The Resource for Brass Research


One book that I don’t think is well enough known among brass teachers and students is Brass Bibliography: Sources on the History, Literature, Pedagogy, Performance, and Acoustics of Brass Instruments by Mark J. Fasman. Published by Indiana University Press in 1990, it is a very comprehensive resource that lists virtually every article and book of any interest for brass published between 1820 and 1988.

For example, right now I am working on some research into the alto/tenor horn, and there was exactly ONE article published before 1988 in English on the alto horn, in the December, 1968 issue of The Instrumentalist. In contrast there were more than thirty articles published on the alphorn. Many topics are listed and cross referenced among the more than 6,000 entries.

This book is a great resource for finding pre-Internet resources on brass instruments and is a must for students doing advanced research. Amazon has it used, if your library does not have it this book would be a great investment and time saver for the brass researcher.

JOHN ERICSON has wide-ranging experience as an orchestral player, soloist, and teacher.» About John Ericson » More articles » Horn Notes Edition » Contact

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John Ericson & Bruce Hembd
on the French horn, brass related topics, and the field of classical music.