Instruments of the Band and Orchestra: The Brasses

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You The sound of the orchestra is the sound of many instruments playing together.

The sound of the band is also a combination of many sounds.

Near the back of an orchestra or band is the brass section that produces some of the most brilliant and dramatic sounds.

These instruments are called brasses because they're usually made of brass.

They have many different sizes and shapes and sounds.

The two smallest instruments are the cornet and the trumpet.

From the trumpet we can learn something about all the instruments of the brass section.

The sound of the trumpet, like the sound of all the brasses, begins at the musician's lips.

He makes them buzz.

He does this into the trumpet's mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece is put on the trumpet.

You can see how easy it is to make a sound on a brass instrument.

By pushing down on these valves, the pitch of the notes is changed.

The pitch is changed by the little tubes called valve slides.

Let's suppose we could straighten out the trumpet into one long tube with the three valve slides attached to it.

Now only the long tube is being used to make the sound.

When you push down the second valve, the valve slide under it is added to the trumpet tube.

Now the tube making the sound is longer, and the pitch is one half step lower than it was.

This valve slide is twice as long, so it lowers the pitch two half steps when you add it to the tube.

This one is three times as long as the first one, so it lowers the pitch three half steps.

And by pushing down several valves at a time, many different notes are possible.

The longer the amount of tubing that you add, the lower the note will be.

This is the way all the instruments in the brass section work.

The trumpet is important in both band and orchestra.

The cornet is played in the same way and sounds almost the same.

The cornet is mostly a band instrument, and it's an excellent instrument for a beginner.

This is a French horn.

The horn is the only brass that is fingered with the left hand.

But you don't have to be left handed to play one.

Down at the end, or bell of the horn, the musician's right hand steadies the horn, and it's there for another purpose too.

Sometimes we say that his hand darkens the tone color.

His hand can soften the sound too.

The musician learns that his right hand and the bell has several uses in playing the horn.

Here is a trombone.

The sound is made in the same way as on the other brass instruments, but look, there aren't any valves.

How do you get different notes on the trombone? By moving the slide, which changes the length of the tubing.

With the mute, you can soften and change the tone quality.

This is the tenor trombone.

There is extra tubing in the bass trombone, so it can play considerably lower sounds.

Trombones are important in both bands and orchestras.

The baritone is chiefly a band instrument.

The bell may tilt forward, or it may point straight up.

The trombone plays the trombone.

This kind of tuba is called a sousaphone.

It's easier to carry when the band is marching than the upright tuba.

Tubas are the foundation of the brass section.

Remember the instruments you've seen and heard? The trumpet.

These are instruments of the brass section.

The brasses are important to the orchestra, where their sounds add brilliance to the sound of the full orchestra.

In the same way, the brasses are important to the full sound of the band.

Identifier

F.2018-03-0012

Date Of Production

1955

Abstract

Educational film demonstrating the various instruments and sections of a marching band and orchestra, with a focus on the brass section. Performers are members of the Joliet High School marching band and the Youth Orchestra of Greater Chicago. John Dame is featured as a french horn player.

Run Time

0:09:52

Format

16mm

Extent

356 feet

Color

B&W

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Distribution Print

Genre

Educational

Form

Short

Subject

Musical instruments

Related Collections

SERIES I: John Dame Films

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago

Distributor

Coronet Instructional Films

Participants And Performers

Dame, John (is musician)

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