What is a brass quintet?

What is a brass quintet? – A brass quintet is made up of five performers playing four instruments from the brass section of an orchestra. Though the instrumentation can differ, the most common formation is two trumpets, one French horn, one trombone and one tuba. A brass quintet, though small, can cover many musical styles, including classical and jazz.

Trumpet – A trumpet is made of brass tubing, and has a detachable bell-shaped metal mouthpiece. The instrument is reported to have come from Egypt, where it was mainly used in the military. At the time, the trumpet had a bugle form, without the three valves seen on modern instruments. Also unlike modern trumpets, the instrument was a long, straight piece of brass tubing instead of today’s compact, bent version. Trumpeters who traveled with the military worked out tunes that signaled orders to the troops. In medieval times, trumpet players were a select group, often members of very respected guilds. They also became highly guarded members of the infantry since they continued to supply orders to the rest of the army. In the early 1800’s, the trumpet took a more prominent role in musical applications. Much of this transition was due to the addition of valves, which gave the instrument greater range. Since that time, the trumpet has proven to be adept at many musical styles, with the instrument appearing in classical, jazz, blues, pop, ska and funk bands.

Trombone – The trombone is a tenor counterpart to the trumpet. Like the trumpet, it has a detachable bell-shaped mouthpiece, a flared bell at the end, and numerous bends in its brass body. The big difference, though, is how notes are sounded. While trumpets use valves to help sound notes, trombones use a telescopic slide. The modern trombone is a descendant of the English sackbut, and they share the curved construction and slide mechanism. The instruments were common in church music in Europe, with Wolfgang Mozart and Joseph Haydn featuring them predominantly in their sacred works. The trombone was also a popular solo instrument. After Ludwig von Beethoven’s extensive use of the instrument in his fifth and sixth symphonies, the trombone became a permanent addition to orchestras in the 1800’s. The trombone is still a member of the modern orchestra, though it is also featured in jazz, swing, salsa and ska music.

Tuba – The tuba is the largest member of the brass family, and it also has the lowest register. It serves as the bass instrument for the brass section in an orchestra. The instrument is a descendant of the serpent, a large wood covered with black leather. The serpent was shaped like a snake, with six finger holes that could be used to sound different notes. With the creation of valves in the early 1800s, the brass tuba was patented in Germany in 1835 to round out the brass section in orchestras. Tubas have a bell-shaped removable mouthpiece like the trumpet and trombone. The number of valves ranges from three to six depending on the tuba. Three valve tubas are usually used by beginners, with advanced players preferring five or six. Like the trumpet and trombone, the tuba has migrated from its original orchestra setting to become a jazz mainstay.

French Horn – Early horns, like early trumpets, were simply pieces of brass tubing. Unlike early trumpets, horns were often wound a few times into a coiled form, giving them a shape that is similar to modern forms. These horns evolved from hunting horns, which were used while the hunter was riding on a horse. As the horn evolved and gained the interest of composers, different lengths of curved brass, called crooks, were developed. The crooks were interchangable, and replacing a shorter crook with a longer one allowed the horn to sound lower notes. In 1815, a new kind of horn was developed that had differing crooks built in. These crooks were accessed via valves, which allowed horn players to sound notes much easier. The addition of valves allowed horn crafters to combine two horns into one. With two sides of coiled winding, the horn was able to hit the notes of both a low horn and a high horn. A valve triggered by the thumb accesses the longer side of the winding, allowing the horn to hit lower notes. These additions made the horn, now called a “double horn,” a true melodic instrument, thus more viable to be used in orchestras. The double horn is mainly used in classical pieces.

Sources: www.wikipedia.org
www.hypermusic.ca

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