Explore Brass with music dictionary guides to trumpets, trombones, horns, tubas, valves, slides, tone, range, and ensemble roles.
A mouthpiece is the detachable component at the blowing end of a brass instrument that shapes the player’s airstream and influences tone, pitch, and articulation. Its design varies widely to suit different instruments, playing styles, and musical genres.
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the brass family, providing the foundational bass line in orchestras, wind ensembles, and marching bands. Developed in the early 19th century, it remains essential for its rich, resonant sound.
The French horn is a brass instrument distinguished by its coiled tubing and mellow tone. It evolved from early hunting horns and is a staple of orchestras, chamber ensembles, and film scores.
The trumpet is a high-pitched brass instrument that produces sound by the vibration of the player’s lips against a cup-shaped mouthpiece. It is a staple of orchestras, jazz ensembles, marching bands, and many other musical contexts.
The flugelhorn is a brass wind instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore that gives it a warm, mellow tone. It is commonly used in jazz, brass bands, and orchestral settings, bridging the tonal gap between the trumpet and the French horn.
The cornet is a brass wind instrument with a conical bore, closely related to the trumpet but producing a mellower tone. It is a staple in military bands, brass ensembles, and early jazz, offering agility and lyrical expressiveness.
A mute is a device placed in or on the bell of a brass instrument to alter its timbre, volume, and resonance. Different mute types produce distinct colors, from the buzzing wah-wah of a Harmon mute to the mellow sound of a straight mute.
The slide is the fundamental mechanism by which a trombone changes pitch, allowing continuous glissandi and precise intonation across its range.
The trombone is a brass wind instrument distinguished by its telescoping slide, allowing continuous pitch variation and a distinctive timbre used across many musical styles.
A valve is a mechanical device fitted to many brass instruments that redirects the airflow through additional tubing, allowing the player to change pitch chromatically. Invented in the early 19th century, valves transformed brass performance, enabling greater technical facility and expanded repertoire.