1. December 7, 2004 4th Grade General Music Mandy Kibler
The Brass Family
December 7, 2004
4th Grade General Music
Mandy Kibler

2. Groups of Instruments
Brass
Woodwinds
Strings
Percussion

3. The Brass Family
These instruments are usually made out of brass, although they can be made out of wood, horn, and shell
Brass instruments are really just long metal tubes that flare at the end; they are bent and folded into compact shapes so they can be played more easily
Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba

4. What Brass Instruments Have in Common
All brass instruments have a mouthpiece that you blow air, or “buzz,” into
They all have flared bells at the end that project the sound
The trumpet, french horn, euphonium, and tuba use valves to change pitch, but the trombone uses a slide

5. Trumpet
The trumpet can be traced back to Egypt and Greece, but the trumpet as we know it today evolved in the 1800s
Its loud, clear sound has been used to send signals and messages
The trumpet is the highest-sounding instrument in the brass family

6. Trumpet Important Parts of the Trumpet:
To change the pitch, you press the valves
Until valves were added to the trumpet in the 1800s, trumpet players could only change pitch by varying the shape of the lips on the mouthpiece; valves make it so much easier!
Important Parts of
the Trumpet:

7. French Horn
The very first french horns were made from the horns of animals
The french horn has a sound that can be heard from a far distance, and they were first used for hunting calls
The horn has the biggest range of all the brass instruments
The horn has a slightly lower sound than the trumpet and slightly higher than the trombone

8. Important Parts of the Horn:
French Horn
The horn is wound in a circle and flares out with a large bell
The valves and extra tubing are in the center of the horn
The left hand works the valves, and the right hand goes inside the bell
Important Parts of the Horn:

9. Trombone
Trombones were invented around 1400, as an improvement on the trumpet; back then, trumpets didn’t have valves, so a slide was a big improvement
The trombone forms the middle of the brass family
Its sound is between the trumpet and horns on top, and the low tubas below

10. Important Parts of the Trombone:
Instead of having valves like a trumpet or horn, the trombone uses a slide, which is about 2 feet long
To change the pitch, you push or pull on the slide
You can play one pitch at a time, or you can slowly change pitch by blowing as you move the slide
Important Parts of the Trombone:

11. Euphonium The euphonium was invented in 1843
The euphonium has the same range as the trombone
While the rest of the brass instruments are used in the orchestra, there are only around 20 pieces that include the euphonium

12. Important Parts of the Euphonium:
1) Mouthpiece
2) Main tube
3) Bell
6) 1st, 2nd, 3rd valves
15) 4th valve
8) Main tuning slide
10) 1st valve slide
11) 2nd valve slide
9) 3rd valve slide

13. Tuba The tuba is the largest member of the brass family
It has the lowest sound
The tuba is also the youngest brass instrument; it was first used in military bands
The tuba is very important because it keeps the band or orchestra together with its bass line

14. Tuba The tuba has a very wide range and can, in fact, play very fast
Like the trumpet, horn, and euphonium, the tuba uses valves to change pitch
Important Parts of
the Tuba

15. It’s Quiz Time!!
Name this instrument:
Name this instrument:

16. References