Instruments of the Orchestra Timbre Instruments of the Orchestra

The Instruments There are four groups of instruments: A) Strings B) Woodwinds C) Brass D) Percussion

The Orchestra

Strings String instruments in the orchestra: Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double basses All are made of wood but the sizes are different. Nylon or steel strings are stretched over them. Stringed instruments are played by using a bow or plucking/strumming the strings with the fingers.

The Violin and Viola The violin is the smallest member of the string family. Because its strings are the shortest, it produces the highest sound. The viola is a harmony instrument and is not often heard by itself. Because it is bigger than the violin, with longer strings, it makes a sound that is lower in pitch.

Cello The cello plays an octave lower than the viola. To support its longer strings, it's more than twice as big as the viola. To play, cellists sit down and rest the instrument upright against their bodies. They use an endpin to keep it in place.

Double Bass The double bass is the largest of all the stringed instruments, and play the lowest notes. At six feet or even more, it's often taller than the person who plays it. Some double bassists sit on a high stool to play. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs3yHJO_nT0

Woodwinds Woodwinds can be made of wood, plastic, or metal. Except for the flute, they all use reeds to make sound. All woodwinds are used in the orchestra except for the saxophone. Saxes were invented later so they are only used in modern pieces.

The Flute Flutes are usually made of metal, but sometimes you will see flutes made of wood. The very highest-pitched instrument in the orchestra is a kind of flute, but it plays an octave higher. It's called the piccolo. It does not have a reed.

The Clarinet Clarinets are made of wood or molded plastic. The standard clarinet is a little more than two feet long. It uses a single bamboo reed to create a sound.

Bass Clarinet A bass clarinet is shaped differently and is larger than the standard clarinet. It plays lower notes. It is played in the same way as the standard clarinet but has an endpin that slides out of the bottom of the instrument to help prop it up on the floor. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ai3h6jxAM74

The Saxophone The saxophone is classified as a woodwind because it is played using a reed, but looks like a brass instrument. There are four major types of saxophones, each playing a different range of notes: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Baritone. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=N47_Q33PqJ4

The Oboe The oboe looks very similar to the clarinet, but sounds very different. Oboes are made of wood, and their sound is produced by blowing air through a thin double reed at the upper end of the instrument.

The Bassoon The bassoon is a double-reed woodwind instrument. It has almost 8 feet of wooden tubing, bent into a narrow U-shape. The reed is secured in a curved metal tube. Bassoons are the largest woodwind instruments in the orchestra. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=WPV1WrVUCRs

Brass Brass players produce sound by buzzing their lips together into the mouthpiece of the instrument. Their lips act like the reeds of the woodwinds. Some brass instruments in the orchestra are: Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone and Tuba.

Trumpet To play, a trumpeter can press down on the keys that control the trumpet's three valves, and he can change the shape of his lips against the mouthpiece. A trumpet is 18 inches long - but if it were unwound it would be 4.5 feet long! Trumpets are at least 3,500 years old Early versions of the trumpet have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

French Horn The French horn is balanced on the legs. The left hand works the valves that help to change the horn's pitch, and the right hand is held inside the bell. The very first horns were made from the horns of animals. These horns were used during hunts.

Trombone Most brass instruments use valves to produce different pitches, but the trombone uses a slide instead. The player pushes and pulls the slide back and forth to change the length of tubing - which changes the pitch.

Tuba The tuba is the largest member of the brass family and plays the lowest notes. It's also the youngest brass instrument. It was first used in military bands in the 1800s and joined the orchestra about 100 years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR_GVUWllP4

Percussion The percussion family includes any instrument that produces sounds when it is struck, scraped or shaken. Struck percussion instruments include the piano, the timpani, and the xylophone. Scraped percussion instruments are less common in the orchestra. Shaken percussion instruments include tambourines and rattles. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=TkamVRYBkfg