Preface
vii
minor modifications to trumpets, horns, tubas and other common brasswinds. We
will also discuss some instruments such as the didgeridoo (which has a sophisticated
playing technique but is not intended to be assigned a nominal pitch) and ancient
instruments such as the bucina, carnyx, lituus and lur. While we do not describe
individually all the many kinds of labrosone used worldwide, many of the general
principles we explain will be applicable to the broad field of labrosones.
It goes without saying that the material presented in this monograph is the fruit
of decades of work by very many colleagues who are part of the vibrant and friendly
international community of musical acousticians. The text evolved during a 20-yearlong collaboration between the acoustics laboratories at Edinburgh and Le Mans
and has been enriched by the input of generations of postgraduate students. The
authors are enthusiastic brass players as well as professional scientists, and many
musical colleagues have also contributed greatly to our research in this field and in
the preparation of the book.
The text is organised in three parts. Part I consists of two chapters, which
review two different but complementary perspectives: the musician’s view of brass
instrument behaviour, and the scientific approach to the topic. These chapters
provide a non-mathematical introduction to the detailed acoustical model of brass
playing, which is unfolded in Part II. Mathematical methods, including the use of
calculus, are used when necessary in Part II, but each of the four chapters in this
part begins with a non-mathematical summary of the main ideas and results. Part III
consists mainly of a detailed presentation of the taxonomy of brasswinds past and
present, illustrated by many photographs from the Edinburgh University Collection
of Historic Musical Instruments, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and other
sources.
Edinburgh, UK
Murray Campbell
Le Mans, France
Joël Gilbert
Edinburgh, UK
Arnold Myers
June 2020
vii
minor modifications to trumpets, horns, tubas and other common brasswinds. We
will also discuss some instruments such as the didgeridoo (which has a sophisticated
playing technique but is not intended to be assigned a nominal pitch) and ancient
instruments such as the bucina, carnyx, lituus and lur. While we do not describe
individually all the many kinds of labrosone used worldwide, many of the general
principles we explain will be applicable to the broad field of labrosones.
It goes without saying that the material presented in this monograph is the fruit
of decades of work by very many colleagues who are part of the vibrant and friendly
international community of musical acousticians. The text evolved during a 20-yearlong collaboration between the acoustics laboratories at Edinburgh and Le Mans
and has been enriched by the input of generations of postgraduate students. The
authors are enthusiastic brass players as well as professional scientists, and many
musical colleagues have also contributed greatly to our research in this field and in
the preparation of the book.
The text is organised in three parts. Part I consists of two chapters, which
review two different but complementary perspectives: the musician’s view of brass
instrument behaviour, and the scientific approach to the topic. These chapters
provide a non-mathematical introduction to the detailed acoustical model of brass
playing, which is unfolded in Part II. Mathematical methods, including the use of
calculus, are used when necessary in Part II, but each of the four chapters in this
part begins with a non-mathematical summary of the main ideas and results. Part III
consists mainly of a detailed presentation of the taxonomy of brasswinds past and
present, illustrated by many photographs from the Edinburgh University Collection
of Historic Musical Instruments, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and other
sources.
Edinburgh, UK
Murray Campbell
Le Mans, France
Joël Gilbert
Edinburgh, UK
Arnold Myers
June 2020