INSTURMENTS AND THE ORCHESTRA
Instruments have been developing over hundreds of years. Modern instruments often have a
louder sound and can play more notes than older versions. Many instruments may be electrified
for a modern sound. Some musicians today also use old instruments, or copies of them, to recreate the sound of pieces when they were first performed.
The 3 GROUPS of instruments can be defined as:
STRINGS: something that one strums, plucks or bows to make a sound.
PERCUSSION: something that one hits or strikes to make a sound.
WINDS: something that requires air to make a sound.
There are 4 CLASSIFICATIONS of instruments:
STRINGS, WOODWIND, BRASS, PERCUSSION
STRINGS: String instruments resemble each other. The violin is the highest sounding and is
the smallest in size, about 2’ long. The viola is just a slightly larger instrument and sounds a
little lower. The violin and viola are both held with the left hand and tucked under the chin
when played. To play a cello, the performer must sit on a chair and rest the cello on the floor.
The double bass or contrabass is 6’ tall and the lowest sounding of the string family. The
violin, viola, cello, and double bass all belong to the bowed string class of instruments. You
can also pluck the strings to produce another type of sound, like the harp. The harp is
considered the most ancient type of instrument still in use and produces a tone by plucking the
strings.
WOODWINDS: The woodwind instruments are very different among themselves. To
produce a tone on the flute or piccolo, the player blows across a hole in the side of the tube near
the top. Air vibrates in the tube causing the sound. The piccolo is the tiniest instrument of the
orchestra and makes the highest sound. Piccolos and flutes are usually made of metal – silver
gold, etc.
The clarinet uses a piece of cane reed fastened to the mouthpiece. When the player blows, the
single reed vibrates and causes the air to vibrate and make a sound. The clarinet, generally is
made of ebonite, and has a larger range than most instruments.
The oboe, English horn, and bassoon are called double reed instruments. Blowing air between
two very thin reeds that are attached together makes their sounds. The highest sounding and
smallest of the double reeds is the oboe. The contrabassoon is the lowest sounding instrument
in the orchestra. The player covers and uncovers the holes with metal keys on the instrument to
produce a sound. When the air vibrates between the mouthpiece and the nearest hole in the
tube, the sound is either high or low de3pending on how far the air has to travel.
BRASS: Brass instruments are just as important to a symphony orchestra as they are to the
band. The trumpet is the smallest instrument of the brass family and the highest sounding. Its
sound is brilliant and is often heard playing fanfares. The French horn is more mellow in tone.
It is constructed from 16’ of brass tubing twisted into coil that flare out into a wide bell. The
trombone is the most powerful of all the instruments of the orchestra. One can easily identify
the low tone of the trombone because of the slide. The trombone is the only instrument that
changes size while it is being played. The performer pushes the sliding tube in to produce high
tones and pushes it out to produce low tones. The tuba is an easy instrument to identify because
of its very low pitch. To produce a tone on a brass instrument, the player must tighten his or her
lips while putting them against the cup-shaped mouthpiece and blow air through his or her lips
at the same time. This vibration of the lips, together with the blowing of the right amount of air
into the instrument, produces the tone.
PERCUSSION: The word percussion comes from a Latin word meaning to “hit or strike”.
The instruments in the percussion section of the orchestra are played by striking, shaking,
banging, and tapping. The piano is the most familiar of the percussion instruments. It is
considered a percussion instrument because you strike the keys on the piano to produce a tone.
However, the piano also has strings to make its own rhythm, harmony, and melody.
In an orchestra the following instruments fall into the STRING category:
Viola, violin, harp, double bass, cello
In the WOODWIND category there are the following instruments:
Bass clarinet, clarinet, flute, English horn, saxophone, piccolo, bassoon, contra-bassoon, oboe
In the BRASS family in an orchestra, the following instruments are found:
Trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba
In the PERCUSSION family, the following are found:
Piano, xylophone, cymbals, triangle, timpani, tone block, snare drum, chimes, maracas,
glockenspiel
Orchestra began to develop in the 16th century. The number and type of instruments varied
from place to place. By the 18th century, most orchestras consisted of strings with a few winds
and a harpsichord. The harpsichord player or a violinist would direct the orchestra. As more
instruments were invented or improved they were added to the orchestra, and eventually the
harpsichord was dropped. Today, some orchestras contain over 100 players.
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