Brass

The brass are the flashy ones who sit at the back of the orchestra, one minute cool and smooth, the next flashy and strident. They provide the colour in the loudest sections and add drama and tension to a performance. The brass, whose origins go back to the dawn of human history, are also immensely versatile and they are still at the forefront of modern popular music.

Q. "How do you play a brass instrument?"

A. "Just blow a raspberry"!

After lots of practice, this will become a very refined raspberry known as a "buzz" and that's almost all there is to it! Most are relatively simple to start on, although the French Horn can prove challenging but gives among the greatest rewards. The brass can play as a family and have plenty of chamber music opportunities; then there is the world of the brass band. Go to Venice and you will hear ancient brass canzonas ringing around St. Mark's, and at any rock concert they will provide the punchy chords and riffs. Although you can start at an early age, this is not essential (unlike the violin) and the range of sizes mean that there is an instrument to suit everyone.

Trumpet

The TRUMPET is a flashy instrument. It provides fanfares and strength in the orchestra and is definitely for extroverts! The cornet is the brass band equivalent with a more mellow tone but equal versatility. Whether you wish to play Renaissance, orchestral, brass band, wind band, jazz or rock music, the trumpet will give you a chance to show off!

French Horn

The FRENCH HORN is the sophisticated member of the brass family, indeed possibly the most glamorous of all instruments. Not only does it sound good, but it looks spectacular (horn players seem to spend much of their time twirling the instrument around to try to get rid of excess water). The sound is noble and can be forceful and exciting. This can be a difficult instrument to master, requiring an excellent ear, great precision and nerves of steel. To sum up, if you are a musician and you don't play the horn, you'll probably wish you did!

Trombone

The TROMBONE , known as "the king of instruments", makes a truly noble sound and is possibly the most versatile instrument of all. Its slide gives it a human quality of sound and some jazz players can really make their "bones" sound like they are singing. The trombone is a relatively straightforward instrument to learn for those with a musical ear. It is one of the earliest instruments to survive to the present day in almost unchanged form, consequently there is a vast range of music available from medieval and Renaissance to orchestral, rock and jazz. Not for the shy and retiring, an extrovert nature will help you make the most of this glorious sounding instrument.

Euphonium

The EUPHONIUM is a very expressive and smooth sounding instrument which is really most at home in wind and brass bands, although there are occasional solos in orchestral music. It is really a small tuba but has very lyrical qualities. It is quite an easy instrument on which to produce a sound, and is often used as a spectacular solo instrument in the brass bands world. The euphonium is an essential instrument in the wind band where it is used for its rich mellifluous tone which can overpower a whole battery of woodwind. There is little chamber music for euphonium and it has never sat easily in jazz and rock groups, but many euphonium players also "double" on trombone which opens up many other avenues.

The BARITONE, although slightly smaller than the euphonium, is very similar and can be a more sensible choice for the young beginner.

The TENOR HORN is also a closely-related smaller version. Although limited in that it is only really at home in the brass band, the tenor horn is in many ways the ideal brass instrument for youngsters as the player can eventually move "sideways" to French horn, "down" to euphonium, trombone or tuba, or "up" to trumpet or cornet. No brass band is complete without the unique color provided by the tenor horns.

Tuba

The TUBA doesn't get many tunes but is in many ways the most important instrument in a wind or brass band. Without its resonant depth and strength the whole band will sound weak. The tuba has excellent parts to play in brass ensembles and also plays in the orchestra for large scale works. There is a challenging and growing body of excellent solo material to entice the advancing tuba player. If you want to be important without being flashy, play the tuba!

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