Basic mood (wind instrument)

In a brass instrument, basic tuning is a name for the major scale that corresponds to the first notes of its natural tone series when no valves or slides are used. These notes are easiest and purest to play on the respective instrument. With valveless instruments like natural horns these are almost the only usable tones.

The basic tuning is named after the (sounding) fundamental tone of the instrument, i.e. its lowest natural tone, regardless of which octave space it is in (the same note name also denotes the second, fourth and eighth natural notes, which are in higher octave spaces). The basic tuning is often already mentioned in the name of the instrument: "B-flat trumpet ", "F- horn ", etc. In technical language, one also says that the trumpet "is in B flat".

Knowledge of the basic tuning is crucial when using transposed notes, as are common for some brass instruments in the orchestral area. In these notes, the name of the instrument must also include its basic pitch such as "trumpet in Bb", "horn in Eb", etc.

Physical relationship with instrument length

In the fundamental tone of the instrument, half the wavelength is approximately equal to the length of the pipe . This sets the basic mood. The frequency (unit of measurement Hertz , Hz) is related to the pipe length (measured e.g. in meters ) and the speed of sound in air (measured e.g. in meters per second ) according to the equation ${\ displaystyle f}$ ${\ displaystyle l}$ ${\ displaystyle c}$

{\ displaystyle l = {\ frac {c} {2f}}}

.

From this, the length can be calculated approximately for a given frequency ( pitch ) or, conversely, the frequency can be calculated.

Examples

A Bb tenor horn or a Bb bass trumpet is twice as long as a Bb trumpet, so if the same valve combination is used it will sound an octave lower than this, as one octave corresponds to the wavelength ratio 1: 2. The Bb piccolo trumpet is an octave above the normal trumpet, so it is half as long. The tube lengths of the tenor horn (266 cm), the French horn in Bb (274 cm), the trombone (270 cm), the baritone horn and the euphonium in Bb (262 cm) are almost the same. So all of these instruments have the same basic tuning.

At 370 cm, the French horn in F is slightly longer than the tuba in F (354 cm). Such length differences within one and the same basic tuning are caused by the construction of the instrument, in particular by the scale length as well as the opening angle and the diameter of the bell .

Woodwind instruments

Woodwind instruments also have a preferred scale (see woodwind instrument ). This is also the easiest and purest major scale to play here. Here, too, it is said that the instrument “is in B”, etc. The term basic “mood” is not common with woodwind instruments.

literature

Günter Dullat: Metalwind instrument making . Bochinsky Verlag, 1989, ISBN 3-923639-79-1
Heinz Bahnert, Theodor Herzberg, Herbert Schramm: Brass instruments . 2nd Edition. Florian Noetzel Verlag, Wilhelmshaven 1986, ISBN 3-7959-0466-8

Individual evidence

↑ Günter Dullat: Metallblasinstrumentenbau . Bochinsky Verlag, 1989, ISBN 3-923639-79-1 .

[1] Günter Dullat: Metallblasinstrumentenbau . Bochinsky Verlag, 1989, ISBN 3-923639-79-1 .