba = valved bugle? I thought it was trumpet
Okay I was watching a video about what a tuba is and in the video somebody said that a tuba essentially is a bugle but with valves because of the conical bore and it being a whole tube instrument able ...
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Bass trumpet vs. valve trombone
Apart from the obvious external form difference, how do a bass trumpet and a valve trombone differ?
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How do I learn to use the plunger mute for a solo? What is a good simple exercise?
I want to use the plunger mute for a solo (baby elephant walk). I can play it without the plunger, but I have no idea what I'm doing with the plunger. It is totally uncomfortable.
Balance is ...
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What is this Antique Brass Instrument on display at the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, Belgium?
Does anyone know what type of instrument this is? It looks like some type of Euphonium, but obviously very different.
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Are eye disorders more common in wind instrument players?
I played the clarinet for 12 years (from 9 to 21), and occasionally I practiced for hours a day. Out of curiosity I read that eye pressure increases temporarily during play.
Those who are ...
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Woodwind v brass instruments - what is the defining characteristic?
The names of these classes of instruments suggest that the material from which they are made is significant but this is not so. Flutes are frequently made of metal and saxophones always are yet they ...
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What's the name of the instrument that is blown into, that has a lid that lifts up?
In cartoons, especially in processions, there's an instrument that I think is reminiscent of a tuba. When blown into, the lid lifts off.
What's this instrument called?
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How do horns get mechanically voiced in a 125 key Gaudin dance organ (or other mechanical orchestra)?
Sample video here:
I understand with the organ pipes that they would have a blower and be able to actuate a valve to make them sound but how do they make the horns ...
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How do I compose idiomatically for brass instruments?
I'm thinking of composing pieces for small ensembles with varied instrumentation.
Typically I compose on a keyboard. How do I determine if the musician can easily play on brass instruments such as ...
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Does anything (permanently) change in brand new brass instruments after playing them for a period?
My former teacher used to send new instruments to a professional to play them for a week or so before giving them to students. He said it was to tune it. However, I can't see how a metallic object ...
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Is shuffle double tonguing feasible on a brass instrument?
Drummers are used to the idea of performing 16th note patterns with varying amounts of shuffle.
Brass players spend loads of effort perfecting even double-tonguing for performing extended 16th note ...
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Can a baritone be used for a trombone part?
I am making a brass quintet, and I need two trumpets, a horn, a trombone, and a tuba. I have all except the trombone. Can a baritone substitute for the trombone part? Will it have a similar tone and/...
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Trombone (or any other brass instrument really) construction material
I'm not really sure where to post this question:
As a trombone player, I've never understood why aluminum is never used in brass instrument manufacturing. It's seldom mentioned on the internet either. ...
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Do rest days aid in developing strength in facial muscles used by brass players?
I'm a somewhat experienced trumpet player — not sure how to quantify it since I played intensively for a few months about a year and a half ago and then didn't play so much after that until about a ...
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How hard would it be to switch from a bass clarinet to a soprano sax?
I am currently playing a bass clarinet in my concert band, but my parents want me to switch to a "lighter" instrument. I looked through different options, and saw the soprano saxophone. If I were to ...
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What is a fanfare and on which instrument would it be best to play it on?
I want to compose a song for a woodwind or a brass instrument. I am not too experienced at composing and am wondering what a fanfare is and what are some good and/or famous examples of them. Also, ...
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Alto-ranged brass instrument?
As a high school French horn player I am wondering whether there is a brass instrument with a range similar to the alto saxophone. Although horn and alto are usually given the same parts the horn has ...
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Can an Eb Bass/Tuba play in both treble and bass without changing valve positions?
I'm going to be moving instruments at both Church and School next year. I was playing Baritone and will be moving to Eb Bass/Tuba. At church I will be playing treble clef and at school I will be ...
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Size difference between Baritone Horn and Euphonium
I know that the Baritone is different from the Euphonium because it has a narrower bore and sharper taper, esp. in British bands, but my question is are there precise measurements that define whether ...
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