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Home::Environment

Brass: One of the Biggest Misnomers in History

Author : James Monahan

Aside from home ornaments and jewelries, you have probably heard
the term brass on brass bands. Do you know why a brass band is
called a "brass band"?

Some people may actually believe that brass bands are called as
such because the instruments the musicians use are made of
brass.

By definition, a brass band is a group of musicians who plays
brass instruments along with percussion instruments. Brass
instruments are technically defined as instruments whose tones
are produced by vibrating the lips through a resonator. Examples
of such brass instruments are the trumpet and the horn.

According to music scholars, the term "brass instruments" is a
misnomer. Not all brass instruments are made of brass. Some
brass instruments are actually made of wood like the cornett.
Some other woodwind instruments, on the other hand, are made of
brass but are not exactly categorized under the brass instrument
family. An example of this brass woodwind instrument is the
saxophone.

Therefore, brass bands are not called "brass bands" because the
instruments the musicians use are made of brass. The word
"brass" in the term brass band actually refers to the type of
sound an instrument makes.

But what exactly is "brass"?

Brass is an alloy or a combination of copper and zinc. Usually,
brass contains more than fifty percent of copper but it is
generally harder compared to copper. It is a malleable and
ductile alloy that can be hammered into leaves or strips and
designed according to one's desire. These characteristics make
brass a prevalent option for decorating wares.

Brass has a yellowish color which makes it look so much like
gold. Because of this, brass has been used as a cheap substitute
for gold and the term "brassy" used to refer to denote one being
tasteless and showy.

There are different categories of brass depending on its zinc
and copper ratio. Alpha brasses contain less than thirty-five
percent zinc and are best utilized when they are cold.

Alpha-beta brass is 35%-45% zinc and is commonly used while it
is hot.

Beta brasses have 45%-50% zinc content. It can only be used
while hot and is preferred by metalworkers to use for casting.
Beta brasses are also harder and stronger compared to other
types of brass.

Brass that contains more than 50% percent zinc is called white
brass and is usually too brittle to use.

Calamine brass is a combination of calamine (a zinc ore) and
copper. It is a specialized type of brass because it uses a
different type of zinc (calamine) instead of the usual metallic
zinc used to create brass.

Another particular type of alpha brass is a brass that contains
75% zinc and 25% copper. It is called Prince's metal or Prince
Rupert's metal named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine who was a
commander of the Royalist cavalry during the English civil war.

Brass has been used all through out history in different fields
- may it be in art, or in trade and commerce. In ancient times,
Romans used brass to make coins, decorate their jewelry and to
adorn their armor.

After the middle ages, the use of brass increased as craftsmen
incorporated it in making clocks, plates, chandeliers and other
household items. A particular town called Dinant (currently
called Belgium) was the most profuse creators of brassware
during those times. They created large brass dishes and exported
these wares into the Netherlands.

The Islamic East was also known for creating brass wares and
braziers. Evidences of their craftsmanship can be found in
Venice where 15th century well-wrought bowls, dishes, and
candlesticks were shipped there by Eastern merchants.

Brass was also particularly popular in 18th century colonial
homes in North America. Brass chandeliers made in England and
the Netherlands in the 17th century are quite prevalent
adornments in these colonial houses. In addition to this, brass
drawers incorporated into furniture were considered to be
well-liked during that era.

Although brass has survived the time and enjoyed its popularity
during those ages, brass is considered as a modern alloy. It was
only utilized up until the 16th century. In ancient times,
people use the word "brass" as a term to refer to any alloy
mixed with copper. The brass that ancient people used to refer
to was probably bronze, an alloy of copper and tin. Nowadays,
people already have a clear distinction between brass and bronze.

Aside from being a popular material all through out history,
brass has also undergone different "misrepresentations" when it
comes to its name. But even if it is less regarded than gold,
brass has stood the test of time and has proven to be a material
of high class.

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