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by Richard Merewether
Copyright© 1978 Richard Merewether
Three alloys are commonly found in the making of horns. The one most usual for all brass instruments Is known as 'Yellow-Brass', comprising 70% copper and 30% zinc, and many players consider this their favourite choice, as it gives a feeling of clean definition In playing with rich sonorous tone. Another brass-alloy is known as 'Gold-Brass', more properly gilding-metal, with 85% copper and 15% zinc, and many makers use this for what they call their 'solo-quality' horns; the feeling with this metal is one of a rather more veiled quality of sound, persisting into fortissimo with a 'cuivrè' sheen to be heard in the tone, but imparting a certain sense of resistance in the horn's response. The third alloy is 'Nickel-Silver', which consists in a mixture of Yellow-Brass with some nickel added, giving it a whitish colour and producing extreme hardness. Some makers employ 12% or more of nickel, but in PAXMAN's view this is too unyielding and harsh both in working characteristics and in tonal result. Nickel-Silver in 63% copper, 27% zinc and 10% nickel is a reasonable mix, but so inhibits the tone of a horn if present in any great mass (such as is to be found in many-valved double or triple horns) that it is considered by many to be best avoided in small-bore horns; it meets with success however in those of larger bore.The writer feels no doubt after many years concerned with nickel-silver horns of every size and make, that this metal distinctly brightens and 'condenses' the tone, affording in addition a sound-spectrum of shrill overtones. A contrary opinion for many years existed in America, where it was held that nicked silver brought a so-called 'dark', rich sonority to horns. The reason for this is that the instruments in that metal which became widely available there were of very much wider bell-taper than the medium ones they had been used to until that time, and naturally seemed richer in sound; this was wrongly ascribed to the alloy rather than to the instrument's unfamiliar contour and response.
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