The project is original research into the identification and classification of brasswind instruments, based on a detailed comparison of internal measurements of instruments and mouthpieces, historical performance traditions and perceived behaviour of the instruments in use.

It is a common belief that the difference between one kind of brass musical instrument and another kind is largely a function of bore profile in instrument and mouthpiece. The research is testing this hypothesis and is attempting to identify and quantify a convenient set of parameters for bore profile which would provide a sufficient and unambiguous means of classifying brass instruments. This is being carried out in the acoustics laboratory of the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Edinburgh and in the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, which houses a very comprehensive collection of brass instruments.

The bore profiles of a large number of brass instruments of different types is being analysed using state-of-the-art acoustic techniques. The research is drawing on the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments and other sources of instruments including those believed to be typical of standard models. The research is attempting to bring order to the confused nomenclature of brass instrument types, in particular the instruments developed in the 19th century following the invention of the valve. The research is also attempting to draw some conclusions about different models of nominally similar instruments as used in different places at different historical times. The existence of national schools of instrument design is being examined.

Finally, the research is investigating the possibility of the further invention in the field of brass instrument design: whether or not the profusion of new instrument patterns in the 19th century exhausted all the possible viable bore profiles, or whether a distinct new type of brass instrument could be made.

Progress so far

Measurements have been taken in various collections in Europe and America. A PhD thesis has been successfully completed:

• Arnold Myers, Characterization and Taxonomy of Historic Brass Musical Instruments from an Acoustical Standpoint, thesis presented for the Degree of Ph.D., University of Edinburgh, 1998.

Publications

• Arnold Myers and D. Murray Campbell, `Trumpet Design and Acoustical Characteristics' in Proceedings of Cuivres Anciens Symposium of the Historic Brass Society, Paris, March 1999. New York: Historic Brass Society, [due 2001].
• D. Murray Campbell, Joël Gilbert and Arnold Myers, `The Sounding Pitches of Brass Instruments' in Proceedings of the 17th International Congress on Acoustics, Rome, 2-7 September 2001. Rome: 17th ICA, 2001. ISBN 88-88387-03-X, Vol. 4, Wind Instruments session, pp.4-5.
• Arnold Myers, `Acoustical Aspects of Preserving Historic Musical Instruments' in Proceedings of the 17th International Congress on Acoustics, Rome, 2-7 September 2001. Rome: 17th ICA, 2001. ISBN 88-88387-03-X, Vol. 4, Acoustics in the Restoration of Ancient Musical Instrumentsd session, pp.6-7.
• Arnold Myers, `Organology: a Position Paper'. Historic Brass Society Journal (ISSN 1045-4616), 2000, 12 pp.viii-xi.
• Arnold Myers, `Trombone Designs in the Transition from Early Models to Modern'. In Monika Lustig, ed., Bericht über das 19 Musikinstrumentenbau-Symposium: Posaunen und Trompeten - Geschichte, Akustik, Spieltechnik; Michaelstein, 20-22 November 1998. (Michaelsteiner Konferenzberichte, Band 60). Blankenburg, Harz: Kloster Michaelstein, 2000. ISBN 3-89512-116-9, pp.39-52.
• Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `Post-horns, Cornets and Ballad Horns: Catalogue of the Collection Volume 2 Part H Fascicle viii.' Edinburgh: EUCHMI, 2000. ISBN 0 907635 43 1.
• Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `Althorns, Tenor Horns and Baritones: Catalogue of the Collection Volume 2 Part H Fascicle ix.' Edinburgh: EUCHMI, 2000. ISBN 0 907635 44 X.
• Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `Euphoniums and Tubas: Catalogue of the Collection Volume 2 Part H Fascicle x.' Edinburgh: EUCHMI, 2000. ISBN 0 907635 45 8.
• D. Murray Campbell, `Intonation et resonances acoustiques des cornets a bouquin et des serpents'. In Laurent Espié and Vincent Gibiat, eds, Colloque acoustique et instruments anciens: factures musiques et science, 17-18 novembre 1998; Paris: Musée de la Musique, 1999, pp.125-137.
• Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `Trumpets and Trombones: Catalogue of the Collection Volume 2 Part H Fascicle iii, 2nd edition.' Edinburgh: EUCHMI, 1998. ISBN 0 907635 37 7.
• Paul Lewis, Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `Horns and Bugles: Catalogue of the Collection Volume 2 Part H Fascicle i, 2nd edition.' Edinburgh: EUCHMI, 1997. ISBN 0 907635 33 4.
• Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `Large Mouthpieces for Brasswind: Catalogue of the Collection Volume 2 Part H Fascicle v.' Edinburgh: EUCHMI, 1996. ISBN 0 907635 31 8.
• Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `Small Mouthpieces for Brasswind: Catalogue of the Collection Volume 2 Part H Fascicle iv.' Edinburgh: EUCHMI, 1996. ISBN 0 907635 30 X.
• Arnold Myers, `The Horn Function and Brass Instrument Character'. In Stewart Carter, ed., Perspectives in Brass Scholarship: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Historic Brass Instruments, Amherst, 1995; New York: Pendragon, 1997, ISBN 0 945193 97 1, pp.239-262.
• David B. Sharp, Arnold Myers and D. Murray Campbell, `Using Pulse Reflectometry to Compare the Evolution of the Cornet and the Trumpet in the 19th and 20th Centuries' In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Musical Acoustics, Edinburgh, 19-22 August 1997: Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, 1997, 19 (5), ISBN 1 901656 04 7, pp.541-548.
• Frank Tomes and Arnold Myers, `Rudall Carte's Patent Conical Bore Brasswind and Webster Trumpets.' Historic Brass Society Journal (ISSN 1045-4616), 1995, 7 pp.107-122.
• David Sharp, Arnold Myers, Raymond Parks and D. Murray Campbell, `Bore Reconstruction by Pulse Reflectometry and its Potential for the Taxonomy of Brass Instruments.' In Mike Newman, ed., `Proceedings of the 15th International Congress on Acoustics, Trondheim, Norway, 26-30 June 1995', Trondheim: ICA '95, 1995, pp.481-484.
• Arnold Myers and Raymond Parks, `How to Measure a Horn'. The Galpin Society Journal (ISSN 0072-0127), 1995, XLVII pp.193-199.
• Arnold Myers and D. Murray Campbell, `Approaches to an acoustic taxonomy of brass musical instruments'. Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, 1993, 15 (3) pp.697-704.

  Papers read

  • Did Sax Invent the Saxhorn ?: Historic Brass Society and American Musical Instrument Society joint session at `Musical Intersections' Conference, Toronto, 4 November 2000.
  • Wind the Horn: Investigations into the Bore and Response of Coiled Trompes de Chasse: Physics of Musical Instruments II conference at Institute of Physics Annual Congress, Brighton, 30 March 2000.
  • Trombone Designs in the Transition from Early Models to Modern: Symposium `Posaunen und Trompeten: Geschicte, Akustik, Spieltechnik', Kloster Michaelstein, Blankenburg, Germany, 20 November 1998.
  • Instrument Classification and Museum Misinformation: CIMCIM Conference, Melbourne, 12 October 1998.
  • Early Years of the Modern Trombone - Some Observations: Colloquium on Historical Musical Instrument Acoustics and Technology, meeting organised jointly by the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments and the Galpin Society, Edinburgh, 22 August 1997.
  • Taxonomy of the Brass Instrument Mouthpiece: Postgraduate seminar, Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1997.
  • Taxonomy of the Brass Instrument Mouthpiece: American Musical Instrument Society, Washington, D.C., 1997.
  • David B. Sharp, Arnold Myers and D. Murray Campbell, Using Pulse Reflectometry to Compare the Evolution of the Cornet and the Trumpet in the 19th and 20th Centuries: ISMA '97, Edinburgh 22 August 1997.
  • Arnold Myers (with David Sharp and D. Murray Campbell), Improvements in the Resolution of Bore Reconstruction of Brass Musical Instruments by Pulse Reflectometry: Institute of Physics Annual Congress '96, Telford, 23 April 1996.
  • Arnold Myers The Horn Function and its Application to the Taxonomy of Brass Instruments: International Symposium of Historic Brass Instruments; Historic Brass Society, Amherst, Massachusetts, 1995
  • Bore Reconstruction by Pulse Reflectometry and its Potential for the Taxonomy of Brass Instruments: 15th International Congress on Acoustics, Trondheim, Norway, 26-30 June 1995.
  • Arnold Myers with Raymond Parks, How to Measure a Horn: The Galpin Society and the Historic Brass Society Joint Symposium on Musical Instrument History, Edinburgh, 1994.
  • Arnold Myers (with Frank Tomes), British Designs for Conical Bore Cornets: The Galpin Society and the Historic Brass Society Joint Symposium on Musical Instrument History, Edinburgh, 1994.
  • Arnold Myers, Is the Wagner Tuba really a Trumpet ? Postgraduate seminar, Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1991

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  This page updated: 8th January 2002

  Contact: Professor Murray Campbell