instrumentation for Brass Band

[Struggler06]

N e out there no the perfect instrumentation for a brass band using GPO??
Which instruments should I use and all that other good stuff

[DPDAN]

I don't know that there is a perfect instrumentation list anywhere. :)
There is of course the list of brass instruments in GPO. Wait a short time for Jazz and Big Band library to be released, and you will have more brass instruments to choose from.

Dan

[tony]

The standard British Brass Band contains Eflat Soprano Cornets, Bflat Cornets, Bflat Flugelhorns, Eflat horns, Bflat Baritone horn, Bflat Trombones, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Eflat Bass, Bflat Bass and last but not least Percussion.
Hope this helps - I am not sure whether many of these have been sampled though.
Cheers
Tony

[dancase]

One of my greatest frustrations with sampled instruments is the lack of Brass Band instrumentation. Brass bands use cornets, not trumpets, and Eb tenor horns, not "french" horns pitched in F. Soprano cornets are NOT the same thing as piccolo trumpets. Baritones are NOT the same as Euphoniums.

I've tried various approaches to "faking" brass band instrumentation. It's never been "close enough." It's like trying to use violin and cello samples to mimick a harp. Not even close. I've talked with a number of sample library producers along the way, and nobody seems to have the slightest inclination toward sampling Brass Band instruments. I think I'd have more success trying to get GM to produce a Corvette pickup truck.

GPO is an outstanding orchestral library, and I'm sure that the upcoming Jazz and Big Band library will be equally outstanding -- I'm looking forward to it, if I don't die of old age before it's actually released :D . So far, though, I haven't heard any evidence that JABB will bring me any closer to being able to replicate the sound of a traditional Brass Band. Even though my band plays a lot of Big Band/Jazz pieces, there's still a difference in the timbre of a "scream cornet" vs a "scream trumpet." JABB's saxes, from the demos I've heard so far. Still, they can't produce the rich saxhorn sound that comes with the right blend of flugel, Eb tenor, and Bb baritone horns. I've had times when we were playing Brass Band arrangements of some of the BB classics from the 40's when I found myself wondering who sneaked that sax choir into the hall -- then realized that that the saxhorn sound I was hearing was too rich for reeds.

I think that a lot of folks don't quite "get" what a Brass Band is about. They think "brass band" and their minds immediately go to "marches" -- and if we could analyze their minds, they're all thinking of one or two overdone marches. They have no idea of the breadth or depth of Brass Band music. I love seeing folks at our concerts that have never heard a "real" British-style Brass Band before. I love listening to them express their amazement at hearing things like "Amparito Roca," "Euphonium Concerto," "Blue Rondo Ala Turk," and "Amazing Grace" on the same program, or Harry James' "Trumpet Blues and Cantabile" arranged for Bb and Eb Cornets. None of that surprises the Brits in the crowd, because they've been hearing Brass Bands forever. It's exciting to see folks discover the potential of Brass Bands for the first time.

Unfortunately, that discovery seems to have missed the creators of sample libraries. I keep thinking that someone in the UK (where Brass bands rule) will come out with a Brass Band sample library, but so far, nothing has emerged.

Sigh. :(

D.

[Markleford]

Bb cornet, Eb horn, and Bb trombone player here. :) Love the sound.

- m

[snorlax]

N e out there no the perfect instrumentation for a brass band using GPO??
Which instruments should I use and all that other good stuff
Resident euphonium soloist here...UK and US...sat in with bands in Dyfed & Lincolnshire...now soloist with Indianapolis groups.

We need a really fine euphonium sample. The world would be a better place if we had more euphonium music.

Jim

[Dargason]

We need a really fine euphonium sample. The world would be a better place if we had more euphonium music.Agreed... will GPOA include "classical" saxes and euphonium? These are required for concert band/wind ensemble arrangements. And while I love brass band music as much as any other ensemble, concert bands are a much larger market in the U.S. Nearly every secondary school in the country has at least one.

[dancase]

We need a really fine euphonium sample. The world would be a better place if we had more euphonium music.

The world would be a better place if there were more Brass Bands in general -- Including your bloody Euphoniums! :D :D :D

IMHO, the only people who don't love the sound of a good Brass Band have never actually HEARD one. ;)

D.

[dancase]

Reminds me of a really good british film, "Brassed Off". It features on of my fav british character actors, Pete Postlethwaite.


Not to mention that all the music was performed by Grimethorpe Colliery Band -- one of the UK's finest Brass Bands. Some really, really fine music!

D.

[dynamix]

"Brassed Off"...

Great Soundtrack Album

Erik

[Godfrey]

All right, so where can we hear some good representative examples of the traditional British brass band sound?

[dancase]

All right, so where can we hear some good representative examples of the traditional British brass band sound?


http://www.brasscast.com/main.htm is a great place to start -- this is a collection of Brass Band podcasts and features a broad variety of music by a broad variety of bands from all over the world. Nice quality mp3 files. The host isn't exactly a top radio personality, but he knows the Brass Band world.

And again, the uninitiated can also get a good sense of the history and tradition of the British Brass Band by buying/renting the movie "Brassed Off."

Enjoy!

D.