ブラスバンド

ぶらすばんど
noun
brass band; school wind/brass band
1. a brass band; a musical ensemble made up mainly of brass and percussion (and often woodwind) instruments, especially the wind ensembles common in Japanese schools
Borrowed from English. In strict music terminology, ブラスバンド refers to an ensemble of brass instruments only, but in everyday Japanese it commonly covers school and amateur wind ensembles that include flutes, clarinets, saxophones, and other woodwinds in addition to trumpets, trombones, and percussion. School ブラスバンド clubs (吹奏楽部(すいそうがくぶ)) are one of the most popular and visible extracurricular activities in Japanese junior high and high schools, performing at sports events, school festivals, and competitions.
高校(こうこう)でブラスバンドに入(はい)っている。
I'm in the brass band at high school.
文化祭(ぶんかさい)でブラスバンドが演奏(えんそう)した。
The brass band performed at the school festival.
野球(やきゅう)の試合(しあい)では、ブラスバンドが応援(おうえん)曲(きょく)を大(おお)きな音(おと)で演奏(えんそう)している。
At baseball games, the brass band plays cheering songs at full volume.
中学校(ちゅうがっこう)のブラスバンドは、毎年(まいとし)県大会(けんたいかい)を目指(めざ)して毎日(まいにち)遅(おそ)くまで練習(れんしゅう)している。
The middle school brass band practices late every day with the goal of reaching the prefectural competition each year.

Borrowed from English 'brass band'. In English-speaking countries, the term refers strictly to ensembles of brass and percussion (such as British colliery bands), but in Japan the word has come to mean almost any school or community wind ensemble, including ones with significant woodwind sections.

USAGE:
ブラスバンド is closely associated with Japanese school music clubs. The official name for these clubs is usually 吹奏楽部(すいそうがくぶ) ('wind/brass music club'), but students and the general public often refer to them informally as ブラスバンド (sometimes shortened to ブラバン). The two terms are largely interchangeable in everyday speech, although a music teacher or specialist might preserve the technical distinction.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • ブラスバンドに入(はい)る: to join the brass band
  • ブラスバンド部(ぶ): brass band club
  • ブラスバンドを聴(き)く: to listen to a brass band
  • ブラスバンドが演奏(えんそう)する: for the brass band to perform
  • ブラスバンドの練習(れんしゅう): brass band practice
  • ブラスバンドの演奏会(えんそうかい): a brass band concert
  • ブラスバンド部員(ぶいん): a brass band member
  • 学校(がっこう)のブラスバンド: the school brass band

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 吹奏楽(すいそうがく): wind music — the formal Japanese term for music played by wind ensembles. 吹奏楽部(すいそうがくぶ) is the standard official name for school wind/brass music clubs.
  • 吹奏楽団(すいそうがくだん): a wind ensemble, wind orchestra — a more formal name for the ensemble itself.
  • ブラバン: an abbreviated, casual nickname for ブラスバンド, especially among students.
  • ジャズバンド: jazz band — a different genre of ensemble, focused on jazz repertoire.
  • マーチングバンド: marching band — a wind ensemble that performs while marching, often associated with parades and football games.
  • 交響楽団(こうきょうがくだん): symphony orchestra — a much larger ensemble that includes strings as well as winds.

CULTURAL NOTE:
School brass/wind bands are a major institution in Japan. The annual All-Japan Band Competition (全日本吹奏楽(ぜんにっぽんすいそうがく)コンクール) is the largest amateur music competition in the country, with thousands of school bands competing through prefectural and regional rounds. The intense, dedicated school band culture is widely depicted in Japanese manga, anime, and films such as 'Sound! Euphonium' (響(ひび)け！ユーフォニアム).

general
Added 2026.4.12 10:47
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