Ensembles
Brass instruments are one of the major classical instrument families and are played across a range of musical ensembles.
Orchestras include a varying number of brass instruments depending on music style and era, typically:
- Classical symphony orchestra:
-
- two to five trumpets
- two to eight horns
- two tenor trombones
- one bass trombone
- one tuba
- Baroque orchestras may include valveless trumpets or bugles, or trumpets/cornets playing these parts.
- Romantic, modern, and contemporary orchestras may include larger numbers of brass including more exotic instruments.
British brass bands are made entirely up of brass, mostly conical bore instruments. Typical membership is:
- one soprano cornet
- five to ten cornets
- one flugelhorn
- three to five tenor horns (alto horns)
- two baritones
- two to three tenor trombones
- one bass trombone
- two euphoniums
- two E♭ tubas
- two B♭ tubas
quintets are common small brass ensembles, a quintet typically contains:
- two trumpets
- one horn
- one trombone
- one tuba or bass trombone
Big Bands and other jazz bands commonly contain cylindrical bore brass instruments
- A Big band typically includes:
-
- three to five trumpets
- three or four tenor trombones and sometimes a bass trombone
- Smaller jazz ensembles may include a single trumpet or trombone soloist.
Concert bands have similar brass instrumentation to an orchestra, typically:
- two to four trumpets or cornets
- two to four horns
- two to three tenor trombones (and occasionally an additional bass trombone)
- one or two baritones or euphoniums
- one or two tubas
Mexican Bandas have:
- three trumpets
- three trombones
- two alto horns, also called "charchetas" and "saxores"
- one sousaphone, called "tuba"
Single brass instruments are also often used to accompany other instruments or ensembles such as an organ, or a choir.
Read more about this topic: Brass Instrument