Brass Musical Instruments UK
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If you're searching for new and second hand brass musical instruments, you've come to the right place! We are delighted to offer a fantastic brass musical instrument range, along with some unbeatable discounts! Please click the links to the left and browse our categories, or alternatively, use our search facility above. Just key in the musical instrument you're looking for, hit the search button, and we'll do our best to find it for you!

Our stocklist of brass instruments is continually updated so be sure to bookmark us. If the instrument you're looking for isn't here today, we're sure to have it tomorrow!

Choosing a Brass Musical Instrument

Choosing a musical instrument to begin playing may seem quite a daunting proposition. There are several factors to bear in mind including cost, the player’s size and weight capabilities and availability of teachers of that particular instrument (there are several very good online music teacher databases to help you find qualified teachers in your area). The key consideration to bear in mind when choosing brass musical instruments is that playing should be fun! It’s a good idea to choose your instrument according to the genre of music you prefer. If you want to play jazz for example, there is no sense in learning the tuba, whereas trumpets are used across the board. Some musicians get a kick from playing in a huge orchestra. Others prefer to go solo. It’s a good idea for the budding musician to have in mind at the outset an idea of the general direction he would like to go in. After all, what started out as a pastime may develop into a lucrative career, and what better than to be paid for playing the music that you love!

Musical Genres

A classical symphony will usually feature a tuba, a bass trombone, tenor trombones, trumpets and horns.

A traditional brass band will incorporate a soprano cornet, euphoniums, baritones, a bass trombone, a flugelhorn, tenor trombones, tubas, cornets and tenor horns.

Big bands used in jazz and swing will usually incorporate trumpets, tenor trombones and a bass trombone.

Solo instrumentalists are used in a wide variety of music, from blues and folk to modern pop.

Types of Brass Instruments

In modern music, there are two families of brass instrument: valved and slide.

Valved instruments, as the name suggests, use a set of valves which the player operates with his fingers. Valves are usually piston valves, but may be rotary valves as in the case of the horn and many tubas (rotary valves require special care, for example they must be cleaned by a qualified expert – see the cleaning section for more details). Most modern brass instruments are valved instruments, including the cornet, flugelhorn, euphonium, French horn, trumpet, tenor horn and tuba.

Slide instruments incorporate a slide to change the length of tubing, and thus raise or lower the note. Trombones are the main family of slide instruments (with the exception of the valve trombone, which is predominantly used in jazz pieces).

Bugle

The bugle group of brass instruments incorporates bugles, trumpets, cornets and flugelhorns. There are subtle differences between them in sound, appearance, and in playing technique. Buglists are sought after for traditional brass band music, particularly military bands.

Trumpets

The trumpet is a popular choice of brass instrument and is ideal for the beginner. Trumpets are used in a wide variety of music genres which should keep learning interesting. Trumpets are convenient to store and transport and are relatively inexpensive.

Flugelhorn

The flugelhorn, like the trumpet and cornet, belongs to the bugle family. It is similar to the trumpet but has a slightly sweeter sound. Flugelhorns are used across the board, from classical to traditional brass band music, but they are particularly popular in jazz.

Cornets

A cornet is similar to the trumpet, but has a slightly more melodic sound. Cornets are ideal instruments for beginners as they are more compact than the trumpet and therefore easier to hold. Cornets are a vital component of the traditional brass band but, like the trumpet, their range of music genres is extensive, and they are relatively inexpensive.

Euphoniums and Tubas

These instruments are very large and can be quite expensive. However, tubists and euphoniumists are relatively rare and so in great demand. Tubas are so large that you may have trouble fitting it into the boot. Euphoniums are smaller scaled and have a fantastic range. These instruments are vital components of the classical symphony orchestra and the traditional brass band.

French Horn

A french horn is both a beauty to look at and a delight to listen to. A good French horn can be quite expensive and challenging to learn to play. French horn players are therefore quite a rarity. No classical orchestra would be complete without half a dozen French horns, meaning that players are much in demand.

Trombone

Despite the great range of the instrument, trombone players are becoming increasingly rare. Though the trombone is a reasonably priced instrument, its slides are particularly delicate and so it must be handled with great care. The trombone is relatively easy to learn and there is huge demand for trombonists to play in classical, jazz, swing and traditional brass bands.

We are delighted to offer a great range of brass musical instruments. Click on the links to the left to browse our categories. Our brass musical instrument listings are continually updated, so be sure to bookmark us. If the brass instrument you're looking for isn't here today, we're sure to have it tomorrow!