Brass Instrument Sound Components

Brass instrument sound can be separated into at least five component parts:

• Tone color (bright/dark)
• Tone shape (narrow/broad)
• Tone density (thin/thick)
• Tone definition (defined/diffused)
• Tone clarity (brilliant/dull)

Each of these five components can be affected to the largest degree by the player, and his or her concept of sound and corresponding physical approach to playing. Changes in the equipment can also dramatically affect these components, as can room acoustics, temperature, and humidity, and even the number and position of listeners in the room.

Tone Color

Tone color refers to the general proportion of highs to lows in the harmonic structure of the sound. The more fundamental and low overtones in the sound, the darker the sound will be. Conversely, the more upper harmonics and inharmonics in the structure of the sound, the brighter the sound will be. The implications of changing tone color are critical to effective performance, and will be discussed relative to other components of an overall sound later in this section. For more information on tone color and the harmonic structure of brass instrument sounds, please refer to the Scientific Documentation section.

Tone Shape

Tone shape refers to the amount of directivity in the shape of the sound as it projects out from the player, expressed in terms of narrow to wide. Players with a good command of their equipment can make changes in the shape of their sound by changing how they use their “air” as they play. A similar result can be obtained by changing equipment. Instruments with wider shapes of tapers (larger bell flares, wider leadpipes, etc.) generally help provide broader sounds. Instruments with narrower shapes of tapers generally help provide narrower sounds.

Narrow	Wide

Many of our more well-known clients use Monette instruments with bells that are much larger than those used on today’s largest conventional, mass-produced instruments. This is possible without compromise because of the improvement Monette mouthpieces offer in consistency and ease of response throughout the register of the equipment.

Tone Density

Tone density refers to how concentrated the sound is, corresponding in some cases to how well the instrument will “hold together” through the dynamic range, particularly when playing softly and loudly. When a player uses a poor quality instrument with a thin density of sound, the pitch center of the instrument often will be quite undefined.

Thin	Thick

In these instances, the instrument will usually be difficult to “center” and to hear at any distance. Many powerful players with a more resonant approach to playing prefer an instrument that helps them to produce a more concentrated density of sound. This helps the player’s sound hold together at extreme dynamic levels, both very soft and very loud. This is especially noticeable when a player is performing, for example, an exposed and delicate diminuendo in an orchestra, or playing scream trumpet over the shout chorus in a big band.

Tone Definition

Tone definition refers to how well defined the edges of the sound are relative to the sound shape. Some sounds have very distinct, defined “borders,” where the level of tone clarity drops very quickly when the listener is more than X degrees away from front and center relative to the source of the sound.

Defined	Diffused

When listening to a more diffused sound, listeners will experience a more gradual shift in the clarity of sound as they change location from side to side. This quality is sometimes more desirable in jazz performance and is often more apparent when playing cornet, flugelhorn, or FLUMPET™.

Tone Clarity

Tone clarity refers to how much resonance, brilliance, and resultant-tone quality is present in the sound. The more clarity and brilliance in the sound, the more the audience will “feel” the sound as well as hear it. Working toward more clarity of sound will actually force a player, consciously or subconsciously, to improve body alignment while playing. The more open and aligned the player, the wider the range of timbre available to them, and the more resonant their sound will be. Clarity and resonance in musical communication are so important to our overall company mission that the rest of this section is devoted to a more detailed discussion of this topic.

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