The modern trumpet belongs to a family of metal instruments that we call brass instruments. The other main members of the family are the tuba, the trombone and the French horn. When these instruments play together in an orchestra, we call them the brass section.

The tuba

The French composer Maurice Ravel decided to arrange a piece of music, for an orchestra. One of the `pictures’ was of an ox cart lumbering along a muddy lane. He chose a tuba to represent the sound of the ox cart.

Lengthy tubing

A large instrument the tuba is. Normally, tubas play the lowest notes of all the brass instruments in the orchestra. So you can imagine how much tubing it has — at least 3.75 metres! In the early 1900s, an enormous tuba was built in America. The length of its tubing was 10.36 metres! It was so large, a person could disappear inside the bell. Tubas have the same valve system as trumpets.

The trombone

A long time ago, the trombone was called the sackbut. It was named after an old French word `saqueboute’ meaning ‘pull-push’. Instead of having valves to change the length of the tube, like other brass instruments, trombones have a moving length of tubing called a slide. As you play the trombone, your arm

Does a `push-pull’ action to move the slide in and out, making the passage of air longer and changing the pitch of the note you play.

The French horn

Even though it is a smaller instrument, the French horn has about the same length of tubing as a tuba. The tubing is curled in a tight circle. You can make an instrument similar to the French horn. You need about 4 metres of rubber hose, with a plastic funnel. Use a brass instrument mouthpiece to blow into. Curl the hose around and tuck it under your arm to play it. Remember to tighten or slacken your lips as you blow.

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dodoBrass, Trumpet5 Nov, 2008