National 5: Instruments
1. Watch the first video on the PowerPoint (Hedwig’s Theme) and answer the
following questions:
(a) What is the name given to the person not playing an instrument who
directs the orchestra? ____________________________________________
(b) What is the name of the solo instrument played at the start of this piece?
What tuned percussion instrument does it sound similar to? ______________
______________________________________________________________
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(c) Name two ways that the strings in the accompaniment are being played in
this example. ___________________________________________________
(d) The melody moves to the woodwind family. List the woodwind instruments
which play the melody here. _______________________________________
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(e) There is a change of tempo when the bassoons enter with a new melody
in the second section of the piece. True or false? ______________________
(f) Write down the name of the hall in which this video has been filmed and
the important music event which takes place here every summer. _________
______________________________________________________________
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(g) In the space below, write a description of how the composer uses the
orchestra to create a sense of magic and mystery. You must write in full
sentences. _____________________________________________________
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2. Watch the second video on the PowerPoint (Viva la Vida) and fill in the
blanks.
The piece begins with the _ _ _ _ _ _ family of the orchestra. These
instruments are being played by being bowed. The Italian word for bowing an
instrument from this family is _ _ _ _. These instruments play a short repeated
pattern of music called a _ _ _ _.
The first woodwind instrument to play the melody is the _ _ _ _. A second
woodwind instrument called the _ _ _ _ _ joins in. The first brass instrument to
play the melody is called the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
The tonality of the music is _ _ _ _ _.
3(a) What is meant by the term ‘arco?’ _______________________________
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(b) What is meant by the term ‘pizzicato?’ ____________________________
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(c) What is meant by the term ‘col legno?’ ____________________________
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(d) What is meant by the term ‘con sordino?’ __________________________
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4. Watch the following videos of string instruments and in the space provided
write down the instrument that you hear and the concepts which apply to each
example.
Instrument
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Harp
Tempo
Adagio
Moderato
Allegro
(a)
Instrument: ____________
Tonality: ______________
(b)
Instrument: ____________
Tonality: ______________
(c)
Instrument: ____________
Tonality: ______________
(d)
Instrument: ____________
Tonality: ______________
(e)
Instrument: ____________
Tonality: ______________
Tonality
Major
Minor
Method of Playing
Arco
Pizzicato
Col legno
Con sordino
Tempo: _________________
Method of Playing: ______________
_____________________________
Tempo: _________________
Method of Playing: ______________
_____________________________
Tempo: _________________
Method of Playing: ______________
_____________________________
Tempo: _________________
Method of Playing: ______________
_____________________________
Tempo: _________________
Method of Playing: ______________
_____________________________
5(a) Write down the instruments which belong to the woodwind family.
______________________________________________________________
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(b) Listen to the following examples and write down the woodwind instruments
that you hear.
(i) __________________
(iv) __________________
(ii) __________________
(v) ___________________
(iii) __________________
(vi) ___________________
(c) Woodwind instruments are typically played by being blown. What is meant
by the term ‘flutter tonguing?’ ______________________________________
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6(a) Write down the instruments which belong to the brass family.
______________________________________________________________
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(b) Listen to the following examples and write down the brass instruments that
you hear.
(i) __________________
(iv) __________________
(ii) __________________
(v) ___________________
(iii) __________________
(vi) ___________________
(c) Brass instruments can be played pizzicato. True or false? _____________
(d) Brass instruments can be played con sordino. True or false? ___________
(e) Brass instruments can be played flutter tonguing. True or false? ________
7(a) What is the difference between tuned and untuned percussion
instruments? ___________________________________________________
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(b) Provide three examples of tuned percussion instruments. _____________
______________________________________________________________
(c) Provide three examples of untuned percussion instruments. ___________
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(d) A timpani is a tuned percussion instrument because of its size. True or
false? Explain. __________________________________________________
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(e) State two ways of playing a percussion instrument which begin with the
letter s. _______________________________________________________
8. Complete the following definition of a symphony:
A Symphony is a _ _ _ _ _ work for the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. It would normally
have four movements. In the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ period the movements were
normally:
Movement 1 – ___________
Movement 2 - ___________
Movement 3 - ___________
Movement 4 - ___________
9(a). Label the parts of the drum kit shown below:
(b) Complete the following information about the snare drum:
This image shows a set of _ _ _ _ _ _, m_ _ _ _ w_ _ _ _
stretched across the bottom _ _ _ _ of the drum. These are
called the s_ _ _ _ _. Using the _ _ _ _ _ on the side, the snares
can either be r_ _ _ _ u_ against the bottom skin of the drum –
which makes it a snare drum and has a 'rattly' sound – or
moved _ _ _ _ from the bottom skin – which makes it a
_ _ _ _ d_ _ _ _ with a 'd_ _' sound where no rattles can be heard.
(c) How many drums does a tabla consist of? ____ drums
(d) How are the tabla played? ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(e) What style of music are the tabla associated with? ___________________
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(f) Name a string instrument commonly associated with the tabla. __________
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10. What are the differences between the acoustic, electric and bass
guitars?_______________________________________________________
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11. Complete the following information relating to reverb:
An e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ effect which can give the impression of different hall
a_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . For example, r_ _ _ _ _ can make a piece of music sound as
if the performance is taking place in a c_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/s_ _ _ _ _ _.
12(a) What instrument is pibroch written for? __________________________
______________________________________________________________
(b) What is the melody decorated with? ______________________________
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13. Using the graphics below, provide a description of an alberti bass.
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14. What is a ground bass? _______________________________________
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15(a) A walking bass features syncopated rhythms. True or false? _________
(b) A walking bass is associated with Jazz music. True or false? __________
16(a) What is meant by the term glissando? __________________________
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(b) What is meant by the term pitch bend? ____________________________
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(c) Name two instruments which could perform a pitch bend. _____________
______________________________________________________________
National 5: Instruments Concept Check
REMEMBER: National 5 includes all of the concepts learned at National
3 and National 4
Instruments
Bassoon
Bodhran
Bongo drums
Castanets
Clarsach
French horn
Hi hat cymbals
Oboe
Pibroch
Piccolo
Sitar
Tuba
Viola
Styles
Alberti bass
Ground bass
Reverb
Symphony
Walking bass
Methods of playing
Arco
Col legno
Con sordino - muted
Flutter tonguing
Glissando
Pitch bend
Pizzicato
Roll