h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Brass Bands

Posted Feb 25, 2000

Whilst on the continent in the magnificent Germanic and Hapsburgian cities of Vienna, Salzburg and Hamburg the familiar orchestra was developing in the nineteenth century, Great Britain was developing a musical culture of its own, the brass band.

These bands stemmed from military organisations, but were largely set up by various collieries and other industrial centres and also the Salvation Army. The unmistakable brass band sound is now only dominant in areas of strong British influence, like Australia & New Zealand.

The classic English Brass Band consists of only 25 players, and the main sections are cornets, saxhorns, tubas, trombones and percussion.


The Cornets are lead by four solo cornets, the principal of which enjoys a position similar to the leader of an orchestra. The solo cornets tend to play the treble and descant parts of a piece, The soprano is taken by a small Eb Soprano Cornet, which is higher in pitch than a standard cornet and is very hard to play well. Below this is the Repiano cornet which was originally a different instrument from a standard cornet, but now there is no discernable difference, and this augments the treble line. Below this are second and third cornets (usually two on each) and these provide close harmonies.

The saxhorns are a weird group. The is one soprano saxhorn, called a Flugelhorn which sounds very deep rich and mellow compared to a cornet but at the same pitch. There are three alto saxhorns, wrongly called tenor horns, which generally take care of the alto parts in the band. Each tenor horn plays a different part. There are also two tenor saxhorns called baritones. These sound mellower than a trombone, but sharper and brighter than a tuba.

The trombones are the smallest group, two tenor and one bass, mirroring the same section in an orchestra.

The tubas are split into three parts two players in each. There are the Tenor Tubas, the Euphoniums, which have a wonderfully rich tone and incredible range for a brass instrument. It is frequently used as a solo instrument. Then there is the bass, the Eb Tubas and the very deep and large Bb basso Tubas. Percussion is similar to the orchestral version, but includes a drum kit. There are usually three percussionists, one on the kit, one on the timps and one on the 'kitchen sink'.

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