In recent years, several companies have started producing plastic trumpets. Designs that would produce a darker sound will sound darker with nickel-silver.Ī big advantage of nickel-silver is its resistance to red rot. Many players find that nickel-silver accentuates the sounds produced by the instrument’s design.Ī design that would produce a bright sound will sound brighter if made from nickel-silver. Nickel-silver is harder than brass and has different tonal qualities. As well as copper and zinc though, it also contains nickel. Nickel-silver is an alloy similar to brass. Some trumpets are made entirely of these materials.īrass-made instruments also sometimes contain components made from other metals: What Other Materials Are Used in Trumpets? Nickel-Silver: The majority of trumpets are brass, but several other materials are also popular. Much of brass instruments’ bright, warm sound can be attributed to the metal’s resonant qualities. One chemical, which can be particularly damaging to some metals, is water.īrass doesn’t rust, making it much better suited for trumpet-making than ferrous metals (those containing iron). It Doesn’t Rust:īrass instruments are constantly subjected to all kinds of nasty chemicals from saliva. Copper, for example, is very soft and might deform or break under pressure.īrass is stronger and more likely to stand the test of time. This is partially also down to robustness. So why brass specifically over any other metal? While other materials are prone to breaking, metal is very sturdy. Metal is easy to work, and straight metal tubing can be bent into tight curves rather than needing complicated hole-boring. What Are the Main Reasons Trumpets are Made of Brass? It’s Easy to Work:Ī Bb trumpet, one of the smaller brass instruments, has 1.4m (4’6”) of tubing! That’s excluding additional tubing connected to the valves.Īll that tubing needs to be folded up comfortably to hold and play, which means brass instruments contain some seriously complicated shapes. What are the Differences Between the Many Types of Brass?.What Other Materials Are Used in Trumpets?.What Are the Main Reasons Trumpets are Made of Brass?.

Red rot brass