How brass instruments work - Al Cannon

譯者: 蔡 侑廷 審譯者: Jenny Yang

What gives the trumpet its clarion ring

是什麼賦予小號 清脆的號角聲

and the tuba its gut-shaking "omm pah pah?"

低音管"噗吧吧"的音樂聲響

And what makes the trombone so jazzy?

和長號所吹奏的爵士樂

The answer lies not in the brass these instruments are made of,

答案並不是 給予它們形體的銅

but in the journey air takes

而是空氣樂器內的旅行

from the musician's lungs to the instrument's bell.

由音樂家的肺到達樂器的內部

Like any sound, music consists of vibrations traveling through air.

所有聲音，包括音樂在內 都需要透過聲音的振動

Instruments are classified based on how those vibrations are produced.

我們用儀器來區別 聲音是如何產生

Percussion instruments are struck.

打擊樂器靠的是敲擊

String instruments are plucked or bowed.

弦樂器藉由彈撥

Woodwinds have air blown against a reed or sharp edge.

木管樂器則是將空氣吹向 樂器蘆薈狀或尖銳的邊緣

For brass instruments, however,

但是對於銅管樂器來說

the vibration come directly from the musician's mouth.

振源直接來自於 音樂家的嘴

One of the first things a brass player must learn is to breathe in deeply,

銅管演奏家必須學會的 就是深吸一口氣

until every possible particle of air is crammed into the lungs.

直到空氣幾乎填滿肺部的每個角落

Once all that air is inside, it must come out through the mouth,

空氣充滿後，想要出去 就必須經過口腔

but there, an internal battle takes place

但在那裡 便會出現一場爭鬥

as the musician simultaneously tries to hold their lips firmly closed

作為一個音樂家 需嘗試一邊緊閉嘴唇

while blowing enough air to force them open.

一邊吹足空氣使樂器發聲

The escaping air meets resistance from the lip muscles,

排出的空氣在唇間形成阻力

forms an opening called the aperture

進而在唇間產生空隙

and creates the vibration that brass players call "the buzz."

並產生振動 及音樂家所說的"嗡嗡聲"

When a mouthpiece is held up to those vibrating lips,

當樂器吹口緊貼嘴唇時

it slightly refines the buzz,

便會產生出細微的嗡嗡聲

amplifying the vibration at certain frequencies.

放大出某些特殊的振動頻率

But things get really interesting

但是，有趣的事情發生了

depending on what instrument is attached to that mouthpiece.

這些取決於儀器 附加到樂器吹口

A brass instrument's body is essentially a tube

一個銅管樂器本身 基本上是由一個管

that resonates with the air column blowing through it.

吹出的空氣可以用共振 來經過管子

The way that sound waves travel through this column

聲波透過此方式旅遊

forms a limited pattern of pitches known as the harmonic series,

形成一組有範圍的音群 我們稱之為和聲音階

with notes spaced far apart at the lower end,

在下端相隔較遠的地方寫下

but coming closer together as the pitch increases.

但彼此越接近 音高便越接近

The musician can alter the pitch of the note

音樂家可以改變音高

through slight contractions of the lips and alterations to air volume and speed.

藉由嘴唇的輕微收縮來改變 風量和風速

Slower, warm sighing air produces lower pitches,

緩慢、溫暖的吐氣 產生的是較低的音階

and faster, cool, flowing air produces higher pitches in the series.

快速、涼爽的空氣流動 在音階中產生較高音階

But any single harmonic series has gaps where pitches are missing

但每一個單獨的和聲音階 皆會因差距而有缺失

and the versatility of brass instruments

所以銅管樂器 之所以多功能

lies in their ability to switch between multiple series.

在於他們能夠 切換多個音階的能力

On instruments like the trumpet, valves can be lowered

像小號這一類的樂器 閥門可以降低

to increase the length of tubing the air travels through,

增加空氣在管間 流動的距離

while on a trombone, this is done by extending its slide.

長號則是 透過伸縮滑動來完成

Lengthening the tube stretches the vibrating air column,

加長管子來增加 空氣柱的振動距離

reducing the frequency of vibrations and resulting in a lower pitch.

相反的，只要減少振動頻率 便能夠產生較低沉的音調

This is why the tuba, the largest brass instrument,

這就說明的低音管 也是最大的銅管樂器

is also the one capable of playing the lowest notes.

能演奏出較低的音符

So changing the instrument length shifts its harmonic series,

更改樂器的長度來 變化和聲音階

while slight variations of the air flow and the player's lips

當空氣與音樂家的嘴唇 產生細微的變化時

produce the different notes within it.

便會產生不同的音

And those notes finally emerge through the flared bell opening at the end.

而這些音最終會以音符 形式出現在喇叭開口末端

What started as a deep breath and a vibrating buzz on the lips

由一開始的深呼吸到 嘴唇的震動

has now been transformed into a bold and brassy tune.

再到現在轉變為 雄壯威武的黃銅曲調

The musician's skillful manipulation of every part of the process

音樂家要熟知每一個步驟

from lungs,

從肺

to lips,

嘴唇

to the mouthpiece,

到樂器開口

to the instrument itself creates an amazing palette of pitches

儀器本身就像調色盤 創造了許多神奇的音樂

that can be heard in musical genres across the globe.

這使得全世界各地 都能聽到不同的音樂類型

By harnessing the power of natural resonance

以靈活的和可控制的方式

in a flexible and controllable way,

管理自然共振的力量

brass instruments are great examples of the fusion of human creativity

銅管樂器是人類創造力和 物理學結合的

with the physics of our world.

極佳例子