Brass Section

The modern trumpet developed from the natural trumpet which was an instrument with a very limited range as it had no valves or keys and could only play high notes.

The natural trumpet was extremely difficult to play and in the eighteenth century instrument makers began to try to find a solution to this problem. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century however that Stölzel and Blühmel produced the first valve trumpet. The addition of valves made the trumpet both easier to play and increased its range.

The trombone generally found in orchestras today is the slide tenor trombone although in the twentieth century a three-valve trombone was successfully developed. There are usually three or four trombones in a symphony orchestra.

The horn has been found throughout history and was originally used as a signal both when hunting and in battle. The earliest horns were made of animal horn but in the fourteenth century instrument makers began to use metal instead. The orchestral or French horn was developed in the seventeenth century.

The tuba is the largest member of the brass family commonly found in the orchestra. For a large instrument it is surprisingly versatile

In the Romantic period the brass section quite often included four horns, four trumpets, four trombones and one tuba. Wagner sometimes used what is known as the Wagner Tuba in his music. It is more like an orchestral horn than a tuba and is made in two sizes - tenor and bass. It was developed to Wagner’s specification and is still used in The Ring Cycle of operas along with a bass tuba.