Cornets
The cornet is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is in B♭, though there is also a soprano cornet in E♭used in the band. The cornet is the highest pitched instrument, and the leading melodic instrument in the band.
Horns
The tenor horn (British English; alto horn in American English, Althorn in Germany; occasionally referred to as E♭ horn) is a brass instrument in the saxhorn family, and is usually pitched in E♭. The tenor horn's conical bore and deep mouthpiece produce a mellow, rounded tone which is often used as a middle voice, supporting the melodies of the trumpets, cornets or flugelhorns, and filling the gap above the lower tenor and bass instruments (the trombone, baritone, euphonium and tubas).
Baritones and Euphoniums
The euphonium is a large, conical-bore, baritone-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word εὔφωνος euphōnos meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced". Upon its invention, it was clear that the euphonium had a wide range and had a consistently rich, pleasing sound throughout that range. It was flexible both in tone quality and intonation and could blend well with a variety of ensembles, gaining it immediate popularity with composers and conductors as the principal tenor-voices solo instrument in brass band settings. The baritone horn, or sometimes just called baritone, is a low-pitched brass instrument in the saxhorn family. It is a piston-valve brass instrument with a bore that is mostly conical, like the flugelhorn and alto (tenor) horn, but is narrower than the conical bore of the euphonium. The baritone horn usually has a tighter wrap and a smaller bell, and is thus smaller and lighter overall, and produces a "lighter" sound versus the more solid, brassy timbre of the euphonium.
Trombones
As on all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips (embouchure) cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate. Nearly all trombones have a telescoping slide mechanism that varies the length of the instrument to change the pitch. Many modern trombone models also use a valve attachment to lower the pitch of the instrument. The 'slide', the most distinctive feature of the trombone, allows the player to extend the length of the air column, lowering the pitch. The trombone forms a core part of the "big end" of a brass band, with it's deep and unmistakable sound.
Basses and Percussion
The bass (or tuba) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibration into a large mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the newer instruments in the concert band. It is the principal bass instrument in concert bands, brass bands and military bands, and those ensembles generally have two to four tubas. It is also a solo instrument.
