Video published by Daniel’s Music Foundation here on YouTube (link is external)
Talkin’ Music with Gerry: Episode 4 (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)
[00:00:00.00]
[UPBEAT MUSIC/GUITAR STRUMMING – TALKIN’ MUSIC WITH GERRY THEME SONG]
[IMAGE]
[00:00:00.54] A treble clef surrounded by a swirl of colorful notes.
Text: Talkin’ MUSIC with GERRY.
[IMAGE]
The host, Gerry Powers, dressed in a blue shirt, is seated in an armchair in one corner of his “Studio.”
[00:00:09.54]
GERRY POWERS: Well, hello again, everybody. Welcome back to Talkin' Music with Gerry. I'm Gerry Powers, the artistic director of Daniel's Music Foundation.
[00:00:19.25] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[00:00:21.46]
GERRY: In the past episodes of Talkin' Music with Gerry, we have explored two sections of the orchestra: the Strings and the Woodwinds. We talked about the ranges of those instruments and their different characteristics. We use different words in our musical vocabulary to describe the sounds. And we learned that the smaller instruments play higher pitches and frequencies. And as the instruments get larger, they can play lower notes and lower frequencies.
[00:00:50.57]
GERRY: And when we studied the Woodwind section last time, we learned that the longer the tube is, the lower the instrument can play. So, in today's episode of Talkin' Music with Gerry, we're going to discover different kinds of Brass instruments. We will talk about the way they are played and the kind of musical groups in which they are played.
[00:01:14.21]
GERRY: Then we're going to have a look at the four instruments of the Brass section of the orchestra. We'll learn about their history, how they're played, and about their ranges and tunings. We will also use our musical vocabulary to describe their sounds. And then afterward, we will listen to some musical pieces and see if we can identify the instruments that we are learning about.
[IMAGES]
Man playing Trumpet; Close-up of valves on a French Horn; Musician playing the Tuba; A row of Trombones on a table.
[00:01:41.00]
GERRY: The family of Brass instruments gets its name because the instruments are made of brass, which is a yellow-colored metal that is made from copper and zinc. Because the instruments are made of metal, we can hear them from far away. In fact, brass instruments are the loudest ones in the orchestra.
[00:02:01.76]
[IMAGES]
Brass instruments (clockwise from top): Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, French Horn; Brass tubes in a variety of sizes; French Horn; Close-up of mouthpiece; Young boy playing Trumpet; Army personnel holding chrome-colored Trumpet with left hand; Jazz musician playing Trombone; Female orchestra musicians playing French Horns; Male orchestra musician playing the Trombone; Brass section of an orchestra; Marching band members playing brass instruments; Enthusiastic band with various instruments on stage with audience in background; Close up of band members holding Trumpets.
GERRY: Today's modern brass instruments are comprised of different lengths of long tubing that are bent and twisted around in many different ways so that they can be held and carried easily. At the ends of the tube are the mouthpiece and the bell. Brass instruments can be heard in all different styles of music all around the world. They are used in orchestras, symphonies, concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands, and brass ensembles.
[00:02:34.13]
[IMAGES]
Two close-up photos of Trumpet valves; Close-up of man holding on to Trombone slide; Young boy blowing into mouthpiece of Trumpet; Orchestra musicians playing Woodwind instruments; Man pursing his lips; Gray-haired man with glasses blowing into the mouthpiece of a brass instrument; Musician blowing into the mouthpiece of a Trombone.
GERRY: Most of the brass instruments in the orchestra have valves attached to their long pipes, which look like buttons, except for the trombone which uses a slide. Brass players use their breath to produce a sound. But unlike the woodwinds that use a reed, brass players vibrate or buzz their lips against a metal mouthpiece shaped like a cup. When a player blows into the mouthpiece, their lips vibrate with the air. And that is what creates the sound or pitch.
[00:03:03.14]
[IMAGES]
French Horn section of an orchestra; Young girl blowing into the mouthpiece of a Trumpet as her father looks on; Close-up of man’s hand adjusting the valves on a French Horn; Man playing Trombone in a dark room with vertical neon lights on a wall behind him; Orchestra playing Trombones; Teenage girl playing Trombone.
GERRY: The lip buzzing is amplified by the mouthpiece before it enters the tube of the brass instrument. The valves open and close different parts of the pipe, so when you press down on them, they change the pitch. The trombone pitches are controlled with the lengthening and shortening of the slide. Let's have a look at two examples of the lip buzz technique as shown by a trumpet player and a tuba player.
[00:03:29.15]
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Teenage boy seated in front of a window.
TEEN BOY: Hi. This is the lip buzz technique. When I first started playing the trumpet, I wouldn't actually use the mouthpiece. And it looked like this.
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Teen boy pursing his lips.
[00:03:37.19] [SPITTING SOUND]
[00:03:39.89]
TEEN BOY: It looks a lot like I was spitting. But when you put it up to the mouthpiece it'll sound like this.
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Teen boy places mouthpiece of a brass instrument into his mouth.
[00:03:44.96] [SOFT HORN SOUND]
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Teen boy inserts mouthpiece into the mouthpiece receiver of a Trumpet, then blows into the Trumpet.
[00:03:47.72]
TEEN BOY: Finally, when you put it up to the trumpet, it'll sound like this.
[00:03:52.42] [TRUMPET MUSIC]
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Man blowing air out of his pursed mouth.
[00:03:56.41] [VIBRATING SOUND]
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Man blows air into the mouthpiece of a Tuba.
[00:03:59.82] [LOW-PITCHED HORN SOUND]
[00:04:01.64]
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Man plays Tuba.
[00:04:02.64] [TUBA MUSIC]
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Path winding through a wooded forest.
(White text on right side of screen: Trumpets)
[00:04:05.14] [TRUMPET MUSIC PLAYING]
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Statue of man blowing into a long trumpet horn held in his left hand.
(White text in middle right of screen: Trumpets)
[00:04:07.14]
GERRY: The first instrument in the Brass family has many predecessors.
[IMAGES]
Photos of ancient horns in a museum; Man blowing into a long, curvy animal horn; Polynesian man blows into a conch shell by the seaside; Close-up of one end of an animal horn (Black text on screen: Shofar); Ancient horn with intricate carvings; Man in medieval clothing blowing into a short horn made of animal horn; Four soldiers in medieval costumes blowing ceremonial horns in front of building.
GERRY: In fact, silver and bronze trumpets were discovered in the grave of King Tut in Egypt. People in ancient civilizations blew into an animal horn or conch shells to produce a sound. Ancient trumpets were used for religious purposes like the shofar, as hunting horns, war calls, and signals for the arrival of royalty.
[00:04:39.18]
[IMAGES]
Painting of soldier on horse blowing into a trumpet horn; Sculpture of soldier on horse blowing horn; Painting of soldiers in red coats on a battlefield; Painting of three musicians playing horns as they stand at the bow of rowboat; Painting of ancient Roman man wearing a red cloak blowing into a Cornu (long curved metal horn).
GERRY: In medieval times, for example, trumpeters were highly guarded by military units since they were crucial to relaying instructions over great distances with their bright, vibrant sound. Most likely, the trumpet wasn't used musically until the Renaissance. But the most basic purpose of the instrument, making a brassy sound, has existed for thousands of years.
[00:05:05.89]
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Painting of man playing ancient metal trumpet with long leadpipe.
GERRY: There are several predecessors of the modern trumpet.
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Photo of ancient trumpet with long leadpipe.
(Black text on top left of screen: Natural Trumpet, 1400s)
GERRY: The natural trumpet appeared in the 1400s…
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Painting of soldier playing ancient natural trumpet.
GERRY: …and was used mostly in military events for charges and retreats.
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Photo of ancient trumpet with a slide.
(Black color text on top left of screen: Slide Trumpet, Mid 1400s)
GERRY: In the mid-1400s the slide trumpet came into being.
[IMAGES]
Black & white painting of four musicians playing ancient trumpets; Photo of man playing slide trumpet.
GERRY: The player held the mouthpiece and moved the body of the instrument back and forth to change pitch.
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Photo of Bugle
(White text in middle of screen: Bugle, 1810)
[00:05:26.85]
GERRY: The bugle was invented in about 1810.
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Photo of soldiers holding wooden rifles walking in a field; Painting of soldier blowing into Bugle.
GERRY: It was used to signal troops in battle and to gather troops to formation.
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Photo of Cornet
(Black text at top left of screen: Cornet, 1820s)
GERRY: The cornet was invented in the 1820s…
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Photo of Cornet
(Black text at top of screen: Valves)
GERRY: …and was the first instrument that introduced valves in order to make it easier to play.
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Color and black & white photos of the Flugelhorn
(Text at top left of screen: 1830s, Flugelhorn)
GERRY: Another German invention in the 1830s was the flugelhorn, which has a sound that is much more mellow compared to the modern trumpet.
[00:05:53.76]
[IMAGES]
Orchestra musicians playing the Trumpet; Man playing Trumpet (Black text at top left of screen: Bb Trumpet, 1861); Man holding Trumpet with his left hand while his right finger hovers over the 2nd (middle) valve; Close-up of a man’s fingers pressing the valves of a Trumpet; Photo of Trumpet (White text on top right of screen: 4 1/2 feet long); Close-up photo of Trumpet’s valves (White text on top right: 2.2 pounds); Overhead photo of piano keyboard (White text on piano: F#3…D6).
GERRY: The trumpet that is most popular today is the modern B-flat trumpet. It was invented in 1861. It's a slender brass pipe with three attached valves which is curved and bent into long loops. If you stretched out the tube to its full length it would be 4 and a half feet long. The trumpet weighs about 2.2 pounds and has a range of F-sharp 3 to D6.
[IMAGES]
Photo of musicians’ hands holding Trumpets; Photo of C Trumpet (Black text at top of screen: C Trumpet, 1878); Photo of D Trumpet (White text at top of screen: D Trumpet, 1890).
GERRY: The B-flat trumpet has some close relatives, mainly the C trumpet, which was invented in 1878, and the D trumpet, invented in 1890.
[00:06:32.67]
[IMAGES]
Photo of close-up of vales on three Trumpets; Photo of Piccolo Trumpet with four valves (Black text at top left of screen: Piccolo Trumpet); Photo of blue and black-colored plastic Trumpet (Black text at bottom left of screen: Plastic Trumpet).
GERRY: There are more instruments that are related to the trumpet, including the piccolo trumpet and even the plastic trumpet.
[IMAGES]
Three musicians standing and playing Trumpets; Two musicians playing Trumpets (White text at top of screen: Bb Trumpet, C Trumpet); Four musicians standing and playing Trumpets (White text at top of screen appear one at a time: Brazen, Sonorous, Startling, Victorious)
GERRY: But the trumpets that are most commonly used in the orchestra are the B-flat trumpet and the C trumpet. Words that describe the trumpet are brazen, sonorous, startling, and victorious.
[00:06:53.04] [TRUMPET FANFARE PLAYING]
[IMAGE]
Fall leaves on trees in a forest.
(White text at bottom of screen: French Horn)
[00:06:57.60]
GERRY: The next instrument in the Brass family is the French horn.
[IMAGES]
Photo of a French Horn (White text at bottom of screen: French Horn); View of French countryside from top of castle; Photo of the Paris Opera House; Four ballerinas on stage (White text at top of screen: 1664); Photo of ancient French hunting horn; Photo of man holding an ancient hunting horn with his outstretched right hand and blowing into the mouthpiece; Two musicians in medieval costume playing French Horns; Close-up photo of valves on French Horns; Two orchestra musicians playing French Horns.
GERRY: The French horn does actually come from France. It made its debut at a ballet in Paris in 1664. It comes from the French hunting horn of the 1600s and produces a wide variety of sound, ranging from very loud to very soft, and from harsh and blaring to mellow and smooth.
[00:07:22.89]
[IMAGES]
Close-up photo of French Horn valves (White text at top left of screen: 18 feel of tubing); Photo of French Horn standing on its bell; Five musicians playing French Horns at a concert; Three musicians playing French Horns; Two musicians playing French Horns; Close-up photo of valves of a French Horn.
GERRY: The French horn's 18 feet of tubing is rolled up into a circular shape with a very large bell at its end. There are anywhere from 2 to 8 French horns in an orchestra. And they play both melody and harmony, as well as rhythm. To play the French horn, you hold it with the bell curving downward and buzz into the very small mouthpiece. Your left hand plays the three valves. And you can change the type of sound you make by the way you place your right hand in the bell.
[00:07:54.66]
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Two teen musicians playing French Horns; Four musicians in casual clothing playing French Horns; Man playing French Horn (White text at top right of screen: 18 pounds); Overhead photo of piano keyboard (White text on piano: A1…F5); Male and female musicians playing French Horns at a concert (White text at top of screen: Majestic, Triumphant, Soft, Melancholy).
GERRY: It's a very difficult instrument to play. But it is quite a beautiful instrument. The French horn weighs about 18 pounds. The range of the French horn is from A1 to F5. Some words used to describe the French horn's sound are majestic, triumphant, soft, and melancholy.
[00:08:20.78]
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Path in a pine forest.
(White text at bottom of screen: Trombone)
GERRY: The next instrument is the trombone.
[IMAGES]
Photo of a French chateau; Photos of ancient trombones; Orchestra musicians playing Trombones; Photos of Trombones.
GERRY: The trombone was developed from an instrument invented in the 15th century in France called the sackbut. The trombone is the only instrument in the Brass family that uses a slide instead of valves to change the pitch. A standard trombone is made of long, thin brass pipes. There are two U-shaped pipes that are linked at the opposite ends to form an S, so the total length of the pipe can be extended or shortened.
[00:08:51.80]
[IMAGES]
Man playing the Trombone with enthusiasm; Close-up of Trombone slides and bells; Man with fully stretched-out Trombone slide; Three concert musicians playing Trombones; Musicians in military uniform playing Trombones.
GERRY: You play the trombone by holding it horizontally, buzzing into the mouthpiece, and using your right hand to change pitch by pushing or pulling the slide to one of seven different positions. If you stretch the trombone out straight, it's about 9-feet long. There are usually three trombones in the orchestra, and they play pitches in the same range as the cello and the bassoon. The three trombones often play harmonies together.
[00:09:18.38]
[IMAGES]
Four musicians playing Trombones; Overhead photo of piano keyboard (White text on piano: Bass Trombone, Bb1…Bb4; Tenor Trombone, E2…F5; Alto Trombone, A2…G5).
GERRY: The sound has a dark and metallic timbre, and ranges from a melodious and subdued piano to massive, forte explosions. A bass trombone plays from B-flat 1 to B-flat 4. The tenor trombone plays from E2 to F5. And the alto trombone plays from A2 to G5.
[IMAGES]
Painting of Beethoven (White text at top of screen: Ludwig van Beethoven); Four concert musicians playing Trombones on stage (White text on right side of screen: Powerful, Dark, Heroic, Eruptive).
[TROMBONE PLAYING]
GERRY: Did you know that the trombone was introduced to the world in the famous "Fifth Symphony" by Ludwig van Beethoven? The sound of the trombone is powerful, dark, heroic, and eruptive.
[00:09:57.23]
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Straight path in the woods.
(White text at bottom of screen: Tuba)
GERRY: The last instrument in the Brass family is the tuba,…
[TUBA PLAYING]
[IMAGES]
Man playing the Tuba; Woman playing the Tuba; Man holding Tuba in front of him.
GERRY: …which is the grandfather of the Brass family. The tuba is the largest and lowest brass instrument and anchors the harmony not only of the Brass family, but the whole orchestra with its deep, rich sound. Like the other brass instruments, the tuba is a long, metal tube curved into an oblong shape with a huge bell at the end.
[00:10:22.94]
[IMAGES]
Seated orchestra musicians playing Tubas (White text at bottom of screen: 9 to 18 feet); Man propping up Tuba at an angle with the bell pointing upwards (White text at top of screen: 16 feet of tubing); Young musicians playing Tubas (White text at top of screen: Tubas weigh about 20 pounds); One man plays the Tuba while a second man looks on (Black text in middle of screen: 1835); Older musician playing the Tuba; Teenage boy playing the Tuba.
GERRY: Tubas range in size from 9 to 18 feet. The longer they are, the lower they sound. Standard tubas have about 16 feet of tubing. Tubas weigh about 20 pounds. The tuba was invented in 1835. There is generally one tuba in an orchestra. And it usually plays harmony. You play the tuba sitting down with the instrument on your lap and the bell facing up.
[00:10:48.41]
[IMAGES]
Male musician playing the Tuba; Man sitting on a chair holding a Tuba; Overhead photo of piano keyboard (White text on piano: Tuba Range, D1…F4); Smiling man holding a Tuba in his lap.
GERRY: You blow and buzz into a very large mouthpiece, and use your hand to press down on the valves, which changes the sound. The range of a tuba is D1 to F4. It takes a lot of breath to make a sound with a tuba.
[IMAGE]
Stone steps leading down a slope with tropical plants on either side.
(White text on screen: Listening Exercise)
GERRY: Let's move along to our listening exercise. Let's see if you can identify the Brass instruments that we've learned about today.
[00:11:14.70] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[IMAGES]
Short video montage: Water flowing down a creek; Overhead shot of river with pine trees on both sides; Small waterfall in forest.
[IMAGE]
Gerry in his Studio.
[00:12:10.61]
GERRY: Well, I hope you have enjoyed this episode of Talkin' Music with Gerry. Thank you so much for spending some time with me today. In the next episode, we will listen to all the percussion instruments in the orchestra. And we will learn how to describe those. Thank you so much for watching.
[00:12:28.62]
GERRY: And thanks for walking down the path with me and our wonderful world of music. There's so much more to talk about. So I'll talk to you later. (Gerry winks)
[00:12:38.66] [MUSIC PLAYING]
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A kaleidoscope of gold music notes and treble clefs with rows of bright yellow and blue lights on a dark background emanate continuously from the middle of the screen to the front of the screen. Some of the music notes/clefs sparkle and glow intermittently.
[Song lyrics]
There's so much more to talk about, so I'll talk to you later.
Arrivederci, sayonara, see you later alligator.
I have to say it’s been great, and it’s gonna be greater.
There's so much more to talk about, so I'll talk to you later.
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End slate is a black screen with 2 items with clickable links on the screen:
Left side of screen - Rectangle with a white background:
Blue DMF logo
“Daniel’s Music Foundation” in blue text
Red button with the word “SUBSCRIBE” in white text
Right side of screen - Rectangle with 3 horizontal stripes in black, white and grey colors:
Sounds waves and ear shape in orange lines
“DMF On-Demand - Talkin’ Music with Gerry” in white text
“Music Theory Basics” in white text
“3 videos” in white text
Links to 3 videos:
Pitch, Frequency & Range + Music Theory Basics: https://youtu.be/YJlYEjZdUKA
String Instruments + Music Theory Basics: https://youtu.be/XBJyBGc7wRU
Woodwind Instruments + Music Theory Basics: https://youtu.be/KIJm2TjEFtI