Instruments of the Orchestra-BRASS
Summary
TLDRThis educational video explores the brass instruments in the orchestra, focusing on their unique sound production through lip buzzing into a cup-shaped mouthpiece. It highlights the evolution of brass with the introduction of the valve system in the 1830s, which expanded their musical range. The video discusses the four standard brass instruments: trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba, each with its distinct role and sound. It also touches on non-standard instruments like the piccolo trumpet and euphonium, demonstrating the versatility and rich tones brass can offer, from loud and brilliant to pastoral and celebratory.
Takeaways
- đș Brass instruments produce sound by buzzing their lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece, unlike woodwinds which blow air into the instrument.
- đŻ Modern brass instruments typically use a valve system, which became widespread in the 1830s, allowing them to play a chromatic scale and more melodic passages.
- đ· The trumpet is the soprano-ranged instrument in the brass family and uses piston valves to change pitch.
- đ· The French horn, also known as the horn, is the alto-ranged instrument with a mellow tone and uses lever valves instead of pistons.
- đș The trombone uses a slide mechanism instead of valves, requiring the player to memorize seven positions to change pitch.
- đ· The tuba is the bass register instrument in the brass family, often requiring more air to play and usually only one is used in an orchestra.
- đș Non-standard brass instruments include the piccolo trumpet, which is used for high registers, and the euphonium, which is a baritone-ranged instrument.
- đŒ Brass instruments can produce a range of sounds, from loud and brilliant to pastoral and celebratory, as demonstrated in various movie soundtracks.
- đ” The brass family has its roots in military use, which influences their ability to produce loud and commanding sounds.
- đ¶ Composers like John Williams use brass instruments to add excitement and brilliance to music, as heard in themes like 'Hogwarts Forever'.
Q & A
How do brass instruments produce sound?
-Brass instruments produce sound by buzzing their lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece.
What is the difference between how brass and woodwind instruments produce sound?
-Brass instruments require buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece, while woodwinds produce sound by blowing air across a reed or a fipple.
When did brass instruments start to widely implement the valve system?
-Brass instruments started to implement the valve system on a wide scale around the 1830s.
How does the valve system in modern brass instruments work?
-The valve system in modern brass instruments allows the player to push down one, two, or three valves to send air through additional tubing, opening up the overtone series of notes and enabling them to play a chromatic scale.
What is the function of the piston valves in a trumpet?
-Piston valves in a trumpet move up and down to change the length of the tubing, allowing the player to play different notes by altering the pitch.
Why do some brass instruments have a more mellow tone compared to others?
-The design and construction of the instrument, such as the French horn having a circular shape and a hand in the bell, contribute to a more mellow tone compared to brighter, open-sounding brass instruments.
How does the trombone differ from other brass instruments in terms of pitch control?
-The trombone differs from other brass instruments by using a slide mechanism instead of valves, requiring the player to memorize seven positions and rely on muscle memory to change pitch.
What is the role of the tuba in an orchestra?
-The tuba is the bass register brass instrument in an orchestra, often filling out the bass register and providing a deep, resonant sound.
Why might a piccolo trumpet be used in an orchestra?
-A piccolo trumpet is used to simulate the high register that older trumpet music requires, as it is easier to play with valves than on a natural trumpet without valves.
How does the brass family contribute to the overall sound of an orchestra?
-The brass family can contribute both loud, brilliant sounds for excitement and pastoral, softer sounds for a more celebratory and pastoral atmosphere, depending on the musical context.
What is the euphonium and where is it commonly used?
-The euphonium is a baritone-range brass instrument, commonly used in bands and wind ensembles, though it can occasionally be called for in orchestras.
Outlines
đș Understanding Brass Instruments
This paragraph introduces brass instruments in the orchestra, explaining how they produce sound by buzzing their lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece. It contrasts this with woodwinds, emphasizing the necessity for lip buzzing to produce a tone. The paragraph then delves into the historical development of brass instruments, highlighting the valve system implemented in the 1830s, which revolutionized their musical capabilities. Before this innovation, brass instruments were limited in the notes they could play, often restricted to high registers for solos. Post-1830s, brass instruments expanded their range, contributing more melodically to orchestral pieces. The paragraph also describes the valve system of a trumpet, explaining how valves alter the length of the air column to change pitch, allowing for a chromatic scale and more complex musical passages.
đ· Exploring the Brass Family
This segment discusses the standard brass instruments in an orchestra, starting with the trumpet as the soprano-ranged instrument. It mentions the French horn, also known as the horn, which is distinguished by its circular shape and mellow, distant tone, achieved by the player's hand in the bell. The use of lever valves on the French horn is also noted. The paragraph continues with the trombone, which differs from other brass by using a slide mechanism instead of valves, requiring memorization of seven positions for pitch changes. The versatility of the trombone in terms of range is highlighted, with tenor, alto, and bass trombones mentioned. The tuba, the bass register brass instrument, is described as requiring more air and typically found in single or double numbers in an orchestra due to its powerful sound. Non-standard brass instruments like the piccolo trumpet and euphonium are briefly introduced, with the former used for high registers and the latter being a baritone-range instrument more common in bands and wind ensembles.
đș The Versatility of Brass Sounds
The final paragraph showcases the versatility of the brass family, highlighting their ability to produce both loud, brilliant sounds and more pastoral, celebratory tones. It references the use of brass in movie soundtracks, such as in Harry Potter's 'Hogwarts Forever' theme, where brass instruments create a pastoral mood, and in John Williams' scores where brass adds excitement and thrill. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the brass family's role in delivering exciting and brilliant music, setting the stage for the next discussion on percussion instruments.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄBrass Instruments
đĄValve System
đĄCup-Shaped Mouthpiece
đĄOvertone Series
đĄFrench Horn
đĄTrombone
đĄTuba
đĄPiccolo Trumpet
đĄEuphonium
đĄBrass Family
Highlights
Brass instruments produce sound by buzzing lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece, unlike woodwinds that blow air.
Brass instruments were limited in the notes they could play before the invention of the valve system in the 1830s.
The valve system allows brass players to perform chromatic scales by pressing valves that redirect air through additional tubing.
The trumpet, a soprano brass instrument, plays a prominent melodic role in modern music, especially after the introduction of valves.
The French horn, characterized by its circular shape, produces a mellow tone, often muted by placing the right hand in the bell.
The trombone is unique among brass instruments for its slide mechanism, which changes pitch by adjusting the length of the tube.
Trombones can play smooth slides between notes, a technique thatâs more difficult for other brass instruments.
The tuba, the bass instrument of the brass family, requires significant airflow and typically fills the lowest register in orchestras.
There are a few non-standard brass instruments, such as the piccolo trumpet, used primarily to perform high-register music.
The euphonium is a baritone-range brass instrument more common in bands and wind ensembles than orchestras.
Despite being known for their loud and powerful sound, brass instruments can produce pastoral, hymn-like tones as well.
Brass instruments have military roots and were used on the battlefield, contributing to their association with powerful, triumphant sounds.
The brass family adds excitement and brilliance to orchestral music, frequently used in cinematic soundtracks to enhance thrilling scenes.
John Williams uses the brass family to create celebratory and pastoral moods in his compositions, such as in the 'Hogwarts Forever' theme.
Brass instruments can range from soft, mellow tones to loud, brilliant flourishes, making them versatile for various musical styles and contexts.
Transcripts
okay welcome to this episode on the
brass instruments the brass family of
instruments in the orchestra we classify
the brass by the way they make sound
just like we do all the other families
and brass produce sound by buzzing their
lips into a cup shaped mouthpiece so
unlike the woodwinds they don't just
blow air into the instrument they
actually have to buzz their lips because
if they just blow air then they it just
makes a windy sound it doesn't actually
even produce much of a tone produces no
tone actually so you're gonna see him
buzz his lips into this mouthpiece and
then the sounds will travel through here
and then what happens is in modern brass
instruments will bring up a picture of
the trumpet here so I can illustrate it
for you what happens is in modern
trumpets they have the valve system and
if you want to write this date down
around the 1830s brass instruments
started to implement the valve system on
a wide scale so before the 1830s brass
were quite limited and the type of notes
that they could play they could play
different notes but these notes were
usually far apart and the only way that
they could play like melodic stuff was
playing the very upper register so
before the 1830s if you hear like the
trumpet you know playing a solo or
something it's usually quite high up in
the register however like if you listen
to a Mozart Symphony or something though
often just kind of add punches to the
chords and stuff like that so the
strings and the woodwinds are going to
carry most of the melodic stuff leading
up to the 1830s after at 1830 so the
brass really come into their own and
they get to play a lot more melodic
and scale-like passages and stuff all
right so they buzz our lips in this
mouth cup shaped mouthpiece the sound
and travels down this pipe and then it
goes into the third chamber here the
trumpet standard trumpet has three
valves these are piston valves which
move up and down they pop back up
because they have Springs in here so
unless if you press them down they don't
activate now as long as this valve is in
the up position then the sound just
keeps going out to the end so same way
with the second valve in the first valve
you can see there's a little piece of
pipe coming off of each of these valves
this is the piece that comes off the
third valve this piece that comes off
the second and this is the one that
comes off the first so the reason why
they have valves is that they're able to
push down one two or three and send air
through additional tubing and this opens
up the overtone series of notes that
they can play for that so they're
basically able to play a chromatic scale
which is just simply by half steps the
lowest
basically the the smallest interval that
we use in western music so instead of
being able to just you know play like
force and fists like Bom Bom Bom Bom you
know they're able to get boat and play
you know write up the scale they have to
you know of course memorize the the
fingering is we call it so that's how a
brass instrument changes pitch so when
you see this gentleman play you'll
notice that he's pressing down some
valves and he's able to play melodic
stuff
[Music]
okay and just like we did with the other
families their standard instruments in
the brass and then there's non-standard
there are four standard instruments in
the brass and the trumpet is the soprano
ranged instrument and it is it is
standard the next one that is standard
is the French horn although a lot of
times they just call it the horn because
it's not French in origin so you will
hear it called both things the horn is
the one that's circular in shape it's
pretty distinct and shape and easy to
identify now you may notice her right
hand is inserted into the bell of the
instrument there she doesn't stop it all
the way up but she does kind of meet the
sound a little bit because unlike the
other brass which usually sound bright
and open the horn usually sounds kind of
off in the distance it has kind of a
muted tone now they do occasionally take
their hand out of the bell and just kind
of blast out the sound but you can hear
that the it gives it a very mellow tone
and it makes it really good for playing
you know like legato melodies and stuff
like that you could kind of consider the
French horn to be kind of like the alto
of the brass family you hear it's lower
pitch than the trumpet and again listen
for that mellow tone they have a valve
system here too although these are lever
valves and not Pistons but they do pop
back up and via Springs when they're not
press down so here's what it sounds like
[Music]
okay so the next standard one is the
trombone and you will find that the
trombone is a bit different than the
other brass because it does not employ
the valve system that we talked about
instead they have a slide mechanism to
increase or decrease the length of tube
and there are seven positions that they
have to memorize so like the violin
they depend a lot on muscle memory and
it does take quite a bit of practice and
like the violin they can also do slides
they can kind of go if they you know so
choose it's easier to do that on the
trombone than the other brass the
trombone has several different ranges
there's the tenor trombone Alto you even
have bass trombones so it's a little
more versatile in range and like the
woodwinds if you do need different range
trombones you know you don't have to
call someone up new usually the
trombonist can just switch out as needed
and this is what a trombone sounds like
[Music]
okay and the final standard instrument
in the brass is the tuba
now tubas also come in a wide variety of
shapes and sizes some even have
different number of valves on them but
generally speaking it is the bass
register brass instrument
it's basically a bass trumpet and you
will see that it takes a lot of air to
push through this big instrument so
you'll find that he's having to take
breaths a lot more frequently than the
previous ones we saw there's usually
only one tuba for Orchestra because one
two but can actually make quite a loud
sound and they sound absolutely
fantastic when they fill out the bass
register so here is a tuba
[Music]
and you can see he has valves here to
change the pitches alright so there are
a few non-standard brass instruments
there's not a whole lot in the brass
section and a lot of times you'll find
that they simply just have one of the
standard players switch out occasionally
you will see a piccolo trumpet it does
incorporate in the valve system as well
you can see it looks like a little tiny
baby trumpet and this instrument mainly
is for modern trumpet players to
simulate the the really high register
that older trumpet music plays so a lot
of Baroque music and stuff like that
you'll see them pull this out because
let's face it it's easier to play this
with valves and it is to play a natural
trumpet without valves and get in that
really high register so here is the
piccolo trumpet
[Music]
okay we'll just we'll just do one more
because there aren't a lot of these that
you'll actually see quite commonly in
the orchestra this one is called the
euphonium and you'll notice it's the
same gentleman that was playing the
trombone because quite a few trombonist
also train on the euphonium okay so the
euphonium is basically the baritone
range instrument and the brass family
that's in between the bass and the tenor
range it plays a lot more in bands and
wind ensembles than it does the
orchestra although it occasionally is
called for in the orchestra so here is
what the euphonium sounds like
okay so that pretty much does it for the
standard and non-standard the one thing
I would like to illustrate for you is
[Music]
what the basic sounds you can get out of
the brass family a lot of people think
the brass family is loud proud
in-your-face you know and that's true a
lot of times they do play and when when
they do play it it is rather loud and
brilliant but the brass family can also
sound very pastoral and him like if
you've seen the Harry Potter movies you
might be familiar with this theme and
this is called Hogwarts Forever and John
Williams a composer uses the brass
family not so much in a brilliant
flourish like it would be like in a
Quidditch match scene instead this is a
more celebratory and pastoral so listen
to how the brass section can sound
you
well since brass family since the brass
family does have its roots in the
military they were used on the
battlefield quite a bit you can give
them a very you know loud and
in-your-face kind of sound and we're
gonna look at another movie soundtrack
here to see how actually the same
composer John Williams brings in the
brass here to add to the excitement and
thrill of this particular scene so
listen to when the orchestra is playing
and then when that brass comes in it
just adds such a brilliant flourish it
really gets the adrenaline going
you
okay so if you want your music and sound
exciting and brilliant the brass can
really help out with that okay so that
pretty much concludes our section on the
brass family next time we are going to
be looking at the percussion family and
then we will wrap up with a brief
discussion on the keyboard instruments
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