Joel Gilbert – författare

This book provides an in-depth account of the fascinating but far from simple actions and processes that take place when a brass instrument is played. Written by three leading researchers in brass instrument acoustics who are also experienced brass players, it draws together the many recent advances in our understanding of the subtly interrelated factors shaping the musician''s control of the instrument''s sound. The reader is introduced to models of sound generation, propagation and radiation. In particular, the current understanding of the behaviour of the player''s lips, the modes of vibration of the air column inside the instrument, and the radiation of sound from a brass instrument bell are explained. The functions of the mouthpiece and of mutes are discussed. Spectral enrichment arising from nonlinear propagation of the internal sound wave in loud playing is shown to be an important influence on the timbre of many types of brass instrument. The characteristics of brass instruments in contemporary use (including cornets, trumpets, french horns, trombones and tubas) are identified, and related to those of the great variety of instruments at earlier stages in the evolution of the brass family. This copiously illustrated book concludes with case studies of the recreation of ancient instruments and some of the current applications of electronics and information technology to brass instrument performance. While most of the material presented is accessible by a general readership, the topic of musical instrument modelling is developed at a mathematical level which makes it a useful academic resource for advanced teaching and research.

A lone bugler sounds the Last Post at a Festival of Remembrance. Overlapping horn arpeggios conjure up the flowing waters of the Rhine in Wagner’s opera “Das Rheingold”. Seventy-six trombones lead the big parade; trumpets sound ceremonial fanfares, and power the horn sections in jazz and funk bands. The sounds of brass instruments enrich many of our most inspiring musical experiences. But what defines a “brass instrument”? How is a stream of air blown through a small gap in the player’s lips transformed into a sound which fills a concert hall? When did brass instruments originate, and how did they evolve into the instruments of the modern orchestra? These are some of the questions addressed in this book. The authors, professional scientists but also experienced brass players, explain how recent research has illuminated our understanding of brass instruments. The presentation is aimed at a general readership, including players, teachers, and lovers of all types of music. No mathematical background is assumed. Descriptions of many experiments on brass instruments carried out by the authors and others bring out the musical significance of the results. A novel approach to the systematic classification of brass instruments is outlined and graphically illustrated. Separate chapters are devoted to trumpets and related instruments, horns, trombones, tubas, brass instruments with toneholes, and instruments from antiquity including the Celtic carnyx. The final chapter reviews the application of electronic enhancement techniques to brass instruments. The book is generously illustrated with colour photographs, musical examples, and explanatory figures.