How do the valves of a brass instrument work?

Answer 1

The valves in a brass instrument re-direct the air into different parts of the tubing. Each valve controls a different part of the instrument. The longer the tubing, the lower the note will be.

Answer 2

Each time you press a key on a brass instrument then blow into the mouthpiece that key that you have pressed down is compressing the air which leads to a note A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

Pressing down the valve increases the length of the tube. Valve #2= ½ step, #1=1 step and #3=1½ step. The length of the tube determines the pitch of the sound. The valves all open will play (B-flat horn) a C, G, C'.

If you play a C and, with your embouchure the same, press down the 2nd valve your pitch will drop to B...press 1 and your pitch will drop to B-flat. Press 1 and 2 together and you drop the pitch to A.

If you start at G (all open), 2 is an F#, 1 is F, 1&2 (or 3) is E, 2&3 is Eb, 1&3 is D, 1&2&3 is C#...Then you are back down to C with all valves open.

Important note is that the fingerings he is stating are for Trumpet. Other brass instruments have different fingering for those notes but regardless the valves drop chromatically the same amount

Meaning that 2nd valve drops one half step on all brass (except Trombone)

1st valve is one whole step

1st and 2nd together(or third alone) is 3 half steps

2nd and 3rd valve together are 2 whole steps

1st and 3rd together or 4th alone are 5 half steps

1st 2nd and 3rd together or 4th and 2nd together are 3 whole steps

1st and 4th together are 7 half steps

1st 2nd and 4th together are 4 whole steps

2nd 3rd and 4th together are 9 half steps

1st 3rd and 4th together are 5 whole steps

1st 2nd 3rd and 4th together are 11 half steps

Some concert instruments have more than 4 valves, more with only 3.

also note that with a 4th valve you can go nearly an entire octave while on the same partial (a partial is the base note you start with, open/no valves pressed).

When the keys are pressed the valves move down in the cylinder. The valves are like round metal tubes that have holes drilled through them. When the valve moves down, the holes line up with two opposing brass tubes and lets the sound pass through.

It's a complicate combination of pushing keys to make the valves go up or down. A spring is located at the bottom of the metal valves to push them back up when the keys are released.

If a brass instrument was stretched out without the curves in it, it would be so long that it would not be feasible. Everyone has seen those trumpets in movies depicting the Romans where they play as the army triumphantly enters the city

The longer you make the tube with valve combinations, the lower the fundamental tone. The lip is used to play harmonics of that fundamental.

Answer 3

The valves are used to change notes. When pressing down a valve, air goes through a different set of holes and into extra tubing. When the overall length of the tubing changes, so do the notes.

Answer 4

The valves on a brass instrument are used to change the length of tubing which alters the pitch of the sound produced. When pressed the valve diverts the air stream through additional tubing. This increases the distance the vibrating air travels causing the pitch to be lower. Valves can either be piston or rotary valves. Piston valves have a spring below the valve and when pressed down the holes in the valves line up with other tubing which diverts the air. In rotary valves when pressed the valve rotates and like the piston valve has holes in it to line up with additional tubing to change where the air goes.

Answer 5

The valves themselves have holes drilled through them that line up with different sets of tubing. By redirecting air to a different tube, it makes the overall length of the air stream longer, which in turn lowers the pitch.

Answer 6

Each valve has two sets of holes, which direct the air flow either directly through, or when the valve is pressed, through additional tubing. By making the entire instrument slightly longer, it lowers the pitch.

Answer 7

The valves on a brass instrument help the sound go higher or lower.

Answer 8

They change the notes by changing the length of tubing.

Answer 9

nothing