5.6 Chapter 5 Assessment

1. What actually creates sound on a wind instrument?

• A) Air flowing through the instrument and out the bell
• B) The vibration of the instrument’s metal or wood body
• C) Pressure waves moving and reflecting inside the air column
• D) The speed at which the player blows air into the instrument

2. On a sound wave graph, what determines pitch?

• A) The height of the wave (amplitude)
• B) How often the wave repeats (frequency)—closely spaced waves mean higher pitch
• C) The overall shape of the wave
• D) The thickness of the wave line

3. How does the clarinet differ acoustically from conical-bore instruments like the saxophone and oboe?

• A) The clarinet produces all harmonics; conical instruments produce only odd harmonics
• B) The clarinet is an open pipe; conical instruments are closed pipes
• C) There is no acoustic difference—they all behave the same way
• D) The cylindrical clarinet produces only odd harmonics, while conical instruments behave like open pipes and produce the full harmonic series

4. In brass playing, what role do the pressure waves reflecting from the bell play?

• A) They modify pressure at the mouthpiece and help coordinate when the lips open and close
• B) They physically force the player’s lips open to sustain vibration
• C) They have no effect on the player’s lips and only affect volume
• D) They push air back into the player’s lungs

5. Why is every brass note a two-part choice?

• A) The player must choose both a dynamic level and a pitch
• B) The player must coordinate both hands simultaneously
• C) The player must choose the tube length (valves or slide) and which harmonic to play within that tube length’s series
• D) The player must decide between using vibrato or playing straight

6. What is the difference between laminar and turbulent airflow in brass playing?

• A) Laminar flow is slow air; turbulent flow is fast air
• B) Laminar flow is smooth and efficient—increasing pressure increases speed proportionally. Turbulent flow is chaotic and does not respond proportionally to added pressure.
• C) Both terms refer to the same thing but at different volume levels
• D) Turbulent flow is always better because it produces a louder sound

7. A brass student feels like they are “hitting a wall” when trying to crescendo. What is the most likely cause and solution?

• A) They need to blow much harder—more force will push through the blockage
• B) Their instrument is defective and needs repair
• C) They should switch to a larger mouthpiece
• D) Turbulent airflow caused by misaligned mouth shape or lip tension—they need to adjust their aperture and alignment, not blow harder

8. Why are long tones considered essential practice for brass players?

• A) They teach the delicate balance between lip tension, air speed, and air quantity needed to maintain pitch while changing dynamics
• B) They build lung capacity by forcing the player to hold notes as long as possible
• C) They are only useful for warming up and have no technical benefit
• D) They strengthen the lip muscles so the player can play louder