Two trumpets, two cornets or a mix of the two are the highest pitched instruments in the quintet, loosely considered the "lead" instruments. The cornet has a more mellow timbre than the trumpet, usually described as "strident." The instruments are similar in terms of pitch and playing, though cornets tend to be shorter and easier for young players to hold versus the longer trumpet.
The Horn is colloquially known as the "French horn", still its most common but incorrect name, as most instruments are properly German horns. The second-highest pitched of the brass instruments, it has the widest range, approaching four octaves in experienced hands. Use of the right hand inside the bell of the instrument is called hand-stopping and alters the tuning of the instrument, allowing further notes to be generated.
The trombone may be the most recognizable instrument in the brass quintet, the only one that doesn't share appearance with another member of the brass family. It is the only brass instrument capable of producing a glissando by moving the length of the slide while forming a note. The trombone can come in bass range as well, replacing the tuba. The trombone itself is sometimes substituted by the euphonium or baritone horn in brass quintets.
The lowest pitched brass instrument, the tuba dates to the mid-1800s. The name is often borrowed by the sousaphone, the marching-band instrument that coils around the player. The tuba resembles a large euphonium and is played across the chest of the performer. In the hands of accomplished players a tuba can produce notes approaching the low threshold of human hearing.