- Definition
A brass instrument is a musical instrument, usually made of metal, that you play by buzzing your lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece.
A trumpet is a brass instrument because the player buzzes their lips into a small, cupped mouthpiece to create sound.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A brass instrument is like blowing a raspberry into a long metal tube to make a big, loud sound.
Ask your child: How does a player get different notes from one long metal tube?
Common mix-up: Kids may think any shiny metal instrument is brass, like a flute. The key is that brass players make sound by buzzing their lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece.
Examples
- A trombone player slides a part of the instrument back and forth to change the length of the tube and make different notes.
- The tuba is a very large brass instrument that plays the lowest notes in an orchestra or band.
brass instrument is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
