Revision Sheet. Key words are highlighted in Italics.
The conductor is the person in charge of the orchestra.
They use a baton to beat time.
They follow the music from an orchestral score.
The leader helps the conductor at rehearsals.
They play any difficult solos.
They play the violin.
An orchestra consists of four musical families laid out as follows:
The
 Strings.
 Woodwind
 Brass
 Percussion
highest
and
Violin
Piccolo
Trumpet
Not Applicable
lowest
instruments are:
Double Bass
Bassoon
Tuba
Stringed instruments all have four strings and are played in the following ways:
Arco
with the bow
Pizzicato
plucking the string
Double stopping playing two or more notes at once
Woodwind players blow their instrument in the following ways:
Flute/piccolo
blowing across the barrel
Clarinet
uses a single reed
Oboe/bassoon
uses a double reed
Brass instruments are blown and all use a mouthpiece.
Notes are changed in the following ways:
Trumpet/French horn/Tuba
Valves
Trombone
Uses a slide
Glissando ( sliding )
In addition brass instruments can use a mute which gives the instrument a
more metallic buzzing sound.
Percussion instruments are played by striking and consist of two main types:
Tuned
instruments like the glockenspiel (metal bars) and xylophone
(wooden bars) can play melodies.
TheTimpani drum ( kettle ) is also a tuned percussion instrument.
Untuned
Instruments like the snare drum, tambourine, bass drum or
castanets play single rhythmic notes or patterns.
Finally when identifying the instruments by listening remember to narrow down
the possibilities by using the following:
What family does the instrument belong to?
Ask Yourself:
Is the instrument high or low pitched?
Remember if in doubt trust your instinct.
You’ve heard these instruments before so go with your gut reaction!
It’s usually the right one.