Brian Holmes received his PhD in experimental low temperature physics from Boston University. He is a Professor of Physics at San Jose State University, where he teaches a course on the physics of music. He has also taught in the Music Department, the Creative Arts Department, and the Science Education Group at SJSU. He has also been active as a professional musician, playing horn in the San Jose Symphony and Opera San Jose. In addition, he is a composer, generally writing music for solo voice or chorus. He has published over two dozen works; completed a dozen commissions; and won a dozen composition contests. His compositions include three operas, two musicals, ten song cycles, and a Requiem mass.

The Physics of Brass Musical Instruments

The brasses consist of a flared bell, a cup shaped mouthpiece, a conical leadpipe, and a cylindrical section. I will build a trumpet to demonstrate the acoustical significance of these parts. For example, I will show that when sound inside a trumpet reaches the bell, most of it reflects and stays inside the instrument; only a tiny portion of the sound escapes through the bell. Woodwind instruments rely on side-holes to get different notes, I will demonstrate why this doesn’t work for brasses. And I will show why french horn players must keep their hands in the bell of their instruments while playing.

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