Orchestra instrument families.

Plucked: when string is flicked with thumb, finger or a piece of plastic. Struck: within the piano when a key is pressed a felt covered hammer hits one of the strings producing a sound Bowed; this technique is when the string is rubbed over and played using a bow. Resonator: strings are almost always joined onto this. A hollow structure usually made out of wood of metal. Lyre: The oldest kind of stringed instrument which was popular with the Ancient Greeks. Bow: this is a strong flexible stick with a ribbon of horse hair stretched onto it. The hair is rubbed with resin producing friction.

Membranophones: instruments that have a stretched membrane or a drum head over a hollow shell. Idiophone: instruments without a membrane that create sound when the instrument itself is made to vibrate. Pe rcussion: instruments designed to make unique noises when hit with a stick or hands. Rhythm: percussion instrument are in charge of this. Drums support the musical piece and keeps the time. Beat: the heart beat of a song, it’s steady and continuous. Mallet: and/or stick causes instrument to vibrate making a noise. Pitch: timpani-a percussion instrument that has this. Each drum is tuned to a certain note.

Wind instrument: instrument you play by blowing through them. Purse: to play a brass instrument, lips have to be pursed to create a kind of buzzing noise. Vibrate: lips do this. Hold lips together tightly to make a high pitched buzz, relax lips to make a low pitched buzz. Pitch: the longer the tube the lower the pitch. Brass: instruments made from this do not necessarily belong to this family. Tone: buzzing lips against the mouthpiece causes the tube and the air inside it to vibrate creating a clear tone. Valve: trumpet, tuba and French horn- player changes the pitch of the notes by pressing down on a series of these.

Woodwind: these instruments are not all made out of wood, but require wind to make a noise Mouthpiece: to make music, air is blown into the instrument through this, these instruments would not be able to be played without this. Reed: if the woodwind instrument has this, it is often made out of bamboo a type of wood. Edge-blown: flutes and recorders are these types of instruments. Air is blown over an edge in the mouthpiece. Single-reed: clarinets and saxophone are these types of instruments. They have a single reed in their mouthpiece which vibrates to get the air inside the instrument moving. Double-reed: the oboe uses this and produces even more vibration.