How Do Brass Instruments Make Sound?
Sound is produced when an object vibrates and creates waves in the air. Instruments are classified by how they create those vibrations. Brass instruments, for example, have their own unique way of producing sound.BuzzingBrass players do more than just blow into their instruments. To produce sound they “buzz” into a brass mouthpiece by pressing their lips together as though saying “mmm” and keeping the corners of the mouth tight. Air is pushed through until the lips vibrate, or buzz.Open TonesTones produced with just the lips and air are considered open tones. The player can alter the pitch of these open tones to make them higher or lower using lip pressure and air flow. To produce a higher tone, players must tighten their lips and use a faster air stream.Additional PitchesTo create additional pitches, brass players lengthen or shorten their instruments. On a valved instrument such as trumpet, euphonium or tuba, this is accomplished by pressing the valves down in different combinations.
