Equipment

Short history of instrument maker Josef Monke (1882 to 1965)

By Liselotte Monke

Part 2

The Baroque trumpet, the high trumpet and the so-called Bach trumpet

Continuation of Edward H. Tarr’s study on the Baroque trumpet, examining the high trumpet and further clarifying the concept of the “Bach trumpet.”

By Edward H. Tarr

The ingenious Free-Flow rotary valve of René Hagmann

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Yamaha, 40 years of brasses

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

The Pitch Finder

A 1980 attempt to make trumpet intonation mechanical shifts familiar pitch corrections from the embouchure to the fingers, with striking consequences for playing.

By Jack Holland

Part 5

Instrument Makers in USA

S. W. Lewis Orchestral Horns

For Steven Lewis, building a horn begins with playing it: craftsmanship, acoustic compromise and observation shape instruments made for musicians rather than theory.

By Stephan Suter

Stomvi, birth of a new brand name in brass instruments

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

The development of the Vienna concert Tuba

By Gerhard Zechmeister

Brief history of Austrian hunting horn music in Austria

Special Austria

By Josef Pöschl

The tuba in France

How did the tuba emerge as an orchestral force? Fernand Lelong and Robert Coutet trace its path—from serpent to Sax—and its rapid rise.

By Fernand Lelong, Robert Coutet

Part 3

The Trumpet in the USA

Gadgets I

From Schilke soundposts to piccolo trumpet extensions, American performers turned technical frustrations into specialized tools for modern playing.

By Thomas Stevens

The contrabass sackbut

a modern copy

A reconstructed 17th-century contrabass sackbut revives forgotten low brass practice, from Venetian polychoral music to modern performance challenges.

By Richard Lister

The lead trumpet player

A survey of training, practice and equipment

Article on lead trumpet playing, covering training, practice methods and equipment for achieving accuracy, endurance and style.

By John Harding

Kalison - 3rd Generation

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Thoughts on the Bass Trombone

Long before modern standards took hold, bass trombones existed in many forms, raising questions that still shape orchestral writing and performance today.

By Jean Gotthold

Making mute handling easier

By Benny Sluchin

On the Cornett and Serpent

From Pierre Trichet’s Traité des Instruments de Musique (c. 1640)

Written around 1640, Pierre Trichet’s Traité des Instruments de Musique preserves a firsthand account of the cornett and serpent in musical life and construction.

By Pierre Trichet

On Trumpets

From Pierre Trichet’s Traité des Instruments de Musique (c. 1640)

Trumpets served war, ceremony and even medicine before Trichet turned to the mute, a simple device whose purpose extended far beyond changing the sound.

By Pierre Trichet

Part 1

300 Years of the Horn

1680-1980, an attempted survey

From Versailles to Bohemia, hunting horns enter orchestral life through makers, players, early works and the Austro-Bohemian tradition.

By Peter Damm

The Future of the Past

Interview with Richard Seraphinoff, player, teacher and horn maker

By Jeffrey Agrell

My new developed descant double horn

Why does the ideal horn not exist? Theo Westhof designs a new descant double horn to solve tuning and tone issues—without compromise.

By Theo Westhof

Part 2

The contrabass trombone

Picture and sketches, taking particularly into account the construction principles (1973)

Inside the workshop of innovation: Heinrich Thein reveals how rethinking every detail—from valves to bell—transforms the contrabass trombone into a modern orchestral instrument

By Heinrich Thein

Piston Instrument Care

By David Holloway

Some thoughts on the euphonium and euphonium technique

The euphonium revealed: Barrie Perrins explores its history, technique, and expressive power—making a compelling case for its place as one of brass’s most versatile solo voices.

By Barrie Perrins