Week 2: Brass
The powerhouse of the orchestra.
An instrument family made of metal, the brass section can achieve great volume, intensity, and punch. In addition, members of the brass family can support the strings and woodwinds in many types of musical settings with a rich and dark tone that adds depth and warmth to the sound of the orchestra. The brass section often plays together to create an exciting and intense sound. You may already be familiar with the sound of the brass section from pop culture, like the movie Star Wars shown below, with music composed by John Williams.
Trumpet
The soprano of the brass section, the trumpet often carries the melody in ensemble work and can provide a useful voice as a soloist. The melody below is 4 trumpets playing in unison from the opening of Fanfare for the Common Man, composed by Aaron Copland in 1942.
French Horn
The alto of the brass section, the French horn has a warm and mellow tone. It is often used for beautiful and regal melodies. An example you may have heard from pop culture comes again from John Williams' score to Superman.
The excerpt below from Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony features a horn solo at about 1:15''.
Trombone
The tenor of the brass section, the trombone most often plays harmony parts to support the trumpets, but still has an opportunity to play solos. It can sound very powerful and loud with a brassy and harsh quality in it's very bottom range. The trombone's most unique characteristic is its slide, which allows it to bend in and out of notes very fluidly.
Below is an excerpt from Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 (1896).
Below is an excerpt from Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 (1896).
Tuba
This tuba is the bass instrument of the brass section and provides depth, warmth, and richness to the sound of the orchestra. Below you will hear it in a solo context. Notice how much richer and deeper the tone is than the trombone is in the same range.