Brass Instruments Research Articles

Research on the Psychological State of Brass Instrument Performers from the Perspective of Emotion Regulation

This article explores the psychological state of brass instrument performers from the perspective of emotion regulation, focusing on the positive impacts of emotional regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal, breathing control, and mindfulness training on performers’ psychological well-being. Specific applications of these strategies are proposed for performance preparation, stage performances, and daily practice. Research results indicate that the effective use of emotion regulation strategies can alleviate performers’ anxiety, enhance psychological stability, and improve performance quality, providing practical psychological intervention pathways for brass instrument players.

Recent investigations using an artificial player for brass instruments

Artificial players show great interest for scientific studies on musical instruments: they allow sound production mechanisms to be reproduced, while making it possible to monitor several variables of the system that are usually difficult to measure on human players. In brass instruments, where the reed consists of the lips of the players, several systems have been developed over the years in research laboratories. In order to build artificial lips, one crucial element of the system, different solutions were proposed, such as latex tubes filled with water or rubber sheets. Although very realistic sounds can be obtained with some systems, one difficulty remains to build an apparatus which is relatively easy to control, stable, and repeatable. In this presentation, we will introduce the latest version of the brass artificial player developed in Yamaha and recently at LMA, which is based on a quite efficient, yet relatively simple, solution for the lips. The system then provides ease of use, stability and repeatability, while generating very realistic sounds. We will present some studies conducted with this new apparatus, and also demonstrate a portable version of it, that can trigger some ideas for other applications than research.

Contribution of machine learning and physics-based sound simulations for the optimization of brass instruments

Sound simulations by physical model are interesting to transcribe the physics underlying the functioning of a musical instrument. These simulations make it possible to create virtual sounds with a mode of operation representative of the interaction musician/instrument (driving a sound by the causes that create it). The work consists in studying the contribution of machine learning (ML) methods in the optimization of a musical instrument. The application concerns the brass instruments (trumpets). From a training set of virtual instruments, ML methods are trained to model the intonation (represented by the equivalent fundamental pitch) and the ease of emission (represented by the threshold pressure obtained by linear stability analysis) of sounds, according to the modal parameters of the input impedance. With the ML models, an optimization with genetic algorithms is next carried out to improve the intonation and the ease of emission. The last stage of the approach consists in the optimization of the bore of the instrument (optimization of the shape of the leadpipe). The results show that the approach gives promising results: optimal instruments are actually efficient when re-simulated with the physical model. The manufacturing of an optimal instrument is in progress to confirm the validity of the approach

Comparison between performers' and third parties' assessments of brass instruments performance in Go/No-go task

Comparison between performers' and third parties' assessments of brass instruments performance in Go/No-go task

Development of a Dezincification-Free Alloy System for the Manufacturing of Brass Instruments

Conventionally used brass alloy CuZn30 shows problems with corrosion resistance in the form of dezincification when used in brass instruments. Therefore, within the scope of this investigation, a new brass alloy CuZn30 is developed in the microalloy range with corrosion-free or corrosion-inhibiting properties. First, the influence of microalloying elements on the phase composition is investigated by simulation using Thermo-Calc. On the basis of this, suitable alloying elements and contents are selected and a modified CuZn30X alloy with 0.1% phosphorus, tin, and nickel in mass fractions, respectively, is produced. The modified alloy is then investigated with regard to its mechanical and microstructural composition and its corrosion properties. The corrosion properties were examined using stress corrosion cracking tests, dezincification tests, and the recording of polarization curves. The modified alloy exhibited good cold and hot rolling properties as well as good corrosion resistance. The dezincification test confirmed the improved corrosion resistance of the modified CuZn30X alloy, which is attributed to the formation of a protective top layer due to the alloying elements.

Satisfied? Examining Focus of Attention in Self-Directed Practice

In a series of three video-recorded assignments over a 6-week period, undergraduate music education students ( N = 16) enrolled in an instrumental methods course described aloud what they were thinking about as they practiced a three-note melody on a secondary brass instrument. Later, I completed a content analysis of the students’ practice verbalizations (PVs) captured in their assignment videos. Brass primary students ( n = 3) described thinking about predominantly external components of performance (the effects their physical actions produced). Non-brass primary students ( n = 13) described thinking about internal (parts of the body) and external components in relatively equal proportion, often focusing their attention on paired action-outcome (i.e., internal–external) relationships. After the final assignment, non-brass students reported higher levels of satisfaction with their progress than the brass primary students and expressed confidence in their ability to guide their own practice independently and effectively toward the accomplishment of meaningful goals.

Musical instruments as dynamic sound sources.

Unlike electro-acoustic sound sources, musical instruments have a time-varying, dynamic directivity, due to the note-dependent radiation behavior of the instrument and due to the expressive movements that musicians perform with their instrument. While previous studies have generally examined the directivity of the static, unmoved instrument for specific notes played, we show the individual and combined contributions of these two factors to a temporal modulation of the radiation behavior, based on motion tracking of typical movement patterns for all instruments of a classical symphony orchestra and on the directivity measured for all partials over the entire pitch range of these instruments. The effect of this modulation, which is manifested by changes in timbre and room acoustic excitation, was determined by spectral variations in the free field and under reverberant conditions, as well as by a modulation of room acoustic parameters. Our results show that these effects are well above the just noticeable differences for all musical instruments and all perceptual variables considered. While the effect of motion dominates for brass instruments, string and woodwind instruments exhibit large note-related differences, which should be taken into account in virtual acoustic realities if an auditory liveliness comparable to physical reality is to be achieved.

A comparison of modeled and measured impedance of brass instruments and mouthpieces

The impedance of a brass instrument has an important influence on its playability and sound timbre. The geometry of the mouthpiece has various features, such as the cup volume and shape, opening diameter, and length, that determine the characteristics of the overall impedance of the instrument-mouthpiece combination. Brass instruments, and especially mouthpieces, are designed for specific purposes, and horns or mouthpieces are chosen depending on the musical requirements. In order to investigate the relationship between the physical parameters and the impedances of instruments and mouthpieces, they have been modeled with transfer matrix and finite element model techniques, and the results are compared with impedance measurements of instruments, mouthpieces, and combinations of instruments and mouthpieces. Trumpets, flugelhorns, (French) horns, trombones, and the corresponding mouthpieces have been used. A detailed analysis of the estimation of the viscothermal losses has been performed, as the loss estimation in the narrow throat of the mouthpiece and in the flaring part of the brass instrument bell departs from the ordinary transfer matrix calculations. The effect of varying the physical parameters of mouthpieces and instruments is investigated by means of impedance considerations and sound synthesis, and the resulting influences on intonation, playability, and timbre are presented.

Effect of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training on the Performance of Professional Male Trumpet Players.

Many trumpet players use breathing training devices in addition to their daily practice routine. Playing a brass instrument requires, besides many other skills, a controlled air stream to generate the necessary air pressures. On the trumpet, high intraoral pressures are needed, especially during high and loud notes. Therefore, it is not uncommon in trumpet pedagogy to teach that the use of breathing training devices enhances physical strength so that the required pressures can be produced with less effort. However, to date, no systematic assessment of the use of breathing training devices among trumpet players exists and their effect on playing performance is still unclear. In this a pre-post, within-subject repeated measure study, we investigated the influence of a 5-week expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) upon trumpet performance. Twenty-four male professional trumpet players were allocated to either a control or intervention group. The intervention group (n =13) trained with an EMST device against a set resistance of 55% of their maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) for 5 weeks on 5 days per week. The control group (n =11) did no intervention. All participants underwent the same measures (MEP and rate of perceived exertion [RPE]) and played the same tasks (maximum long note, maximum high note, maximum dynamics and phrasing in high register) prior to and after the 5 weeks. After EMST, MEP increased significantly (13%, p = 0.049) in the intervention group, whereas no significant change was found in the control group. Performance parameters did not change in either of the groups, also after EMST. Despite the increase in MEP, we found no evidence that EMST has an influence on trumpet performance. We conclude that EMST seems unnecessary for the enhancement of trumpet playing, at least in a population of male professionals who already demonstrate excellent respiratory condition and control.

Sounding saxophones like flutes

The saxophone can be modified with alternative non-single-reed tone generators, including double and free reeds and brass-instrument mouthpieces. It can also be played as a rim flute on the neck, which is a known extended technique for the saxophone. Flutes differ fundamentally from the other tone-generator types as they do not act like a valve, and their flutes are so-called open-open resonator instruments, while reeds and the lips in brass instruments effectively close one end of the resonator. As a practical consequence, all open-close hole key combinations result in fundamentally different pitches known from the regular saxophone. The fact that the saxophone is conically shaped, while the flute is typically cylindrical or inverse conical, further complicates the matter. Approaches to playing the saxophone as flute using alternative fingering combinations will be discussed along with measures of pitch accuracy, timbral, and level balance. While the achievable range aligns with many orchestral wind instruments, complex cross-fingerings make it difficult to play fast chromatic lines. The large bore of the saxophone gives the flute sound a dark character, more like a Native American flute or shakuhachi than a Western concert flute or recorder.

Musical instruments, oral problems and prosthodontics: A review and a clinical report of a musician menopausal woman

The condition of teeth and the function of the oral organs are important when playing musical, especially brass or wind, instruments. This article describes the prosthodontic treatment provided for a musician who had lost a tooth and her subsequent musical performance. The relevant literature is also discussed. A 49-year-old professional clarinet player who fractured and avulsed the upper left central incisor during a fall sought maxillofacial rehabilitation for the missing tooth to maintain her ability to play the clarinet. Her treatment consisted of a provisional removable prosthesis with an acrylic base and clasps followed by a final fixed implant and conventional prostheses, designed accordingly. Her satisfaction with the prostheses was assessed by a self-reported questionnaire. The dental treatment helps to ensure that the musicians with oral, mainly prosthodontic, problems can continue playing the wind or brass instrument, especially the clarinet at their previous performance level professionally.

Investigation of the Emission Rate of Particles when Musicians Play Wind, Woodwind, and Brass Instruments

In the context of the high risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19, the question of the production of particles while playing wind instruments is highly relevant. Therefore, in this study, 23 professional musicians played their instruments in a cleanroom in cleanroom-grade clothing. The most common orchestral wind instruments flute, oboe, clarinet, and trumpet were therefore chosen. Aerosol measurements using a laser particle counter were conducted to quantify the emission rate of respiratory particles. Orchestral excerpts as well as sustained tones in two dynamic levels were played. The emitted particles were mostly in a submicron size range. For all instruments besides the clarinet, an influence of the loudness of playing on the emission rate could be observed. The emission rates for all musical instruments were independent of the passages played. Flute and oboe showed similar emission rates but lower than the values for clarinet and trumpet. While playing a note with a small volume, the flute, oboe, and trumpet have a similar emission rate as found for speaking.

Comparisons of aerosol generation across different musical instruments and loudness

Respiratory aerosols can serve as vectors for disease transmission, and aerosol emission is highly activity-dependent. COVID-19 severely impacted the performing arts due to concerns about disease spread by respiratory aerosols and droplets generated during singing and playing musical instruments. Aerosol generation from woodwind and brass performance is less understood compared to singing due to uncertainty about how the diverse range of musical instruments may impact respiratory aerosol concentrations and size distributions. Here, aerosol number and mass concentrations along with size distributions were measured for breathing, speaking, and playing four different woodwind and brass instruments by 23 professional instrumentalists. We find that a 1 dBA increase in sound pressure level corresponds to a ∼10% increase in aerosol number concentration. The aerosol size distribution is consistent with that of breathing. Differences in aerosol emission across musical instruments can be partly explained by the loudness of performance. Measuring aerosol generation from single notes or simple songs may be sufficient to characterise the aerosol emission range during actual performance, provided a range of loudnesses are accessed. These results provide insight into the factors contributing to aerosol emission during musical performance and facilitate risk assessments associated with infectious respiratory disease transmission in the performing arts.

Bacteria Found in Brasswind Instruments: Analyses Using Culture-Dependent Method and Culture-Independent 16 S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing Method.

In wind instrument performance, there is a constant contact between the player and the instrument, during which microorganisms in the mouth flora of the player are transferred into the instrument. The inner surface of the brass instruments provides the perfect environment for microorganisms to grow. As a result, players repeatedly interact with these micro-organisms during playing. In previous studies, different kinds of microorganisms were detected in brass instruments, some of which can carry serious health hazards. Revealing the common bacterial populations of brasswind instruments will be helpful in raising awareness among musicians and establishing their habits of cleaning/disinfecting their instruments. In this study, samples from 4 different areas of 14 brass instruments were collected and analyzed using culture-dependent and -independent (16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing) approaches. The bacterial loads in different parts of the instruments were compared. The amount and variety of bacteria detected in the sampled instruments were unexpectedly large. While some of the found bacteria are harmless, others, such as Chryseobacterium and Elizabethkingia, may occasionally cause serious infections, especially in people with suppressed immune systems. Likewise, the Mycobacterium group includes a type that causes tuberculosis, and the Streptococcus group also shows pathogenic characteristics. The mouthpiece and leadpipe of the instruments had a much larger microbial load compared to the tuning and valve slides. According to the findings, brass instruments may harbor a wide variety of bacteria, some of which are potentially hazardous for the musicians' health, especially if their immune systems are compromised. These risks can be minimized by regularly cleaning and disinfecting the instrument, especially the mouthpiece and leadpipe, which are the areas harboring most of the microorganisms.

Large Particle Emissions from Human Vocalization and Playing of Wind Instruments.

Humans emit large salivary particles when talking, singing, and playing musical instruments, which have implications for respiratory disease transmission. Yet little work has been done to characterize the emission rates and size distributions of such particles. This work characterized large particle (dp > 35 μm in aerodynamic diameter) emissions from 70 volunteers of varying age and sex while vocalizing and playing wind instruments. Mitigation efficacies for face masks (while singing) and bell covers (while playing instruments) were also examined. Geometric mean particle count emission rates varied from 3.8 min-1 (geometric standard deviation [GSD] = 3.1) for brass instruments playing to 95.1 min-1 (GSD = 3.8) for talking. On average, talking produced the highest emission rates for large particles, in terms of both number and mass, followed by singing and then instrument playing. Neither age, sex, CO2 emissions, nor loudness (average dBA) were significant predictors of large particle emissions, contrary to previous findings for smaller particle sizes (i.e., for dp < 35 μm). Size distributions were similar between talking and singing (count median diameter = 53.0 μm, GSD = 1.69). Bell covers did not affect large particle emissions from most wind instruments, but face masks reduced large particle count emissions for singing by 92.5% (95% CI: 97.9%, 73.7%).

Lip-valve interactions with the resonant bore of a trombone

Players of brass instruments usually play at a pitch close to one of the strong resonances of the instrument bore, but can easily play either above or below a resonance. Simple one-degree-of freedom models having aperture in phase with longitudinal lip displacement do not readily explain auto-oscillationwith realistic values of lip losses and cannot explain oscillation at frequencies below resonance. Experimental measurements of lip motion, pressures and flows show that the lips’ longitudinal motion leads the transverse: the lips move downstream closed, then open, then retract while open. Because of the forward sweeping motion, flow starts before the lips open. The sweeping motion has two important effects: first, it allows a range of phases between pressure and flow. Second, it means that the DC pressure acts on a larger area in the forward motion than during retraction. Both have consequences for oscillation energetics. A simple calculation of the PdV work done on the longitudinal component of motion, using measured quantities, indicates that it could provide a substantial fraction of the energy necessary for auto-oscillation with lossy lips. These mechanisms might have implications for other auto-oscillatory systems such as the vocal folds.

Acoustical affordances and challenges with indigenous and orchestral wind instruments

All our orchestral wind instruments evolved over many centuries from indigenous prototypes. The latter were developed using found hollow objects like animal horns for early brass instruments, vulture bones for flutes, and termite-infested eucalyptus branches for the Australian didjeridu. Already over 40,000 years ago, the concept of finger holes was conceived that allowed musicians to play various scales on instruments. During the Rennaissance and early Baroque, wind instrument ranges were extended to 1 1/2 octaves and beyond on a diatonic scale and extended cross-fingering capabilities, but it was during the romantic period that our orchestral instruments reached their final form, with chromatic extended tonal ranges and known well balanced timbral qualities. Built on an industrial scale, these instruments became a commodity without real alternatives for subsequent music styles, including jazz, rock, and classical avant-garde. These styles often sought a new timbral expressiveness that can go beyond the intended design of orchestral instruments. In this paper, it will be discussed how different wind instrument designs offer(ed) unique opportunities for music genres over time and how the original design of indigenous instruments better meets some of the more recent requirements than our commonly used orchestral instruments.

Ghanaian collegiate music students who play brass instruments’ music education experiences at the pre-tertiary level

In this qualitative study, we share the musical experiences of seven Ghanaian university music students who primarily play a brass instrument in a university band. The purpose of this study is to illuminate these students’ musical experiences during their pre-tertiary years to better understand what those experiences were and how they impacted their current musical abilities and understandings. The research questions for this study are: What were the formal musical experiences of Ghanaian university music majors who play Western-style brass instruments before entering university? What music teaching and learning methods did they experience prior to entering university? Who were the people who taught them music prior to entering university? Findings indicate that musical spaces were mostly outside of the regular school curriculum, including extra-curricular school regimental bands, church brigades, and town bands. Music learning was non-sequential throughout students’ pre-tertiary experiences. Lack of access to instruments outside of rehearsals was a barrier to individual practice. Participants showed a lack of clarity about their music teachers’ credentials, experience, and backgrounds but their answers suggest that professional development and training programs for teachers would be beneficial. It is recommended that Ghanaian brass band music education is restructured in places where it already exists and where pre-tertiary students choose to play, to include more comprehensive and sequential instrumental music education.

The Modal Acoustic Archetype of Japanese Palace-Ceremonial Music Togaku-Kangen

The composite character of the Japanese ethnogenesis manifests itself at the level of culture of social strata including the canonised royal ceremonial complex gagaku (elegant music). Along with sankangaku, the music of the three Korean kingdoms, its essential component is togaku-kangen, the music for string and brass instruments of the Chinese Tang Empire, which is a fusion of intonational forms of China and many peoples of the East including the patterns of the musical thinking and language of the peoples, who had active contacts with the bearers of Greco-Roman culture. Since the musical intonation is a form process aimed to introduce meaning in the acoustic phenomenon making the latter a phenomenon or noumenon both explicitly and implicitly containing the components of comprehending existence in mythological and religious way as well as scientifi c and philosophic one (including terminology tools) and, which is naturally, the notion of the three-pronged-severalty of cosmogenesis/ethnogenesis/culturogenesis/, the systematic structural analysis of the modal acoustic of the intonational canon of the aforementioned Japanese culture makes it possible to identify the archetypical components of the worldconception characteristic not only of the peoples of the Far East, whose handbook was Book of Changes (Yi Jing) popular, in particular, among the scientists of today.

Design and Validation of Software for the Training and Automatic Evaluation of Music Intonation on Non-Fixed Pitch Instruments for Novice Students

Music education, whether professional or amateur, includes learning musical instruments. Intonation is a critical factor in their training. The main objective of this research work is the design and validation of online educational software for the real-time training and evaluation of intonation in non-fixed pitch musical instruments, such as fretted string instruments (violin, viola, and cello) and brass instruments (trumpet, horn, and trombone). This software is intended to create a practice artefact for novice music students. A design sciences research methodology is adopted to achieve a product tested for functionality and usability. Novice students carry out the validation phase through a study consisting of previous practice with the software and the administration of a questionnaire with open-ended items grouped in technical-didactic, emotional, and overall dimensions, plus two additional questions. The results show evidence that the software was well received, confirming previous studies on the design and validation of educational music education software.