06 January 2010

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THIS PAGE IS DESIGNED TO GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT BRASS BANDS MUSIC AND TRADITIONS.

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Brass banding is a truly British phenomena which is has it's roots in the working class. It is unique in it's principally amateur status and remains a home for amateur music makers the length and breadth of the country.
 

The brass band movement has it roots in the industrial revolution at the turn of the nineteenth century. Brass bands flourished in any town of city where there was organised industry, and not just in the North of England as is commonly believed. The bands usually formed away from the big conurbations at the heart of many industrial cities but tended towards the surrounding villages. In these villages there was less in the way of entertainment than in the cities. Therefore a small, close knit community of about a thousand could easily form a large band.

But firstly, why brass bands? The first bands that came into existence around 1815, and were principally brass and wind bands, more akin to our modern day military bands. The most important development for all brass bands was the invention of the valve for brass instruments in 1815. Once applied to the cornet, it enabled the brass to have what would become a leading melody instrument in the ensemble. Second in importance was the invention of the saxhorn family by the renowned instrument maker, Adolphe Sax, in the 1840's. The saxhorn family gave the brass a complete set of instruments from the highest treble to the deepest bass. An instrument that satisfyingly supplied the bass to the ensemble was always a problem, the ophicleide was too weak and hadn't the deep lower notes needed. The primitive tubas used in orchestras at the time were still to weak to support an ensemble. The answer came with the lowest member of the saxhorn family, the BB flat bass, which is now so closely related to the tuba that had become synonymous with it. So with these two developments, the brass had a choir which was homogenous in tone, and so the wind gradually fell out of use in the band.

The music they played were almost exclusively arrangements of classical works of the day, usually opera or symphony related, and published accordingly. The publishing companies themselves were very successful at the height of the brass banding's popularity, although original compositions for band didn't come 'in vogue' till early in the twentieth century.

Bands were usually formed as the result of a large group of people having common interests and needs coming together. The obvious place is the work place. Bands were formed in two ways, either the bands which were self-initiated by the workers themselves or those which were given help by their employers. Those that started off without any help were usually supported by the whole community, by means of subscriptions from fellow work members and people from higher up the social ladder alike. The ones with company sponsorship, or rarely, private patronage were usually the more successful due to the higher money they would have. The more money a band had, the more attractive it became to players, in return bands could 'poach' players from rival bands by promises of new instruments and the like.

Bandsmen were often trained and conducted by someone with a 'proper' musical backing. Many did it for a wage that could only be described as expenses, some even less. The conductor and bandmaster were responsible for the organisation of the band as a musical force. Only later did subsidiary positions such as secretary, treasurer and the like come into force. These positions would normally be filled by band members.

The bands attained some of their prestige from concerts and more importantly contests. The concerts were usually in public halls to local people. Only bands of some note or fame could fill concert venues in other towns. The contests, though, provided a great avenue for the players to compete against bands not only in their town or city, but nation-wide. Around the turn of the century contests would have audiences of seventy to eighty thousand people in venues such as Belle Vue, Manchester. The contest material would be either own choice or a set piece. They would usually be selections of composers famous works, overtures or opera compilations. In this way, bands of all standards had something to aim for, whether it be to impress at local concert halls or national contests in front of mass audiences.

The traditional British brass band consists roughly of 27 players, who play three basic types of instrument - a valved metal wind instrument, the trombone and percussion.

The traditional line up in a Brass Band is as follows:-

One of the beauties of playing in a brass band is that most of the instruments operate in exactly the same way and so there is scope for moving around from one instrument to another as a person's physique changes or as a way of achieving variety in one's musical satisfaction.
 

The linking factor between all the traditional brass instruments (excluding trombones) is that they have 3 (or occasionally 4) valves and that the same combination of valves produce the same written note on each instrument. This is not to say that each instrument produces the same physical note in response to a given valve combination but that the combination of the instrument's tuning and the key in which the music is written for any one part allows the player to use the same valve combination for an 'A' on both the cornet and the Eb Bass. Obviously this simplifies teaching and the transfer from one instrument to another, indeed, many players will happily change instruments at short notice to fill gaps in the band.

is made from a conical bored brass tube about 4.5 feet long and is tuned in the key of Bb. That is, when the note written as C for piano is played it sounds as the Bb below (1 tone down).

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B♭. It is not related to the medieval cornett or cornetto.

History

The cornet was originally derived from the post horn.

This instrument could not have been developed without the improvement of piston valves by Heinrich Stölzel and Friedrich Blühmel. In the early 19th century, these two instrument makers almost simultaneously invented the modern valves, as still used today. They jointly applied for a patent and were granted this for a period of ten years. The first notable virtuoso player was Jean Baptiste Arban, who studied the cornet extensively and published La grande méthode complète de cornet à piston et de saxhorn, commonly referred to as the Arban method, in 1864. Up until the early 20th century, the trumpet and cornet coexisted in musical ensembles. In symphonic repertoire one will often find separate parts for both trumpet and cornet. As several instrument builders made improvements to both instruments, they started to look and sound more alike. The modern day cornet is used in brass bands, concert bands, and in specific symphonic repertoire that requires a more mellow sound.

The name cornet is derived from corne, meaning horn, itself from Latin cornus.^{[citation needed]} The instrument was once sometimes referred to as a cornopean, referencing the earliest cornets with the Stölzel valve system.

Relationship to trumpet

The cornet was invented by adding valves to the post horn in 1814. The valves allowed for melodic playing throughout the register of the cornet. Trumpets were slower to adopt the new valve technology, so for the next 100 years or more, composers often wrote separate parts for trumpet and cornet. The trumpet would play fanfare-like passages, while the cornet played more melodic passages. The modern trumpet has valves that allow it to play the same notes and fingerings as the cornet.

Cornets and trumpets made in a given key (usually the key of B♭) play at the same pitch, and the technique for playing the instruments is nearly identical. However, cornets and trumpets are not entirely interchangeable, as they differ in timbre. Also available, but usually seen only in the brass band, is an E♭ soprano model, pitched a fourth above the standard B♭. There is usually only one E♭ cornet in a band, adding an extreme high register to the brass band sound. It can be effective in cutting through even the loudest tutti climax.

Unlike the trumpet, which has a cylindrical bore up until the bell section, the tubing of the cornet has a mostly conical bore, starting very narrow at the mouthpiece and gradually widening towards the bell. The conical bore of the cornet is primarily responsible for its characteristic warm, mellow tone, which can be distinguished from the more penetrating sound of the trumpet. The conical bore of the cornet also makes it more agile than the trumpet when playing fast passages, but correct pitching is often less assured. The cornet is often preferred for young beginners as it is easier to hold, with its centre of gravity much closer to the player.

The cornet in the Webster's Dictionary illustration is a short model traditional cornet, also known as a "Shepherd's crook" shaped model. These are most often large–bore instruments with a rich mellow sound. There is also a long-model cornet, usually with a smaller bore and a brighter sound, which is closer to a trumpet in appearance. The Shepherd's Crook model is preferred by cornet traditionalists. The long-model cornet is generally used in concert bands in the United States, but has found little following in British-style brass and concert bands.

Playing/technique

Like the trumpet and all other modern brass wind instruments, the cornet makes a sound when the player vibrates ("buzzes") the lips in the mouthpiece, creating a vibrating column of air in the tubing. The frequency of the air column's vibration can be modified by changing the lip aperture or "embouchure". In addition, the column of air can be lengthened by engaging one or more valves, thus lowering the pitch.

Without valves, the player could only produce a harmonic series of notes like those played by the bugle and other "natural" brass instruments. These notes are far apart for most of the instrument's range, making diatonic and chromatic playing impossible except in the extreme high register. The valves change the length of the vibrating column and provide the cornet with the ability to play chromatically.

Cornet mouthpieces differ from trumpet mouthpieces; they have a shorter shank, and smaller throat to fit the smaller mouthpiece receiver. The cup size of the mouthpiece is often deeper than the trumpet's.

Ensembles with cornets

Brass band (British style)

British style brass band ensembles consist completely of brass instruments (except for the percussion section). The cornet is the leading melodic instrument in this ensemble and trumpets are never used. The ensemble consists of about thirty musicians, including nine B♭ cornets and one E♭ cornet (soprano cornet) in the higher registers.

Concert band

The cornet also features in the British-style concert band, unlike the American concert band or wind band, where it is replaced by the trumpet. This slight difference in instrumentation derives from the British concert band's heritage in military bands, where the highest brass instrument is always the cornet. There are usually four to six B♭ cornets present in a concert band, but no E♭ instrument, as this role is taken by the E♭ clarinet.

Fanfare orkest

Fanfare orkesten ("fanfare orchestras"), only found in the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France, use the complete saxhorn family of instruments. The standard instrumentation includes both the cornet and the trumpet; however, in recent decades, the cornet has largely been replaced by the trumpet.

Jazz ensemble

In old style jazz bands, the cornet was preferred to the trumpet, but from the swing era onwards it has been largely replaced by the trumpet, although it has never passed completely out of use. The cornet is now rarely found in big bands mainly because of its limited volume and less piercing tone in comparison to the trumpet. A growing taste for louder and more aggressive sounding instruments has been the chief cause of this trend, especially since the advent of bebop in the post World War II era.

The legendary jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden played the cornet, and Louis Armstrong, probably the best-known jazz cornetist, started off on the cornet as well, but later switched to the trumpet. Cornetists such as Bubber Miley and Rex Stewart contributed substantially to the Duke Ellington Orchestra's early sound. Other influential jazz cornetists include King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Ruby Braff and Nat Adderley. Notable performances on cornet by players generally associated with the trumpet include Freddie Hubbard's on Empyrean Isles by Herbie Hancock and Don Cherry's on The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman.

Lists of important players

Today's players

These are some influential cornet players in the world today.

• Bobby Bradford, solo jazz recording artist and musical associate of saxophonist Ornette Coleman and clarinetist John Carter.
• Marc Charig, British cornetist and trumpeter, played with Centipede and King Crimson.
• Olu Dara, jazz musician and father of noted rapper Nas.
• Dave Douglas, New York based jazz musician and composer, with a long association with John Zorn's Masada.
• Philip Cobb, solo cornetist of the Hendon Band of the Salvation Army, and Joint Principal Trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra.
• Clifton Hyde, musician in the Blue Man Group.
• Mark Roberts, Parramatta—based traditional style player and Parramatta Salvation Army's YP Band Master.
• Robert Schulz - a cornetist who played with the legendary Turk Murphy before leading his own Frisco Jazz band.
• Bill Taft, American cornetist, lead singer and guitarist, played with Benjamin Smoke in Atlanta's Smoke (band). Has appeared as cornetist on songs by The Indigo Girls and currently fronts eccentric Atlanta band Hubcap City.
• Chris Tyle, traditional/swing jazz and recording artist, leader of the Silver Leaf Jazz Band of New Orleans.
• Warren Vaché, Jr., mainstream jazz and recording artist.
• Gordon Ward, principal cornet of the Salvation Army New York Staff Band.
• James Shepherd was the bridge between the great players of the post-war period and modern superstars. He replaced Maurice Murphy as Principal Cornet of the Black Dyke Band.
• Roger Webster, formerly principal cornet player of Grimethorpe Colliery Band and Black Dyke Band.
• Digby Fairweather, jazz artist and leader of the Digby's Half Dozen, frequent accompanists to Paul Jones and the late George Melly

Important players from the past

• Herbert Lincoln Clarke, one of the finest cornet soloists and band leaders at the turn of the 20th century.
• Don Cherry, Jazz & world music pioneer. Famous for his work with Ornette Coleman. Also a proponent of the pocket trumpet.
• Jean Baptiste Arban, one of the most influential cornet performers and pedagogue.
• Leon Bix Beiderbecke, one of the best known jazz cornet players, he had a huge influence on many future jazz musicians
• Louis Armstrong, arguably the best known cornet player, also a skilled trumpet player and singer, and one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz and American music
• Nat Adderley, jazz artist and brother of the famous alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley
• Buddy Bolden, often considered the father of jazz, but his playing is unrecorded
• W.C. Handy, influential composer and band leader, has been called the "Father of the Blues"
• Joe "King" Oliver, the first important recorded jazz cornetist, he greatly influenced Louis Armstrong, who played in his band
• Red Nichols, and his five pennies
• David B. Dana (1855-1917), lead cornetist in Issler's Orchestra and soloist. Often played fanfares. Solo records usually had fellow musician, pianist Edward Issler, backing him up.

It differs from the trumpet which has a more parallel bore of narrower tubing and which produces a thinner and more strident sound than the mellow cornet. The more obvious difference is that the trumpet is longer and less coiled up than the cornet. In the middle of the cornet are three valves with plungers operated by the first three fingers of the right hand. Each of these valves changes the air path through the instrument and introduces a slightly longer piece of tubing so lowering the tone of the note produced. When the instrument is blown (by blowing a 'raspberry' into the mouthpiece) without any valves pressed, it will produce a series of spaced notes dependent upon the lip pressure used. These will correspond to the written notes C, G, C, E, G, C etc. ascending.
 

• The first valve from the mouthpiece end introduces a length of tubing which lowers the note by one tone - that is, the note blown as C now plays as Bb, G as F etc.
• The second valve lowers the tone one semitone (half a tone) and so this makes C, B natural, G becomes F sharp etc.
• The third valve lowers the note by a tone and a half so making the C sound as A, G as E etc.

Obviously, these notes could also be produces by depressing both the first and second valves together and this allows some flexibility in playing difficult passages. By various combination of these valves the full 13 note octave can be produced as follows:-
 

looks like a large cornet and provides the link between the cornet and horn sections. It is tuned in the key of Bb and has a beautiful mellow tone which is best displayed in the haunting melody solos written typically for this instrument. The flugelhorn is built in the same B-flat pitch as many trumpets and cornets. It usually has three piston valves and employs the same fingering system as other brass instruments. Four valve and rotary valve variants also exist. It can thus be played without too much trouble by trumpet and cornet players, though some adaptation may be needed to their playing style. It is usually played with a more deeply conical mouthpiece than either trumpets or cornets (though not as conical as that on a horn).

is the smallest of the tuba-like instruments in that its bell points upwards when played instead if forward like a cornet. It is tuned in the key of Eb and provides the musical filling between the melody and counter melody in many pieces. It is also sometimes used as a solo instrument although, as it is somewhat lacking in power, these tend to be romantic reflective pieces where its mellow sound is supported by quiet chording from the rest of the band. Known in the U.S. as alto horn, in Germany as althorn, and in the UK as tenor horn, this brass instrument pitched in Eb has a conical bore (gradually widening), and normally uses a deep, cornet-like mouthpiece. It is most commonly used in marching bands, brass bands and similar ensembles, whereas the horn tends to take the corresponding parts in symphonic groupings and classical brass ensembles. In the U.S. and Germany the name tenor horn is identical to baritone horn. To avoid confusion, the instrument is also occasionally referred to as Eb horn.

is slightly larger than the tenor horn, is tuned in the key of Bb, and again mainly provides the filling or rhythmical parts of the music. The Baritone Horn, or simply Baritone, is a tenor Saxhorn in Bb in the UK the baritone is found almost exclusively in brass bands. The baritone horn is also a common instrument in high school and college bands, as older baritones are often in the inventory of middle schools and high schools. However, these are generally being replaced by intermediate level Euphoniums.
 

is the second principal solo instrument of the band. Larger again than the Baritone it is also tuned in Bb and is sometimes provided with a fourth valve which duplicates the action of pressing valves 1+3 down but using an additional length of tubing such as to give exact tuning in the lower registers. This instrument is always on the go. Its parts often double up the cornet melodies in a lower register whilst also providing the 'twiddly bit' infill whilst the cornets are resting. At other times the Euphonium plays a counter melody or helps out the Bass section. The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word Euphonium,, meaning "beautiful-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ("eu" means "well" (understood as "good") and "phonium" means "voice"). The euphonium is a valved instrument, and nearly all models are piston valved, though rotary valved models do exist. A person who plays euphonium is sometimes called a euphoniumist or a euphonist. British euphonium players often colloquially refer to themselves as euphist's. Similarly, the instrument itself is sometimes referred to as "euph"

are really the 'odd ones out' in the band. These instruments, of course use a slide for tuning the different notes rather than valves and it is for this reason - that they are not constrained to whole notes - that they are included. Their strident glissandos are characteristic of many marches and colourful pieces. The Bass Trombone is normally tuned in the key of F and provides a link with the Bass section. The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. A lip-reed aerophone with a predominantly cylindrical bore, the trombone is usually characterised by a telescopic slide with which the player varies the length of the tube to change pitches. A person who plays the trombone is referred to as a trombonist.
The word trombone derives from Italian tromba (trumpet) - and -one (a suffix meaning large). Thus, quite literally, a trombone is a "large trumpet". The trombone is often referred to by its name in other languages, e.g. Posaune, Pasuuna, Puzon, Basun. The most frequently encountered trombones are the tenor and bass counterparts of the trumpet.

are the large Tubas with which everyone is familiar. They come in two varieties, Eb and BBb (double B flat) which are large and 'good God, do you expect me to lift that?' respectively. They generally provide the background 'oompah' of the bass beat but also occasionally have quite moving passages in the low register. They are not recommended to persons with small faces as they may fall into the mouthpiece and disappear. The tuba is the largest of the low-brass instruments and is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide.

section normally has two or more players, one playing a normal drum kit of Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Tom Toms, High Hat, and Crash and Ride Cymbals whilst the other plays Kettle Drums (Timpani), Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Tubular Bells etc. A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is mostly a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged for convenient playing by a drummer, usually for Blues, jazz, rock, or other types of contemporary music. The drum set drummer is the only musician who regularly plays multiple instruments at once. The drummer uses drum sticks to strike the drum skin and to create a vibration. Bass drum pedals are used for the bass drum. The hi-hat is usually controlled also by a pedal, connected via a stand. The Glockenspiel (German, "play of bells", also known as orchestra bells and, in its portable form, bell lyra or bell lyre) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It is similar to the xylophone, in that it has tuned bars laid out in a fashion resembling a piano keyboard. The xylophone's bars are wooden, while the glockenspiel's are metal, thus making it a metallophone.

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