Brass

A note on brass instruments:

All brass instruments have the use of various mutes – which are devices inserted into the bell
of the instrument in order to change the sound. A variety of mutes are used, and vary between
instruments. The use of a mute can be spelled out (i.e. ‘cup mute’), as commonly done in jazz.
In classical music, use of a mute is denoted by con sordini, and the removal of it as senza sordini.

The Trumpet Family

The Trumpet
The trumpet is the highest pitched, and often the most recognisable of the brass instruments. It
is pitched in Bb, and sounds a tone lower than written. Its comfortable range is from F# below
middle C to the C two octaves above middle C (written). The top end of this range varies widely,
and is dependent on the skill of the player. Trumpeters renowned for achieving high notes (see
Dizzie Gillespie18 and Manyard Ferguson19) have pushed this range to a written top A and
beyond.

Trumpet players, particularly in jazz, can create a similar effect to the mute simply by placing
their hand over the bell of the instrument. Using this technique, characteristic ‘waa-waa’ sounds
can be produced.

The trumpet became a standard orchestral instrument in the classical era, but was used
extensively prior to this. Four trumpets are standard in big band scoring, and trumpets are
standard in all forms of wind bands, especially dedicated brass bands. Along with saxophones,
the most often seen auxiliary instruments in popular and rock music.

The Cornet
The cornet differs from the trumpet only in its construction, and is played in exactly the same
way. The cornet has a narrower bore and more bends in the pipework, giving a brighter, more
piercing sound.

The cornet’s most common use is as the lead instrument in brass bands, but can occasionally be
found in orchestral and jazz works.

The Flugelhorn
The flugelhorn (or simply, the flugel), is played in the same way as the trumpet and cornet, but
with a wider bore and fewer twists in the pipework, leading to a richer, more mellow sound.

The flugel’s use is often limited to brass bands, but has some orchestral use, and some big band
trumpeters will double on the flugelhorn. A popular example comes from the film Brassed Off20.

The Piccolo Trumpet

The piccolo trumpet is pitched an octave above the trumpet, and sounds a minor seventh above
its notated pitch. Its tubing is half the length of the traditional trumpet (leading to double

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