Instruments in British-Style Brass Bands Quiz

Answer: Bass or Tuba

British-style brass bands feature certain types of BRASS instruments, plus a full battery of percussion. The English horn and the bassoon are woodwind instruments with a double reed; a saxophone is also a woodwind instrument, though the body is made from metal of various types. A saxophone's sound is made by a vibrating reed.

The bass or tuba in the classic British-style brass band provides the rich, resonant foundation of the ensemble. There are four of them! Two in E-flat and two in B-flat.

Answer: Bass trombone

Trumpets are not traditionally used in the classic British-style brass bands. Cornets are used instead. The cornet sound is less brilliant and strident than the trumpet's sound, which lends well to blending the overall sound of the brass band. The bass clarinet is a woodwind instrument, and while the Scots appreciate a well-played set of bagpipes, it is not a standard instrument in the British brass band.

The bass trombone is one of three trombones in the classic British-style brass band. The other two trombones are tenor trombones.

Answer: Tenor horn in E-flat

The alto trombone is used rarely these days and when used, you will see it played in symphonic orchestral works. The harp is also used in the symphony on occasion, and in other classical compositions. The French horn (or sometimes just called "Horn") is pitched in F and is also used in orchestras, concert bands, and even rock music.

The tenor horn in E-flat (there are three) is used in the classic British-style brass band to help provide the alto voice.

Answer: Repiano cornet

The sackbut(t) is a much older metal instrument from which the modern trombone was developed. The oboe is a double-reed woodwind instrument. The piccolo is the smallest member of the flute family. None of these instruments are used in the classic British-style brass band.

The repiano cornet is a single member of the cornet choir (which contains 10 cornets altogether) and is used to bolster and augment various voices within the cornet choir. The repiano cornet part is played on a B-flat cornet.

Answer: Flugelhorn

The piccolo trumpet, if it's used at all in a classic British-style brass band, is as a solo instrument accompanied by the brass band. The harmonica or mouth harp is sometimes used in rock music but it's especially known in blues music. The celeste is a keyboard instrument and not used in the classic British-style brass band except possibly as a special effect.

The flugelhorn (there is one in the classic British-style brass band pitched in B-flat) looks like a "pregnant" trumpet. Its role is to augment the alto voice in the ensemble. It has a rich, dark sound well suited for blending in the overall ensemble's sound.

Answer: Baritone

The soprano trombone is almost always used as a solo instrument and not as part of an ensemble. The bugle in G is an old-style valveless instrument used mostly in military settings. The clarinet in A is a woodwind instrument; the sound is created by a reed.

The Baritone (there are two in the classic British-style brass band) is a valved instrument in the same range as the trombone. Its sound is less strident than that of the trombone, but is often used to augment rhythmic accompaniment with the trombones.

Answer: Euphonium

The ophicleide is a old metal instrument with keys instead of valves or a hand slide; it was used in orchestral music in the early 19th century and has largely been replaced by the bass tuba. The contra-bass trombone is in the same range as the B-flat tuba, but has a hand slide instead of valves. The sousaphone is mostly a tuba meant for marching, but is often used in Dixieland and other smaller jazz ensembles.

The euphonium (there are two in the brass band) provides the predominant tenor solo voice in the classic British-style brass band.

Answer: Soprano cornet

The alto flute, the clarinet, and the contrabassoon are all woodwind instruments.

The soprano cornet in E-flat (there is only one) provides the piccolo-like sound of the brass band. When played well, it has a light, delicate sound that sits atop the rest of the ensemble.

Answer: Bass trombone

The bass or tuba voice in the classic British-style brass band is carried by FOUR basses/tubas. Two are pitched in E-flat and two are pitched in B-flat. While it is possible for a player to physically play a bass tuba in C or F in a brass band, it is not generally done. During competitions, a hallmark of British brass banding, this practice may be prohibited.

The bass trombone is one of the three trombones in the brass band. The other two are generally tenor trombones. Notation of the bass trombone is always written in bass clef, whereas all the other instrumental parts instruments in the British brass band (even the basses!) are written in the treble clef!

Answer: Timpani

An organ, while useful to a brass band on occasion, could not be a regular instrument as it's stationary! Brass bands often play outdoors and sometimes even on the march, so having an organ and an organist is entirely impractical. Trumpets in all modern keys (B-flat, C, E-flat, F, and piccolo) are not part of a classic British-style brass band. The cornet choir, which consists of nine cornets in B-flat and one cornet in E-flat, perform the role of the soprano voice in the ensemble. Alto clarinet is a woodwind instrument.

Timpani or Kettledrums are part of the entire percussion battery, which often consists of, but is not limited to, the snare drum(s), bass drum, crash cymbals, drum set/kit, and tuned percussion. Tuned percussion may consist of the glockenspiel, marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes/tubular bells, and similar instruments.