Title: Why is the trombone in the woodwind family, instead of the brass family? - Quora
Headings: Why is the trombone in the woodwind family, instead of the brass family?
6 Answers
John Hagelbarger
Albert Houde
Nate Weger
Jack Stabek
Warwick Music Group
R. Eric Sawyer

Content: It is also included in the brass quintet (two trumpets, French horn, trombone, tuba) where it provides a contrasting lead instrument to the trumpets, and can unobtrusively support them as well. And it can blend so well into an orchestral texture that traditional orchestral writing often includes the French horn section quietly playing a piece’s chord changes in four-part chorale harmony. This is called “the blanket of horns”, serves to solidi
Continue Reading
Albert Houde
, French horn operator, brass tech, occasional evil mastermind
Answered 4 years ago · Author has 638 answers and 572.4K answer views
Trombones are brass instruments, without a doubt. I'm not sure where you heard they were otherwise, but it is incorrect. Brass instruments amplify a pitch produced by the lips of the player buzzing into a metal mouthpiece. The vibrations travel the entire length of the instrument, from mouthpiece to bell. Modern brass change pitch series by adding length with valves or extending a slide like the trombone. They are generally made of yellow brass or other zinc-copper alloys, such as red brass or nickel silver. All traits of a trombone. Woodwinds amplify the vibrations created by a reed (clarinets, oboes, bassoons) or by the vibrations of air blown across a hole (flutes).