Interesting Article in Physics Today

[Art Hovey]

In addition to stuff about pianos and violins, this article discusses the question, "must brass instruments be made of brass?"

http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/ma ... eofbrass-1

[fairweathertuba]

Well duh, of course not as brass is only one choice of material. However it seems artisans through the ages have preferred to use brass because of it's availibility, tone, ease of construction and overall success.

[UDELBR]

"must brass instruments be made of brass?"

Surely a trick question. If they weren't made of brass, they wouldn't be brass instruments.

[Greg Lecewicz]

The " dull" plastic is out of the question but some very expensive trombone slides are being made out of carbon fibre. Namely the tubes are CF, the rest is brass. I would go for the little straight tubes made with CF in the tuba valve section. It would reduce the weight and wouldn't change the tone I assume. Also I'd like to have carbon bell section with maybe a brass collar on top for some decoration. From talking to the brass repairman and makers- the bottom bow is a deciding factor for the tone and pitch control so I'm not sure how CF would affect those. Maybe it's the shape of it, not as much as the material ?

[Donn]

I see they've done something like the experiment I've idly thought about, the concrete cornet. Buy a cheap used cornet, put it in a plastic bag with all the openings connected to the bag and tied off, fill with concrete. Plug the water key holes (you've already removed the keys), plug in a mouthpiece, and you have a zero-resonance cornet. (For school band use, wrap with chicken wire before the bag goes on, for reinforcement.) The one in Vienna is a French horn, in a box filled with sand, but they cite an experiment at Rollins College that used a trumpet, damped I don't know how.

The account of the experiment in Vienna uses the term "radiated sound", which must mean something to them, but literally, I believe any sound would tend to be radiated. At a guess, maybe they're trying to distinguish between amplitude on and off axis? Or maybe it doesn't really mean anything. It's a common observation that the player gets a different perspective on the sound, and possibly one more influenced by bell material than the sound out front.

[windshieldbug]

Design trumps material, for the most part

My experience. But what other medium is as easy a brass to experiment with as easily?

[pjv]

Just wait 'till the 3D printers catch-up with the demands of a new generation!