Instruments
How many different kinds of instruments can you think of?
Melophone
Saxophone
Tenor sax
Piano
Washboard
Triangle
Trombone
Flute
Bass drum
Maracas
trumpet
bass guitar
washtub bass
voice
bugle
clarinet
tuba
pipe organ
coronet
castanets
harp
electric guitar
violin
windpipes
bagpipes
cymbals
keyboard
piccolo
bongos
rhythm stick
guitar (ACCOUSTIC)
drums
cello
harmonica
spoons
banjo
bells
snare drum
rain sticks
rattles
Early types of instruments:
These instruments date back to 1000 – 1200 B.C.
Pan Flute Pipes
Lute – like a guitar and used by singers
Harpsichord - like a piano
Double Harp – 2 sets of strings
Various flutes or
recorders
Fiddle
Music of the Middle Ages using many of the instruments shown.
Middle Ages Music and Images
As time went on instruments developed more and more.
In the Classical time period the instruments become a little more refined.
Slightly more modern piano
More sophisticated flutes.
Brass instruments were
also improved upon.
Classical Era Instrumental Music - Orchestra and piano solo
Mozart Piano Concerto
Instrument Families
Instruments are grouped into families of similar sound
or method of playing.
For example: Percussion instruments are struck,
where woodwinds are blown into through a reed.
There are 5 main families of instruments
* Strings
*Woodwinds
*Brass
*Percussion
*Keyboards
STRING FAMILY
String instruments produce sound through the vibrating of a string.
String instruments can be plucked or bowed.
Name some string Instruments:
viola
violin
Ukulele
double bass
guitar
mandolin
harp
banjo
cello
electric bass
STRING FAMILY
STRING FAMILY
Classical String Instruments:
Typically used in orchestral music
Violin – the smallest and highest pitched
Viola – slightly larger than a violin and a little
lower in pitch.
Cello – large and required the instrumentalist
to be seated to play. The pitch is even
lower
Double Bass- the lowest pitch of the classical
string instruments, you must stand
while playing the double bass
Trivia question:
Which classical string instrument is also sometimes
used in a Jazz Ensemble?
Double Bass
String Quartet
String quartets were very popular during the time of Mozart
String quartets consisted of 2 violins, 1 viola, and 1 cello
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5WMUn
MGcb4&feature=player_detailpage
STRING FAMILY
Other String instruments used in various styles of music.
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Guitar
Mandolin
Banjo
STRING FAMILY
Guitar Ensembles
http://youtu.be/8epuzV7JZPk
Guitar Ensemble from
Eastern Kentucky University
http://youtu.be/tp6t8AnT5Cg
Electric Guitar Ensemble from
Eastern Kentucky University
WOODWIND FAMILY
A woodwind instrument produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp
edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator (usually a column of air)
to vibrate. Most of these instruments are made of wood but can be made of other
materials, such as metals or plastics.
Single reeds are used for clarinets and saxophones
There are some
instruments in the
woodwind family
that do not use a reed.
Can you guess which
one?
WOODWINDS
Some woodwind instruments have double reeds
Oboe
Bassoon
Contrabassoon
WOODWINDS
Saxophone Family
Like the Classical String
Instruments there are also
varying pitched saxophones.
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
WOODWINDS
Flute Family
Although we are used to seeing two types of flutes, there are many different sized
of flutes. The size differences change the high or low sounds of the instruments.
Piccolo- the highest sounding flute
Standard flute – mid to high range
Bass flute – is the lowest
and largest of the flutes
Alto flute – lower in sound and larger
WOODWINDS
http://youtu.be/LqfskxfsmbU
Flute Choir performance
http://youtu.be/ulvIWg2Z3ds
Saxophone Ensemble
http://youtu.be/lRqQU_btwPc
Woodwind Ensemble
BRASS
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by vibration of
air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips.
Standard mouth piece for a trumpet
BRASS
Tuba – lowest sound
Low Brass Instruments
Baritone – the highest
of the low brass
Euphonium –
slightly higher sound
Trombone – like the baritone, it’s the highest of
the low brass instruments
BRASS
High brass instruments
Standard Trumpet
mid-high range
Flugelhorn
mid-low range
Piccolo trumpet
highest range
French horn
mid-low range
BRASS
How do they work?
The player buzzes air into the
mouthpiece and pushes on valves to
change the pitch.
The more tubing, the lower the sound.
The smaller the tubing, the higher the
sound.
Each brass instrument has it’s
own mouthpiece.
BRASS
Valves vs. Slides
Almost all Brass instruments use valves to change pitch, but some use a slide.
Valves
Slides
BRASS
Brass Quintets
A Brass Quintet consists of
2 trumpets, 1 french horn,
1 trombone, and 1 tuba
http://youtu.be/zR_GVUWllP4
The Canadian Brass
BRASS
Trumpet Choir
http://youtu.be/G1qwXXxdaBE
Trombone Choir
http://youtu.be/CzlfbA9791k
Instrument Families Worksheet
Here is a list of the available instruments for the worksheet and families.
String Family
Violin
Viola
Cello
Guitar
Double Bass
Harp
Woodwind Family
Flute
Saxophone
Oboe
Bassoon
Clarinet
Contrabassoon
Brass Family
Trumpet
French Horn
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
PERCUSSION
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or
when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object
into vibration.
PERCUSSION
Percussion instruments vary
in size, style, colors, and
material.
PERCUSSION
Percussion instruments are classified into 4 major areas.
Idiophone – sound is made through vibrations of the entire body.
Membranophone – sound is made when the membrane head is struck.
Chordophone – a pitched sound is made when struck.
Aerophone – sound is made when air is blown through.
PERCUSSION
Idiophones and Membranophones are the most common types
of percussion instruments used.
Idiophones
PERCUSSION
Membranophone
The skin stretched over the head of a drum is called a membrane.
This is what vibrates to make the sound.
PERCUSSION
Mallets are used to strike a percussion instrument, either idiophone or membranophone
There are soft mallets
There are hard mallets
Soft mallets
typically have
felt or yarn to
make the
contact softer
Hard mallets are typically
made of wood or hard
plastic. Drum sticks are
like mallets, they are hard
wood.
PERCUSSION
Marching band Drum Lines
http://youtu.be/Of25v8otMJQ
Trash Talkers – St. Edward High School
http://youtu.be/wQVVWuyLwGY
Percussion Ensemble
http://youtu.be/Jde0u8OJNdA
PERCUSSION
Marimba solos and duets.
http://youtu.be/9yIidaajecE
http://youtu.be/BHP5xjBP-9I
http://youtu.be/DtzpGKadgew
PERCUSSION
Ancient Drums of various cultures
Kodo Drumming Japanese Tradition
http://youtu.be/kI4Mqb5_jJU
http://youtu.be/thQ1VAyJWHw
PERCUSSION
2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony
http://youtu.be/RUy9OgRRXnw
http://youtu.be/RUy9OgRRXnw
KEYBOARDS
A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most
common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of
various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments
KEYBOARDS
Keyboard instruments have a standard
keyboard of white and black keys for each
note on the staff.
There are differences
between the keyboard
instruments and how the
sound is produced.
An organ uses air pumped through pipes.
For example, a piano has hammers.
KEYBOARDS
Inside of the piano
Just like all instruments, the shorter and
thinner strings are the higher pitches.
The thicker and longer strings are the lower sounds.
The piano key is pressed and a hammer in the
inside is moved forward or down to hit the string.
KEYBOARDS
Organs and how they work.
An organ uses air through
pipes to make sound.
When a key is pressed, it
releases air into the pipe.
KEYBOARDS
The first organs had to have air pumped into them.
It was the responsibility of the performer
to pump air into it with their feet.
KEYBOARDS
Spencer Myer – Local musician
from North Ridgeville.
http://youtu.be/jJKrjayL6pI
Jazz Pianist Solo
http://youtu.be/AO32dVF6fgo
KEYBOARDS
Organists solos – use of pedals
http://youtu.be/m_HdrywerGE
Bach’s Toccata and Fugue
http://youtu.be/_FXoyr_FyFw