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Re: alternative instrument for a horn player

On 20 Apr, <Robert_C_Knight@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Maybe someone out there can fill us in on the history of band
> instruments. I had the vague notion that the main instruments (bass,
> bari, tenor horn, flugel, cornet, sop) were all saxhorns, and that the
> idea was a "family" of instruments with similar characteristics in
> different ranges, much like a string quartet or in early music a consort
> of viols, recorders, shawms or whatever: each of these groups has the
> ability (in theory at least) to blend so well that it sounds like a
> single instrument. On that basis other instruments might be added for
> special effect, but not as part of the main ensemble.

There are three families of brass in the traditional brass band.

1. Saxhorn Family: 
	  Soprano Cornet
	  Bb Cornet (sometimes called Alto)
	  Tenor Horn (or Alto Horn)
	  Baritone Horn (or Tenor Horn)

2. Trumpet Family:
	  Tenor Trombones in Bb
	  Bass Trombone in Bb/F/? (optional tuning on 2nd valve)
		    (formerly Trombone in G).

3. Tuba Family:
	  Flugelhorn (soprano tuba)
	  Euphonium (tenor tuba)
	  Eb Bass (bass tuba)
	  BBb Bass (contrabass tuba)

Cecil Forsyth on "Orchestration" includes the 3 larger tubas in his list
of Saxhorns but differentiates them by calling them whole tube instruments
(able to produce a pedal tone), whereas the four "real" saxhorns are half
tube instruments (not able to produce pedals). This was probably true in
1914 when his book was written, but I would think it is now probably just
as easy, if not easier to produce a pedal tone on a modern baritone or
tenor horn as on the BBb tuba.

In any case, the following is Forsyth's list of Saxhorns:

	  a. Sopranino Eb:    (Soprano Cornet)    (half tube)
	  b. Soprano Bb:      (Cornet)	    (half tube)
	  c. Alto Eb:	 (Tenor Horn)	(half tube)
	  d. Tenor Bb:	(Baritone Horn)     (half tube)
	  w. Bass Bb:	 (Euphonium)	 (whole tube)
	  x. Bass Eb:	 (Eb Tuba)	   (whole tube)
	  y. Contrabass Bb:   (BBb Tuba)	  (whole tube)

What surprises me is that although the band has always had instruments
from all three families in the tenor register, namely Baritone Horns,
Tenor Trombones and Euphoniums (all pitched in tenor Bb), there is so much
opposition to extending the trombone tone into the soprano register by
using trumpets as a contrast to the overwhelming saxhorn tone from the
army of cornets.	 

Adrian

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