Brass instruments produce sound when the player’s buzzing lips set the air column inside a metal tube into vibration. The tube is usually coiled to make the instrument manageable, and valves or a slide change the effective length so different pitches emerge.

Trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba form the core of the orchestral brass section. Each has a distinct range and character: the trumpet bright and penetrating, the horn mellow and blending, the trombone powerful and flexible, the tuba deep and foundational. Brass instruments also appear in bands, jazz ensembles, and popular music.

Tone quality depends on the player’s embouchure, air support, and the instrument’s design. Mutes alter the color dramatically. Because the sound is generated by lip vibration rather than a reed or string, brass instruments respond intimately to the player’s physical approach.

• Sound produced by buzzing lips into a metal tube
• Pitch changed by valves or slide
• Includes trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba
• Prominent in orchestras, bands, and jazz