Serpent
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The Serpent is one of the "brass instruments" made of wood ; it has a mouthpiece like a tuba, and holes like a recorder. It was invented around 1590 to strengthen church choirs with its low organlike sound. During the 18th century, military bands adopted the serpent, but it was gradually replaced by valved brass instruments.
| Family |
| Brasses |
| Pitch range |
| Around three octaves. |
| Material |
| Wooden body, with metal bocal ; mouthpiece of horn, ivory, or, in later examples, metal. |
| Size |
| About 8 ft (2.40 m) long. |
| Origins |
| The serpent was built around 1590 in Auxerre, France as a kind of bass cornett by Edmé Guillaume. It was used over much of Europe by the 1700s. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| The serpent is a powerful instrument : one writer described its voice as so strong that "even when played by a boy, it is sufficient to support the voices of twenty robust monks." |
