A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. Brass instruments are also called labrosones or labrophones, from Latin and Greek elements meaning 'lip' and 'sound'.
Six high brass instruments Left, from top: A reproduction baroque trumpet in D, a modern trumpet in B♭, a modern trumpet in D, a piccolo trumpet in B♭ (octave higher), and a flugelhorn in B♭. Right: a cornet in B♭.
A tenor horn (alto horn) in E♭, baritone horn in B♭, and euphonium in B♭
Brass instrument piston valves
Flugelhorn with three pistons and a trigger
Pitch of brass instruments
The pitch of a brass instrument corresponds to the lowest playable resonance frequency of the open instrument. The combined resonances resemble a harmonic series. The fundamental frequency of the harmonic series can be varied by adjusting the length of the tubing using the instrument's valve, slide, key or crook system, while the player's embouchure, lip tension and air flow serve to select a specific harmonic from the available series for playing. The fundamental is essentially missing from the resonances and is impractical to play on most brass instruments, but the overtones account for most pitches.
High brass - from the top left: Baroque trumpet in D, modern trumpets in B♭ and D (same pitch D as Baroque), piccolo trumpet in high B♭, Flugelhorn in B♭; right: cornet in B♭.