Instruments of the Orchestra

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Instruments of the Orchestra

• Revision

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There are 4 families of instruments in the
orchestra

• Strings
• Brass
• Woodwind
• Percussion

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Strings MAIN INSTRUMENTS

• Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Double Bass
• Harp

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Strings MAIN CONCEPTS

• Arco
• Pizzicato
• Col Legno
• Vibrato
• Double Stopping
• Tremolo/Tremolando

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• Arco to play using the bow
• Pizzicato to pluck the strings with the fingers
• Col legno to play using the back
• (wooden side) of the bow
• Double stopping a bowing method where two
  strings are bowed at the same time producing two
  different notes
• Tremolo/Tremolando the rapid up and down
• movement of a bow on a stringed instrument
  creating a restless effect
• Vibrato rock the hand back and forth on the
  string to create a warmer sound

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Brass MAIN INSTRUMENTS

• Trumpet
• French Horn
• Trombone
• Tuba

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Brass MAIN CONCEPTS

• Blowing
• Mute
• Flutter Tonguing
• Vibrato
• Glissando

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• Blowing to blow into the mouthpiece of an
  instrument to create the sound
• Mute a cone shaped device which alters the
  sound of the instrument, making it quieter
• Flutter Tonguing the player rolls the letter
  r
• Glissando where as many notes as possible are
  played by sliding between the notes
• Vibrato a slight wavering in pitch to bring
  warmth to the tone

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Woodwind MAIN INSTRUMENTS

• Piccolo
• Flute
• Oboe
• Cor Anglais
• Clarinet
• Bassoon

• Saxophone
• Soprano
• Alto
• Tenor
• Baritone

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Woodwind MAIN CONCEPTS

• Blowing
• Flutter Tonguing
• Vibrato
• Reed

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• Reed a small piece of wood placed
• on the mouthpiece of woodwind
• instruments to help create their
• sound

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Percussion MAIN INSTRUMENTS

• Tuned
• Piano
• Tubular bells
• Xylophone
• Glockenspiel
• Timpani

Un-tuned Drum kit Woodblock Castanets Triangle Tam
bourine Cymbals
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Percussion MAIN CONCEPTS

• Striking

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Keyboard Instruments

• Organ found in churches, usually have foot
  pedals pipes
• Harpsicord used in Baroque period performing
  ornaments and bass lines (continuo). Strings are
  plucked rather than hammered.
• Piano (pianoforte) used from the Classical
  period onwards. Can perform/accompany sonatas.
• Synthesizer an electronic keyboard found in
  modern music.

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Types of Guitar

• Acoustic non-electric with 6 strings which
• can be strummed or plucked (fingers/plectrum)
• Electric as acoustic but uses an amplifier to
  produce sound
• Slide a method of guitar playing using a metal
  tube or bottle neck to slide across the frets.
  Found in country and western music.
• Bass and electric 4 stringed guitar which
  produces low pitched notes. Performs riffs/bass
  lines.

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Electronic Concepts

• Distortion an electronic effect used to alter
  the sound of an electric guitar, making it sound
  harsh
• Delay an electronic effect used to repeat the
  sound over and over like an echo
• Reverb an electronic effect which gives the
  impression of different hall atmospheres
• Slapping a method of playing the bass guitar
  where the thumb is used to hit the side of the
  strings

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• ORNAMENTS a decoration of the melody to add
  melodic and rhythmic interest
• Trill the rapid alteration of two adjacent
  notes
• Grace note -a short note played before the main
  note of the melody
• Drum fill a rhythmic decoration played on the
  drum kit

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Bands Groups

• String Quartet 2 x violins, viola cello
• Chamber Music music composed for a small group
  of instruments performed in a small venue
• Pipe Band Bagpipes, bass drum snare drum,
  performs Scottish music to march to
• Scottish Dance Band fiddle, accordion,
  keyboard, bass drums, performs
• Scottish dances at Ceilidhs

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Bands Groups

• Orchestra all 4 sections of the orchestra
  performing orchestral music
• Wind/Military Band woodwind, brass
  percussion, often performs marching music
• Brass Band brass percussion only
• Steel Band steel drums drum kit, from the
  Caribbean
• Folk Group singers instrumentalists
  performing traditional music

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Bands Groups

• Pop Group guitars, vocals, keyboards drum
  kit, performs popular chart music
• Rock Band as above but with a heavy, driving
  beat
• Jazz Group instruments include saxophone,
  drums, piano, brass (trumpet), improvisation is a
  feature
• Big Band instruments include trumpets,
  trombones, saxophones a rhythm section of
  guitars, bass piano, performs jazz/ swing

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Jazz Styles

• Blues African/American folk music, slow in
  tempo, 4 beats in a bar strophic. Used blues
  scale C Eb F Gb G Bb C - 12 bar blues chord
  progression
• I I I I
• IV IV I I
• V IV I I
• Ragtime used vamped left hand (oom-cha)
  syncopated melody, e.g. The Entertainer.

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Jazz Styles

• Dixieland written for a small ensemble
  consisting of rhythm section piano, banjo,
  drums, tuba/bass (pizzicato walking bass) -
  front line trumpet, clarinet, trumpet
  saxophone performing improvises passages
• Scat singing nonsense words, syllables and
  sounds improvised by a singer,
• e.g. do-wap-a-doobie-doobie

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Jazz Styles

• Boogie-Woogie a jazz style for the piano with
  the left hand playing an ostinato in broken
  octaves while the right hand improvises

• Swing big band style using the following rhythm

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Jazz Styles

• Walking bass a bass line where each note has
  the same value, usually crotchets, moves
  mainly in step, performed by piano, tuba or
  double bass (pizzicato)

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Orchestral Styles

• Symphony a large work for orchestra, usually in
  4 movements fast, slow, minuet trio, fast
  (classical period)
• Concerto work for solo instrument orchestra
  (piano concerto, violin concerto, etc), normally
  3 movements. The soloist can show off their
  technical ability in a cadenza, performing
  scales, fast running passages and ornaments,
  often ending in a trill.