Brass Instruments

Brass instruments are also called lip reed instruments, because their sound is produced by the lips of the player vibrating rather than a cane reed. The air columns of brass instruments have flared ends and no side holes. The quality of the sound is determined by the shape and size of the mouthpiece, the angle of the air tube, and the size of the flare at the end of the horn. The pitch is primarily controlled by the speed at which the player's lips vibrate. All the notes in the range of the instrument can not be produced by changes in the lips alone. In order to produce the rest of the pitches, trombones have slides that can be extended to change the pitch. The trumpet has a set of valves that attach to additional tubing. When the valves are pressed additional lengths of tubing are inserted into the airway of the horn to lower the pitch.

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