Orchestral Instruments

Orchestral Instruments

4 sections: Percussion BrassWoodwindStringsConductor

Strings

* 4 stringed instruments

* Made of wood

* Played by drawing a bow across the strings/ by plucking the strings

1. Violin

* Smallest

* Highest sound

* 2 violin sections

2. Viola

* A little bit bigger than violin

* A slightly deeper and mellower tone

3. Cello/Violoncello

* Much bigger

* A much lower, deeper sound

* Rest on the floor

4. Bass/ Double bass/ Standing bass/ String bass

* A very low sound

* Players must sit on a high stool/ stand up to play

Woodwinds

* 4 woodwind members

* Played by blowing into them and fingering different notes using keys that cover various holes

* Made of wood

* At least one piece of reed

1. Flute

* Made of metal usually

* No need a reed

* Player blows across a hole in the side of the flute

* A clear, high sound

2. Piccolo

* An even higher sounding instruments

3. Oboe

* Black, made of wood

* Blows in between 2 small reedshigh double reed sound

4. Cor anglais

* A slightly larger double reed instrument

* A deeper, gentle tone

* Transposing instrument

5. Clarinet

* Black , made of wood

* A single reed

* A very wide range of notes

* A wide range of different sound colors

* The most common is the b flat clarinet

* Transposing instrument

6. Bassoon

* The largest and lowest sounding standard orchestral woodwind

* A long hollow tube of wood

* A double reed

* Blows between two reeds, not the end of the bassoon

* Air from the reed goes through a thin metal tube into the middle of the instrument

Brass

* All made of metal

* Produced by bussing the lips against the mouthpiece

* Comes out of the bell at the other end of the instrument

* Rely on harmonic series of the instruments to get full range of notes

* 2-5 trumpets/ horns/ trombone, 1-2 tubas...