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The Brass Family

The document discusses the four main instruments that make up the brass family in an orchestra - the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba. It provides details on how each instrument is played, including that brass instruments are long pipes that are buzzed using the lips and mouthpiece to produce sound, and that valves or a slide are used to change the pitch. It also gives fun facts about each instrument, such as the trumpet being the smallest brass instrument and the tuba being the largest and lowest.

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387 views18 pages

The Brass Family

The document discusses the four main instruments that make up the brass family in an orchestra - the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba. It provides details on how each instrument is played, including that brass instruments are long pipes that are buzzed using the lips and mouthpiece to produce sound, and that valves or a slide are used to change the pitch. It also gives fun facts about each instrument, such as the trumpet being the smallest brass instrument and the tuba being the largest and lowest.

Uploaded by

api-286406490
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Instruments of the

Orchestra
The Brass Family

Orchestral Landscape

The Brass Family


If you think the brass family got its name because the
instruments are made of brass, you're right!
This family of instruments can play louder than any other
in the orchestra and can also be heard from far away.
Although their early ancestors are known to have been
made of wood, tusks, animal horns or shells, today's
modern instruments are made entirely of brass.
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.

The Brass Family


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 the
orchestra include the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and the
tuba.

The Trumpet

Trumpet Facts
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.
There are 2 to 4 trumpets in an orchestra and they play
both melody and harmony and also support the rhythm.

Trumpet

The French Horn

French horn Facts


The French horn originated from France.
It comes 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.
There are anywhere from 2 to 8 French horns in an
orchestra, and they play both melody and harmony
as well as rhythm.

The Trombone

Trombone Facts
The trombone is the only instrument in the brass family
that uses a slide instead of valves to change pitch.
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.
There are usually 3 trombones in the orchestra and they
play pitches in the same range as the cello and bassoon.
The three trombones often play harmonies together.

The Tuba

Tuba Facts
This is the grandfather of the brass family. 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.
There is generally only one tuba in an orchestra and it
usually plays harmony.
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!

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