Brass
In wind instruments, sound is generated due to the vibration of the air flow in the cavity of the musical instrument. It is likely that these musical instruments are among the most ancient, along with percussion. The way the musician blows air out of his mouth, as well as the position of his lips and facial muscles, called the embouchure, affects the pitch and character of the sound of wind instruments. In addition, the sound is regulated by the length of the air column using holes in the body, or additional pipes that increase this column. The more air travels, the lower the sound will be. Distinguish woodwind and brass. However, this classification speaks, rather, not about the material from which the instrument is made, but about the historically established way of playing it. Woodwinds are instruments whose pitch is controlled by holes in the body. The musician closes the holes with his fingers or valves in a certain order, alternating them while playing. Woodwinds can also be metal flutes, and pipes, and even a saxophone, which has never been made of wood at all. In addition, they include flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, as well as ancient shawls, recorders, duduks and zurnas. Brass instruments include those instruments whose sounding height is regulated by additional nozzles, as well as by the musician's embouchure. Brass instruments include horns, trumpets, cornets, trombones, and tubas. In a separate article - all about wind instruments.
Avlos: what is it, the history of a musical instrument, mythology
The ancient Greeks gave the world the highest cultural values. Long before the advent of our era, beautiful poems, odes, and musical works were composed. Even then, the Greeks owned various musical instruments. One of them is Avlos. What is avlos Historical artifacts found during excavations have helped modern scientists get an idea of what the ancient Greek aulos, a wind musical instrument, looked like. It consisted of two flutes. There is evidence that it could be single-tube. Pottery, shards, fragments of vases with images of musicians were found in the former territories of Greece, Asia Minor, and Rome. The tubes were drilled from 3 to 5 holes. The peculiarity…
Alto flute: what is it, composition, sound, application
The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments. Throughout history, its new species have appeared and improved. A popular modern variation is the transverse flute. The transverse includes several other varieties, one of which is called the alto. What is an alto flute The alto flute is a wind musical instrument. Part of the modern flute family. The tool is made of wood. The alto flute is characterized by a long and wide pipe. The valves have a special design. When playing the alto flute, the musician uses more intense breathing than on a regular flute. Theobald Böhm, a German composer, became the inventor and designer of the instrument.…
Alpine horn: what is it, composition, history, use
Many people associate the Swiss Alps with the cleanest air, beautiful landscapes, herds of sheep, shepherds and the sound of the alpengorn. This musical instrument is the national symbol of the country. For centuries, its sound was heard when danger threatened, weddings were celebrated or relatives were seen off on their last journey. Today, the alpine horn is an integral tradition of the summer shepherd’s festival in Leukerbad. What is an alpine horn The Swiss affectionately call this wind musical instrument “horn”, but the diminutive form in relation to it sounds strange. The horn is 5 meters long. Narrow at the base, it widens towards the end, the bell lies…
Viola: description of a wind instrument, composition, history
The voice of this wind musical instrument is constantly hiding behind more significant and significant “brothers”. But in the hands of a real trumpeter, the sounds of the viola turn into an amazing melody, without which it is impossible to imagine jazz compositions or marches of military parades. Description of the tool The modern viola is a representative of brass instruments. Previously, it experienced various design changes, but today in the composition of orchestras one can most often see a wide-scale embouchure copper altohorn with a tube bent in the form of an oval and an expanding diameter of the bell. Since the invention, the shape of the tube has…
English horn: what is it, composition, sound, application
The melodiousness, reminiscent of shepherd’s tunes, is characteristic of the English horn woodwind instrument, the origin of which is still associated with many mysteries. In the symphony orchestra, his participation is small. But it is through the sound of this musical instrument that composers achieve bright colors, romantic accents, and beautiful variations. What is an English horn This wind instrument is an improved version of the oboe. The English horn reminds of its famous relative with a completely identical fingering. The main differences are the larger size and sound. The elongated body allows the alto oboe to sound a fifth lower. The sound is soft, thick with a full timbre.…
Bansuri: description, composition, sound, history, how to play
Indian classical music was born in ancient times. Bansuri is the oldest wind musical instrument that has survived the evolution and has firmly entered the culture of the people. Its sound is associated with shepherdesses who spent hours playing melodic trills in the bosom of nature. It is also called the divine flute of Krishna. Description of the tool Bansuri or bansuli combines a number of wooden flutes of different lengths, differing in the diameter of the inner hole. They can be longitudinal or whistling, but most often peppered bansuri are used in concert performance. There are several holes on the body – usually six or seven. With their help,…
Baritone saxophone: description, history, composition, sound
Saxophones have been known for over 150 years. Their relevance has not disappeared with time: today they are still in demand in the world. Jazz and blues cannot do without the saxophone, which symbolizes this music, but it is also found in other directions. This article will focus on the baritone saxophone, which is used in various musical genres, but is most popular in the jazz genre. Description of the musical instrument Baritone saxophone has a very low sound, large size. It belongs to the reed wind musical instruments and has a system that is lower by an octave than that of the alto saxophone. The sound range is 2,5…
Shofar: what is it, composition, history when blowing a shofar
Since ancient times, Jewish music has been closely associated with divine services. For more than three thousand years, the blowing of the shofar has been heard over the lands of Israel. What is the value of a musical instrument and what ancient traditions are associated with it? What is a shofar The shofar is a wind musical instrument that has its roots deep in the pre-Jewish era. It is considered an integral part of the national symbols of Israel and the land where the Jew has set foot. Not a single holiday significant for Jewish culture passes without it. Tool device The horn of an artiodactyl animal sacrificed is used…
Euphonium: description of the instrument, composition, history, application
In the saxhorn family, the euphonium occupies a special place, is popular and has the right to solo sound. Like the cello in string orchestras, he is assigned tenor parts in military and wind instruments. Jazzmen also fell in love with the brass wind instrument, and it is also used in symphonic musical groups. Description of the tool The modern euphonium is a semi-conical bell with a curved oval tube. It is equipped with three piston valves. Some models have another quarter valve, which is installed on the floor of the left hand or under the little finger of the right hand. This addition appeared to improve passage transitions, make…
Sheng: instrument description, composition, history, sound
The musical instrument sheng is considered by musicologists to be the progenitor of the harmonium and the accordion. He is not as famous and popular in the world as his “promoted relatives”, but he is also worthy of attention, especially for musicians who are fond of folk art. Description of the tool Chinese mouth organ – this is also called this wind instrument from the Middle Kingdom, is a device that vaguely resembles a multi-barreled space blaster from science fiction films. In fact, it is of quite earthly origin, initially the Chinese made instrument bodies from gourds, and pipes of different lengths were made of bamboo, they are similar to…
