Hi Everyone, so a quick update about this series. When I made these videos I used a Pitch-Octave notation other than SPN (Scientific Pitch Notation, which is standard). The system I worked with has C4 as middle C, and resets octaves every "A" instead of every "C". I apologize if this is confusing. My orchestration video on transposing explains the system in greater detail. Other than this, the information is accurate and should be helpful! I'll be releasing an updated series on orchestration soon with more information (and that actually uses SPN). Thank you for your understanding and support! I'm grateful to have such a great community surrounding this youtube channel!
SUMMARY: The Brass Section -usually consists of 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 tenor trombones, 1 tuba -less homogenous than strings -horn (half brass, half wood wind) -known for commanding presence and power Brass instruments have: -metal tubing -Traditionally metal mouthpiece -valves and/or slides -lip pressure and valves/slides change pitch -dont typically use all available partials -lip pressure is important Three rules of brass 1. Higher pitch is louder - remember when doubling instruments 2. Volume impacts tone color - lower volumes sound intimate, louder volumes are more powerful and projecting 3. Higher/louder is more expensive - brass players have limited stamina, louder sounds will make them tired, give them a break after taxing passages Horn -versatile, bridge beteeen woodwind and brass -transposing instrument (perfect 5th lower than writter) -B2 to F5, F3 to C5 is best for melodies, anything is lower, higher is exhausting Trumpet -soprano of the brass -C trumpet (non transposing) Bb trumpets (transposing) -F#3-C6 (realistic range) Tenor Trombone -closely related to the trumpet -non transposing -E2-Bb5 -can do melody, just maintain it in the foreground Bass Trombone -Bb2 to D4 - usually doubles with or replaces tuba Tuba -Bb1 to D4 -Lowest brass instrument -Provides bass line
i made a comment on instagram, someone replied "brass player logic". i'm barely a keyboard player and i don't know what i'm doing so i'm here to figure out what the person was talking about. the brass section is what calls to me the most, it just makes sense, so i'll study it. interesting epiphany!
You make great content. Very good structured and clear. Already watched the video about the Ghibli Chords. I like that you start from the beginning and not somewhere in the middle from where its hard to follow for beginners. Hope to you see your channel blow up soon :D Good Luck and thanks!
Brass player here. It's possible to play high notes very quiet. Higher notes demand more air pressure while more volume demands more air flow. Amateur and young players struggle with this as both volume and pressure usually come together and it's hard to dissociate both concepts. That's why not every brass player will achieve high notes quietly unless they are experienced. The point I want to make here is that air pressure and air flow are not the same thing and a good brass player needs to know how to master each of them individually
I see everywhere online a lot of disagreement regarding the range of brass instruments. The tuba in other sources I found is said to go down only to D1, all the way up to Bb5. That's just a huge difference. I get that the range of the instrument depends on the performer's skill, but isn't there an agreed upon standardised range?
Hey thanks for the video - outstandingly helpful! But a clarification for the normal range of a tenor trombone - unless I'm mistaken, but according to Samuel Adler's "The study of orchestration" (and the BBC SO plugin from Spitfire Audio at least) the tenor trombone can reach up to a Bb4 (Bb above middle C) not a Bb5 as quoted in your video. Have I misunderstood something? Again, thanks for the great content
Thank you! Good question, technically they're both names for the same note, I just didn't use scientific pitch notation for these videos. The system I used resets numbers at "A" and not "C". It's something I want to re-address in my next series :)
@@TableTopComposer Oh I see! That explains the same discrepancy I found in your other videos. Thanks for the reply. I've got tons of courses and your content smashes a lot of it out of the park. Keep it going!
It's a considerable difference. In the same volume, with just one breath you could be more than double the time playing on a higher note than on a pedal note
Hi Everyone, so a quick update about this series. When I made these videos I used a Pitch-Octave notation other than SPN (Scientific Pitch Notation, which is standard). The system I worked with has C4 as middle C, and resets octaves every "A" instead of every "C". I apologize if this is confusing. My orchestration video on transposing explains the system in greater detail. Other than this, the information is accurate and should be helpful! I'll be releasing an updated series on orchestration soon with more information (and that actually uses SPN). Thank you for your understanding and support! I'm grateful to have such a great community surrounding this youtube channel!
SUMMARY: The Brass Section
-usually consists of 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 tenor trombones, 1 tuba
-less homogenous than strings
-horn (half brass, half wood wind)
-known for commanding presence and power
Brass instruments have:
-metal tubing
-Traditionally metal mouthpiece
-valves and/or slides
-lip pressure and valves/slides change pitch
-dont typically use all available partials
-lip pressure is important
Three rules of brass
1. Higher pitch is louder - remember when doubling instruments
2. Volume impacts tone color - lower volumes sound intimate, louder volumes are more powerful and projecting
3. Higher/louder is more expensive - brass players have limited stamina, louder sounds will make them tired, give them a break after taxing passages
Horn
-versatile, bridge beteeen woodwind and brass
-transposing instrument (perfect 5th lower than writter)
-B2 to F5, F3 to C5 is best for melodies, anything is lower, higher is exhausting
Trumpet
-soprano of the brass
-C trumpet (non transposing) Bb trumpets (transposing)
-F#3-C6 (realistic range)
Tenor Trombone
-closely related to the trumpet
-non transposing
-E2-Bb5
-can do melody, just maintain it in the foreground
Bass Trombone
-Bb2 to D4
- usually doubles with or replaces tuba
Tuba
-Bb1 to D4
-Lowest brass instrument
-Provides bass line
i made a comment on instagram, someone replied "brass player logic". i'm barely a keyboard player and i don't know what i'm doing so i'm here to figure out what the person was talking about. the brass section is what calls to me the most, it just makes sense, so i'll study it. interesting epiphany!
Super. Thnxx ❤
You make great content. Very good structured and clear. Already watched the video about the Ghibli Chords. I like that you start from the beginning and not somewhere in the middle from where its hard to follow for beginners. Hope to you see your channel blow up soon :D Good Luck and thanks!
Brass player here. It's possible to play high notes very quiet. Higher notes demand more air pressure while more volume demands more air flow. Amateur and young players struggle with this as both volume and pressure usually come together and it's hard to dissociate both concepts. That's why not every brass player will achieve high notes quietly unless they are experienced. The point I want to make here is that air pressure and air flow are not the same thing and a good brass player needs to know how to master each of them individually
I see everywhere online a lot of disagreement regarding the range of brass instruments. The tuba in other sources I found is said to go down only to D1, all the way up to Bb5. That's just a huge difference. I get that the range of the instrument depends on the performer's skill, but isn't there an agreed upon standardised range?
Hey thanks for the video - outstandingly helpful! But a clarification for the normal range of a tenor trombone - unless I'm mistaken, but according to Samuel Adler's "The study of orchestration" (and the BBC SO plugin from Spitfire Audio at least) the tenor trombone can reach up to a Bb4 (Bb above middle C) not a Bb5 as quoted in your video. Have I misunderstood something? Again, thanks for the great content
Thank you! Good question, technically they're both names for the same note, I just didn't use scientific pitch notation for these videos. The system I used resets numbers at "A" and not "C". It's something I want to re-address in my next series :)
@@TableTopComposer Oh I see! That explains the same discrepancy I found in your other videos. Thanks for the reply. I've got tons of courses and your content smashes a lot of it out of the park. Keep it going!
@@totalmusicfreedom thank you! And I appreciate the email you sent me :)
In one's DAW, when writing for a horn, does one play/write the note one hears/gets played, or the P5 higher? I'm assuming in a DAW its the former.
How much impact does the requirement for increased air pressure have on the length of time that higher notes can be sustained for?
It's a considerable difference. In the same volume, with just one breath you could be more than double the time playing on a higher note than on a pedal note