Euphonium

• Ferdinand Sommer invented the euphonium in 1843 in Weimar, Germany. Sommer utilized the innovations in piston valves made only decades earlier to create an instrument that could easily play a wide range of notes. Although the euphonium has a distinctly European origin, American bands use the instrument extensively. Composers such as John Philips Sousa incorporated the euphonium into music for marching and concert band. The euphonium belongs to the brass family of instruments and relies on the vibration of the lips to produce audible sound. Composers use the euphonium almost exclusively in the band setting. It is very rarely seen in symphony orchestras. Famous exceptions include Modest Musorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" for symphony orchestra as well as Gustav Holst's "The Planets."
  
  

Clarinet

• The clarinet is a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Throughout history, craftsmen have created several different types of clarinets, varying in tonal range and physical shape. Musicians in bands or wind ensembles typically use clarinets tuned to the keys of Eb, Bb and A. Composers equate the clarinet's role in a wind band to the strings in a symphony orchestra. The clarinets often play melodic material and technically demanding musical passages. The versatility of the instrument allows clarinetists to seek employment in both band and orchestral ensembles. A single reed produces a vibrating air column that creates the characteristic clarinet sound when the musician blows on the mouthpiece.
  
  

Trumpet

• Like the clarinet, the trumpet is used both in band and orchestral ensembles. The trumpet is a member of the brass family and is the highest pitched instrument within that grouping. A musician produces sound on the trumpet by vibrating his lips within the the mouthpiece attached to the body of instrument. Earlier evolutions of the trumpet have been used for several centuries. The invention of instrument piston valves in 1818 allowed instrument makers to significantly enhance the harmonic range and technical capabilities of the instrument. Although several varieties of trumpets, each tuned to a different key, exist, the trumpet in Bb is most often seen in wind bands.
  
  

Saxophone

• In similar fashion to the euphonium, the saxophone is used extensively in marching, concert and big bands and very rarely in symphony orchestras. Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1841. Although the instrument is made of brass, it is considered a member of the woodwind family due to the responsibility of its singe reed mouthpiece to produce sound. Soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones are all found in symphonic band music. Each instrument differs in harmonic range and tone color, with the soprano saxophone capable of playing notes much higher in pitch than the others. Conversely, the baritone saxophone is used to reach much lower pitches than the other instruments. The saxophone is one of a handful of instruments vital to concert and jazz music ensembles.
  
  

Percussion

• Instruments such as the snare drum, bass drum, cymbal, marimba and xylophone often appear in music written for concert and marching band. These instruments provide rhythmic support as well as musical effects that highlight the drama or intensity of a piece. The marimba and xylophone are capable of playing individual pitches, while the snare drum, bass drum and cymbal are non-pitched instruments.