Brass is a metal composed primarily of copper and zinc. Copper is the maincomponent, and brass is usually classified as a copper alloy. The color ofbrass varies from a dark reddish brown to a light silvery yellow dependingon the amount of zinc present; the more zinc, the lighter the color.
Brassis stronger and harder than copper, but not as strong or hard as steel. Itis easy to form into various shapes, a good conductor of heat, andgenerally resistant to corrosion from salt water. A diagram depiding typical manufacturing steps in 6rass production.Brasses with a higher percentages of zinc are stronger and harder, butthey are also more difficult to form and have less corrosion resistance.The zinc used to make brass is a commercial grade sometimes known asspelter.Some brasses also contain small percentages of other materials to improvecertain characteristics. Up to 3.8% by weight of lead may be added toimprove machinability. The addition of tin improves corrosion resistance.Iron makes the brass harder and makes the internal grain structure smallerso that the metal can be shaped by repeated impacts in a process calledforging. Arsenic and antimony are sometimes added to brasses that containmore than 20% zinc in order to inhibit corrosion.
Other materials that maybe used in very small amounts are manganese,silicon,and phosphorus.DesignThe traditional names for various types of brass usually reflected eitherthe color of the material or the intended use. For example, red brasscontained 15% zinc and had a reddish color, while yellow brass contained35% zinc and had a yellowish color. Cartridge brass contained 30% zinc andwas used to make cartridges for firearms. Naval brasses had up to 39.7%zinc and were used in various applications on ships.Unfortunately, scattered among the traditional brass names were a numberof misnomers. Brass with 10% zinc was called commercial bronze, eventhough it did not contain any tin and was not a bronze.
YouthBrass2000 photo World of Brass @WorldOfBrass ANNOUNCEMENT We are teaming up with @4barsrest to live stream the Euros 2019 from 26. Feb 18, 2019 - Youth Brass 2000 conducted by Chris Jeans. 2, Starburst, Dan Price. Rochdale Borough Youth Band conducted by Ben Dixon. 3, Circle of Life.
Brass with 40%zinc and 3.8% lead was called architectural bronze, even though it wasactually a leaded brass.As a result of these sometimes confusing names, brasses in the UnitedStates are now designated by the Unified Numbering System for metals andalloys. This system uses a letter—in this case the letter'C' for copper, because brass is a copperalloy—followed by five digits. Brasses whose chemicalcomposition makes them suitable for being formed into the final productby mechanical methods, such as rolling or forging, are called wroughtbrasses, and the first digit of their designation is I through 7. Brasseswhose chemical composition makes them suitable for being formed into thefinal product by pouring molten metal into a mold are called cast brasses,and the first digit of their designation is 8 or 9.The Manufacturing ProcessThe manufacturing process used to produce brass involves combining theappropriate raw materials into a molten metal, which is allowed tosolidify. The shape and properties of the solidified metal are thenaltered through a series of carefully controlled operations to produce thedesired brass stock.Brass stock is available in a variety of forms including plate, sheet,strip, foil, rod, bar, wire, and billet depending on the finalapplication. For example, brass screws are cut from lengths of rod. Thezigzag fins used in some vehicle radiators are bent from strip.
Pipes andtubes are formed by extruding, or squeezing rectangular billets of hotbrass through a shaped opening, called a die, to form long, hollowcylinders.The differences between plate, sheet, strip, and foil are the overall sizeand thickness of the materials. Plate is a large, flat, rectangular pieceof brass with a thickness greater than about 0.2 in. (5 mm)—like apiece of plywood used in building construction. Sheet usually has the sameoverall size as plate, but is thinner. Strip is made from sheet that hasbeen cut into long, narrow pieces. Foil is like strip, only much thinner.Some brass foil can be as thin as 0.0005 in (0.013 mm).The actual manufacturing process depends on the desired shape andproperties of the brass stock, as well as the particular machinery andpractices used in different brass plants. Here is a typical manufacturingprocess used to produce brass sheet and strip.Melting.1 The appropriate amount of suitable copper alloy scrap is weighed andtransferred into an electric furnace where it is melted at about1,920°F (1,050°C).
After adjusting for the amount of zinc inthe scrap alloy, an appropriate amount of zinc is added after the coppermelts. A small amount of additional zinc, about 50% of the total zincrequired, may be added to compensate for any zinc that vaporizes duringthe melting operation. If any other materials are required for theparticular brass formulation, they are also added if they were notpresent in the copper scrap.2 The molten metal is poured into molds about 8 in x 18 in x 10 ft (20cm x 46 cm x 3 m) and allowed to solidify into slabs called cakes.
Insome operations, the melting and pouring are done semi-continuously toproduce very long slabs.3 When the cakes are cool enough to be moved, they are dumped out of themolds and moved to the rolling area where they are stored.Hot rolling.4 The cakes are placed in a furnace and are reheated until they reachthe desired temperature. The temperature depends on the final shape andproperties of the brass stock.5 The heated cakes are then fed through a series of opposing steelrollers which reduce the thickness of the brass step-by-step to about0.5 in (13 mm) or less. At the same time, the width of the brassincreases. This process is sometimes called breakdown rolling.6 The brass, which is now much cooler, passes through a milling machinecalled a scalper.
This machine cuts a thin layer off the outer faces ofthe brass to remove any oxides which may have formed on the surfaces asa result of the hot metal's exposure to the air.Annealing and cold rolling.7 As the brass is hot rolled it gets harder and more difficult to work.It also loses its ductility, or ability to be stretched further. Beforethe brass can be rolled further, it must first be heated to relieve someof its hardness and make it more ductile. This process is calledannealing. The annealing temperatures and times vary according tothe brass composition and desired properties. Larger pieces ofhot-rolled brass may be placed in a sealed furnace and annealed togetherin a batch.
Smaller pieces may be placed on a metal belt conveyor andfed continuously through a furnace with airtight seals at each end. Ineither method, the atmosphere inside the furnace is filled with aneutral gas like nitrogen to prevent the brass from reacting with oxygenand forming undesirable oxides on its surface.8 The annealed pieces of brass are then fed through another series ofrollers to further reduce their thickness to about 0.1 in (2.5 mm).
Thisprocess is called cold rolling because the temperature of the brass ismuch lower than the temperature during hot rolling. Cold rolling deformsthe internal structure of the brass, or grain, and increases itsstrength and hardness. The more the thickness is reduced, the strongerand harder the material becomes. The cold-rolling mills are designed tominimize deflection across the width of the rollers in order to producebrass sheets with near-uniform thickness.9 Steps 7 and 8 may be repeated many times to achieve the desiredthickness, strength, and degree of hardness.
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In some plants, the piecesof brass are connected together into one long, continuous sheet and arefed through a series of annealing furnaces and rolling mills arranged ina vertical serpentine pattern.10 At this point, the wide sheets may be slit into narrower sections toproduce brass strip.
A traditional calls for a very specific combination of brass instruments, along with a percussion section. Unlike traditional wind bands, which use trumpets and French horns, the Brass Band makes use of cornets and E-flat tenor horns for these voices. The design of all the instruments in the brass band can be simplified to say that they are all different sizes of essentially the same conical-bore instrument (with the obvious exception of the trombone).This homogeneity allows for a rich and balanced sound that cannot be duplicated in other ensembles. Interestingly, part of the Brass Band tradition calls for all of the music parts to be written in the treble clef, from soprano cornet all the way down to tuba! The only exception to this is the bass trombone, which is still written in the bass clef.One of the main reasons for the very specific instrumentation of a Brass Band is the very strong and popular tradition of contesting and competition. In a Brass Band contest, only the set number of players are allowed on stage. Contest types vary across not only Britain, but the world.
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Competition serves not only as a yardstick to measure an ensemble’s quality and progress, but also as strong motivation for the musicians to improve as individuals and stay at the top of their game. Soprano and Bb Cornets – Trumpet players can easily switch to the Cornet. The Soprano Cornet is the top voice of the brass band.
The Soprano Cornet should be treated somewhat like a piccolo is treated in a wind band; The prevalent sound should be sweet and light, floating on top of the ensemble. Only occasionally, when voiced to add brilliance in unison or octave to the ff solo cornet sound, should the sopranobe bright and edgy.Students may audition for Solo Cornet or Soprano Cornet. The Bb cornets are subdivided into the front row and back row. The front row, or solo cornets, often provided melodic lines or play very technical passages. The back row (repiano, 2nd and 3rd cornets) provided harmonies and support to the front row. Flugelhorn – Trumpet players can easily switch to the Flugelhorn.
The flugelhorn is the crossroads of the band,connecting the lower band to the upper band with its range of sonorities. The flugelhorn can, and often does, provide the top voice of the tenor horn choir; It can also reinforce the cornet sound, support the back row or add body to the repiano voice. Students may audition for this part.E-flat Tenor Horns – French Horn and Trumpet players can switch to the Tenor Horn. The tenor horn can be conceptualized as an alto cornet-the downward extension of the cornet section. The tenor horn should have clearly audible overtones and characterto its sound, not be a bland and strive only for darkness.Students may audition for Solo Horn. Baritones – Baritones are known as the “utility” players, much like the role the euphonium plays in a wind band.
The role of this player in the band is often to be the bass voice of the horns, to add brilliance to tutti parts with the euphoniums, to add depth of sound to the trombones, or to play on their own.Euphoniums – Euphoniums lead the right side of the band. Their sound is the “icing on the cake” to the euphonium and baritone section. This should be a leader in terms of character of sound and volume.Euphonium and Baritone players can choose which part to play. Students may audition for Solo Euphonium and Solo Baritone. E-flat and B-flat Tubas (also called Basses) – The bass sound of the band is quite different than the tuba sound in an orchestra.
The tuba sound in orchestra is a more focused and cutting sound in that ensemble, whereas the bass sound in brass band should be more similar to the double bass sound in an orchestra. The listener should notice that the bass sound is there, but should not be able to notice that the basses are tubas.
The sound should be less focused than the traditional “orchestral” sound; more of just a “presence”.Tuba students can choose to play either part. Note: A tuba pitched specifically in E-flat or B-flat is not required.