Examples of Brass Instruments

The Didgeridoo hails from indigenous parts of Australia, and though no exact date of origin is recorded, it is widely accepted as the oldest wind instrument. The "drone pipe" is often referred to by musicologists as an aerophone, and was used ceremoniously to dancing and singing. These instruments are traditionally carved from eucalyptus trees and can range in length from 3 to 10 feet--the longer the instrument, the lower the pitch.

Today the didgeridoo is modernized into the didgeribone: a plastic sibling made up of two sliding parts, allowing for advanced pitch control.

The simplest of brass instruments, the conch shell is little more than its name implies: a shell. Some instruments will have mouthpieces when used in Indian or Polynesian ceremonies, but the conch shell most often consists of a marine shell with a carved hole in the spire. Three specific gastropod marine shells are most often used: the sacred chank, the triton’s trumpet, and the queen conch.

Moving into more recognizable names, the trumpet is made from brass and plays in the highest register. The trumpet itself is broken into several instruments, variant through pitch: B flat, low F, C, D, E flat, E, F, G and A trumpets are all different within themselves, B flat being the most commonly used. Today’s renowned musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie made their mark with the trumpet, but natural trumpet players from the baroque period were equally famous and include Valentine Snow (who Handel wrote pieces specifically for) and Gottfried Reiche, Bach’s chief trumpeter.

Recognized by its brass slide, the trombone is another prominent brass instrument. The name literally means “large trumpet,” so it is little wonder the trumpet and trombone often play off of one another. Just as the trumpet has different categories, so does the trombone: tenor and bass are the more common, while the contrabass, alto, soprano, piccolo, valve, and even superbone and tromboon are known to make an appearance.

One of the most beautiful--and most difficult to play--brass instruments is the French horn. Made up of 12 feet of coiled brass tubing, the horn fits best in a symphonic setting. They are similar to a trumpet in that they use valves to adjust pitch, yet avoid the screaming fanfare often associated with such instruments. Modifications to the French horn (or just “horn” as suggested by the 1971 International Horn Society) include the natural, single, double, compensating double, triple, Vienna, marching, mellophone and the Wagner tuba.

Often associated with lumbering elephants and overturned cows, the tuba is the largest and lowest ranged brass made instrument. Tubas replaced the ophicleide in symphonies during the mid 19th century, and come in varieties such as the sousaphone, contrabass, bass, tenor, and the subcontrabass. Similar to the trumpet, different pitches are also used: F, E-flat, C, or B-flat. The tube of a B-flat tuba is 18 feet long, a C tuba is 16 feet long, an E-flat tuba is 13 feet, and an F tuba is 12 feet.

The simplest of brass instruments, the bugle has a five note range and no slides or valves; each pitch is created by the player’s own adjustments. The bugle dates back to 4th century Rome, made from bull horns and was called a “buculus,” which is Latin for castrated bull. Today the bugle is commonly used in the military, indicating daily camp routines.