brass

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brass Family of musical wind instruments made of metal and played by means of a cupped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece. Simple brass instruments, such as the bugle, produce a limited range of notes, which are the harmonics corresponding to the length of the tube. In most other brass instruments, the length of the air column can be altered by valves or slides to produce the full range of notes. The chief brass instruments of a symphony orchestra are the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba. Other members of the family include the cornet.

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