Musical Instruments &
Ensembles
There are 7 categories of
musical instruments
• Voices
• Strings
• Woodwinds
• Brasses
• Percussion
• Keyboard
• Electronic
Voices
• The voice is the most fundamental
musical instrument.
• It has expressive qualities not found
in other musical instruments.
• Voices have the ability to combine
both music & words.
• Voices are divided into high, middle, &
low registers.
Women’s registers
• Soprano—highest
• Mezzo-soprano—middle
• Contralto (alto)--lowest
Men’s registers
• Tenor—highest
• Baritone—middle
• Bass--lowest
Strings
• String instruments are among the most
important in Western music.
• They constitute the backbone of the
symphony orchestra & the chamber
orchestra
• There are 2 types of string instruments
– Bowed
– Plucked (harp, guitar, banjo)
• Bowed instruments include (from HIGHEST pitch to LOWEST
pitch)
– Violin
– Viola
– Violoncello (cello)
– Double bass
• These instruments are similar in construction, but
differ in sizes (see diagram.)
• The violin was first developed in the 16th century
from more primitive string instruments.
• Drawing the bow across the strings causes them to
vibrate & make sound.
• Pitch is determined by pressing down the string
against the fingerboard & adjusting the length of
the string.
– This is known as “stopping the string.”
• The longer the string, the lower the pitch; the
shorter the string, the higher the pitch.
Bowing Techniques
• This is pulling the bow across the
strings to produce different sounds.
– Legato: smooth, connected up & down
strokes
– Staccato: short & detached strokes (bow is
actually bounced off the strings.)
– Tremolo: rapid strokes (trembling)
Playing Techniques
• Vibrato: rapid vibration of the left
hand while pressing the string against
the fingerboard.
• Pizzicato: plucking the strings instead
of playing with the bow.
• Mute: a device clamped onto the
bridge that produces a subdued
velvety sound.
Plucked Instruments
• There are 2 string instruments used by the
orchestra that are plucked
– Harp
– Guitar
• The guitar can have 6 or 12 strings.
• Strings are usually made of either nylon (gut) or
steel.
• The two main types of guitars are the acoustic &
the electric
• The harp has 47 strings stretched vertically
on a triangular frame.
• It has 7-9 pedals to adjust pitch of the
strings.
Woodwinds
• These instruments produce sound when air is
blown through the tube-like body of the
instrument.
• The pitch is raised or lowered by opening &
closing finger holes on the body of the
instrument.
• Common woodwinds include (highest to
lowest pitch)
– Flute
– Clarinet
– Oboe
– Bassoon
• Most of the woodwinds use a vibrating reed
to help produce sound.
– A reed is a small strip of cane/wood used in the
mouthpiece.
• The flute has an opening on the edge of the
body. This is where the performer blows air
into to produce sound.
– This opening is called the embouchure hole.
– The performer also manipulates keys with the
fingers.
• Reed instruments can be single or double
reed.
– Single reed instruments include
• Clarinet
• Bass clarinet
• Saxophone
• Double reed instruments are
– Oboe
– English horn (cor anglee)
– Bassoon
– Contrabassoon
• The woodwind group is often expanded in the
symphony to include the following instruments.
• From highest to lowest pitch
– Piccolo
– Flute
– Oboe
– English Horn
– Clarinet
– Bass Clarinet
– Bassoon
– Contrabassoon
• The saxophone is a woodwind instrument even
though it is made of brass or some other metal.
• It uses a reed to produce sound.
• The saxophone is an “invented” instrument.
• It was invented by Adolphe Sax of Brussels,
Belgium.
Brasses
• Brass instruments include (from highest to
lowest pitch)
– Trumpet
– (French) Horn
– Trombone
– Tuba
• The tubing is coiled for easier handling
• There is a mouthpiece at one end.
• The flared end is called the bell.
• Pitch adjustments are made thru a
combinations of
– Adjusting the tension of the lips;
– Manipulating a mechanism that shortens or extends
the length of the tube;
– Breathing
• The mechanism on the following instruments is
a set of valves operated by the fingers.
– Trumpet
– Horn
– Tuba
• The mechanism on the trombone is a slide (Ushaped piece of tubing.)
Percussion
• Percussion instruments will vary from ensemble
to ensemble.
• There are 2 types of percussion instruments:
– Definite pitch
– Indefinite pitch
• Definite pitch instruments include
Timpani
Celesta
Xylophone
Chimes
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Marimba
• Timpani (aka “kettledrums”)
– Pitch is adjusted by manipulating a set of screws
around the head of the drum or by using foot pedals
• Glockenspiel (aka “bells”)
– 2 rows of steel bars each producing a definite pitch
– The steel bars are struck with a mallet.
• Celesta
– This is a keyboard glockenspiel that looks like a
piano
– It has a wider range of pitches than the bells.
– It produces many different pitches simulatneously.
– Produces a “tinkling” sound.
• Vibraphone (aka “vibraharp”)
– Metal bars arranged similar to the keys of the piano
– An electric mechanism makes the vibrato effect.
– Vibrato sounds like a vibrating musical sound.
• Xylophone
– Tuned wooden bars that produce a hollow sound
when struck by a mallet.
• Marimba
– A xylophone with resonators under each bar.
• Chimes (aka “tubular bells”)
– Tuned metal bars suspended vertically in a frame
– Can be played with 1 or 2 mallets
– Sounds like church bells (hence the name “chimes”)
Celesta
Timpani Drums
Xylophone
Chimes/
Bells
Glockenspiel
Table version of
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Marimba
Indefinite Pitch
• AKA “fixed pitch” instruments
• These just make sounds not musical notes
• Includes things that can be scraped, struck, or
manipulated in any other fashion.
Bass drum
Bongos
Gong
Snare drum
Congas
Sleigh bells
Tambourine
Cowbell
Cymbals
Triangle
Ratchet
Tom-tom
Slapsticks
Castanets
Keyboard Instruments
• Most common
– Piano
– Harpsichord
– Organ
• Keyboard instruments share 3 important
characteristics:
– They are capable of producing many different tones
at the same time
– They are both melodic & harmonic (can play both
simultaneously.)
– Widest range of pitches all instruments
• Keyboard instruments all operate from a set of
keys, but their technical aspects are different.
HARPSICHORD
• This instrument was developed before the
piano.
• The sound is produced by a vibrating string
stretched over a sounding board.
• The sound board amplifies the sound.
• The strings are not struck, like a piano, but
rather plucked by a specific mechanism.
– The mechanism is called a plectra.
• Popular during the Renaissance & Baroque
eras.
Harpsichord
• 2 main drawbacks of the harpsichord are
– It has very little sustaining power
– It doesn’t have a wide dynamic range (doesn’t
sound very loud or forceful.)
PIANO
• The pianoforte (piano) was developed from the
harpsichord during the mid-18th century into the
19th century.
• It was originally called the pianoforte because
of its dynamic range.
– Piano = soft
– Forte = loud
• Each key operates a hammer that strikes the
string.
• It has more dynamic range than the harpsichord
– The great the force pressing the key, the louder the
resulting tone/sound.
• Sustaining tones or sounds is achieved thru the
use of the pedals (3)
– Damper (R) sustains selected sounds even after the
keys are released.
– Sostenuto (M) sustains selected tone
– Quiet (L) helps with playing soft sounds.
• The best brands of pianos are the Bosendorfer
& Steinway
Grand
Piano
ORGAN (Baroque period)
• The organ uses a combination of keyboard,
wind, & pipes to create sound.
• Electric organs don’t have the wind & the pipes.
• The pipe organ consists of a set of pipes
controlled by a keyboard that sends air into the
pipes from a blower.
• The pipes can also be controlled by a footboard
that is controlled by the organist.
• The pipes are “turned on” or “turned off” by
selecting various stops.
• Tone colors & dynamic levels are controlled by
using a combination of stops, keys & pedals.
Pipe
Organ
Ensembles
• Music ranges from the unaccompanied soloist
to the large orchestra, which can include
soloists (vocal &/or instruments) & chorus.
• Two categories of instrumental music are
chamber music & orchestral music.
– Chamber music: 1 musician plays each part
– Orchestral music: sections with more than one
performer playing the composition.
• 2 divisions of orchestral music
– Small chamber orchestra
– Large symphony orchestra
• Both are similar in make up; the only difference
is size.
Chamber Ensembles
• These are classified for the number of
instruments playing
– Duo
– Trio
– Quartet
--Quintet
--Sextet
--Octet
• The music can be written for 1 type of
instrument, a family of instruments, or an
assortment of instruments.
• For example
– Piano Quintet in A major, D.667
– String Quintet in C major, D. 959
• The string quartet is the most important
chamber combination; it is the basis for all other
ensembles.
• The quartet consists of 1st & 2nd violins, 1
viola, & 1 cello (the bass can take the place of
one of the violins.)
• The other ensembles add performers
necessary to play the music.
The Orchestra
• The orchestra has changed thruout musical
history.
• It became standardized in the late 18th century.
– The symphony orchestra grew out of the chamber
orchestra which grew out of the chamber
ensembles.
– The string family dominated the chamber
ensembles & eventually became the backbone of
the symphony orchestra.
– Woodwinds were added & would become an
important part of the group.
• In the late 18th century & early 19th century,
many instruments underwent technical
improvements (Industrial Revolution.)
• These improvements increased the size of the
orchestra & change the sound quality of the
instruments.
• The IR also allowed more families to move into
the middle class, providing them with access to
instruments & music lessons which would help
increase the size of the orchestra (professional
musicians.)
• By the end of the 19th century, the symphony
orchestra had a nucleus of about 100
performers.
• Today, many orchestras have between 100 &
150 musicians.
• Early orchestras did not have a conductor, but a
concert master.
• The concert master made sure all the
instruments were tuned up & all musicians were
ready for the performance.
• Today the concert master is the 1st violinist; he
or she sits in the first seat to the left of the
conductor.
Brasses
Woodwinds
1st Violins
C
Violas
Band & Wind Ensembles
• Marching bands that play at sporting events or
concerts in the park are in this group of
ensembles.
• The “band” relies on the WWs, brasses &
percussion instruments.
• Synonyms include concert band, symphonic
band, wind ensembles, & jazz band.
Vocal Ensembles
• There will be vocal duos, trios, quartets, etc.
• Usually include 1 voice from each register.
• A chorus or choir will usually have 4, 5 or more
singers from each register.
• A woman’s chorus will usually include SS AA.
• A men’s chorus will usually include TT BrBs.
• A Cappella is choral music written with no
instrumental accompaniment.
The Conductor
• The conductor directs the ensemble & is
responsible for all aspects of its performance
(artistic & business.)
• Conducting is very complex.
– Right hand = tempo & basic metrical structure
– Left hand = cues entrances of instruments, guides
shadings, dynamics, or expressive characteristics of
the music
Test Information
Part I: Matching
Organ
Guitar
Marimba
Saxophone
Violin
Trombone
Part II: True/False
20 statements
Study notes
Piano
Reed
Voices
Glockenspiel
Part III: Pick the element that DOES NOT belong
in the group (10.)
Part IV: Match the instrument with the family (20.)
Part V: Identify the instrument using
characteristics.
Part VI: Listing/Short answer
1. What is the difference between definite pitch
percussion instruments & indefinite pitch
percussion instruments?
2. List 3 important characteristics shared by all
key board instruments.
3. Explain the function of the 3 different piano
pedals.
4. List 2 playing techniques used by string
players.
5. Know orchestra seating chart.