Knowing the three rules of music gives us the ability to analyze music more deeply while still enjoying the pleasure that listening to or creating music can yield. Now, after laying out some of the basic aspect of music as well as some of the physics of tone, we’ll launch into a discussion of the various instruments we have in this world. We’ll start with the instruments of the orchestra.
Aspects of Musical Instruments
There are four families of instruments in today’s concert orchestras. They are:
- Strings
- Woodwinds
- Brass
- Percussion
This lesson presents the members of those families as well as:
- How they produce sounds
- How they modify their sounds
- How they play different pitches
- How they start and stop their sounds
Strings
The oldest members of the orchestra are members of the string section. This includes the violins, violas, cellos and double basses. The strings produce their sounds when their strings are activated when a bow is drawn across them or when plucked with a finger. Their timbre is modified when the player uses vibrato which is a rapid rocking motion of the left hand while a finger pushes the string against the neck of fingerboard. The timbre is also affected by the way the bow is drawn across the string. Light pressure doesn’t produce the depth of tone that firm pressure from the bow can produce. The different pitches are produced depending on which string is played and where the finger is pressed on the string. The tone is started and stopped with the bow, or by plucking with the finger, called pizzicato. Sometimes a player will place a “mute” on the bridge of the instrument to dampen the sound and giving it warmer and softer tone.
Another member of the string family is the harp. Though used the least of the string instruments and sometimes forgotten, the harp still qualifies because the strings are plucked. The harp is probably the one that has changed the most in how it’s constructed though that change hasn’t been that great.Woodwinds
Another member of the string family is the harp. Though used the least of the string instruments and sometimes forgotten, the harp still qualifies because the strings are plucked. The harp is probably the one that has changed the most in how it’s constructed though that change hasn’t been that great.Woodwinds
Originally, these instruments were all made of wood. Sometimes the woodwinds are referred to as “reeds”. The reason for this is that the majority of them use reeds to set the air column into vibration.
The woodwind family is comprised of the clarinet, oboe, flute, bassoon, English horn, and piccolo. The piccolo is a small flute and is capable of playing an octave higher than the flute. Some people refer to the English horn as being the “tenor oboe” because it is larger and still sounds similar to the oboe. It’s tone is still unique, however. All of the woodwinds produce sound by blowing air through the instrument. A player regulates the pitches by opening and closing holes, either with the fingers or using keys on the instrument. The sounds are started and stopped by the player’s tongue and breath.
Of these instruments the flute and piccolo do not use reeds to produce their sounds. The modern flute and piccolo are generally made of metal. The flute replaced the recorder which was popular until the mid-18th century.
Another member of the woodwinds is the saxophone. It is more frequently seen in a band than in the orchestra.
Brass
The woodwind family is comprised of the clarinet, oboe, flute, bassoon, English horn, and piccolo. The piccolo is a small flute and is capable of playing an octave higher than the flute. Some people refer to the English horn as being the “tenor oboe” because it is larger and still sounds similar to the oboe. It’s tone is still unique, however. All of the woodwinds produce sound by blowing air through the instrument. A player regulates the pitches by opening and closing holes, either with the fingers or using keys on the instrument. The sounds are started and stopped by the player’s tongue and breath.
Of these instruments the flute and piccolo do not use reeds to produce their sounds. The modern flute and piccolo are generally made of metal. The flute replaced the recorder which was popular until the mid-18th century.
Another member of the woodwinds is the saxophone. It is more frequently seen in a band than in the orchestra.
Brass
Though there are many members of the brass family, the most common are the trumpet, horn, trombone. and tuba. In military bands you’ll also see cornets, baritones and Sousaphones.
Brass instruments produce sound when the player’s lip membranes vibrate against a mouthpiece. The player can modify the instrument’s sound with a mute placed in the bell of the instrument. A brass player depends on the physical aspects of the instrument to play a wide range of notes through the production of the notes of the overtone series (discussed in session 4). Valves and slides change the length of the tubing to establish a different overtone series. Notes are started and stopped by the player placing the tongue against the lips, interrupting the flow of air.
The Sousaphone was developed by John Phillip Sousa. It sounds like the tuba but is made to wrap around the player’s body so it can be carried while marching.
Percussion
The percussion section has the greatest variety of instruments. In addition to drums of different sizes, this family also includes the xylophone, marimba, celeste, glockenspiel, cymbals, triangle, chimes, and many more. They produce sound when struck, which is why the word, percussion, is used. The xylophone and similar instruments and timpani sound definite pitches. The snare drum, cymbals, and other percussion instruments do not produce definite pitches but, rather, a sound effect. The xylophone, marimba, and glockenspiel have wood or metal bars in the pattern of a keyboard.
The Symphony Orchestra
Brass instruments produce sound when the player’s lip membranes vibrate against a mouthpiece. The player can modify the instrument’s sound with a mute placed in the bell of the instrument. A brass player depends on the physical aspects of the instrument to play a wide range of notes through the production of the notes of the overtone series (discussed in session 4). Valves and slides change the length of the tubing to establish a different overtone series. Notes are started and stopped by the player placing the tongue against the lips, interrupting the flow of air.
The Sousaphone was developed by John Phillip Sousa. It sounds like the tuba but is made to wrap around the player’s body so it can be carried while marching.
Percussion
The percussion section has the greatest variety of instruments. In addition to drums of different sizes, this family also includes the xylophone, marimba, celeste, glockenspiel, cymbals, triangle, chimes, and many more. They produce sound when struck, which is why the word, percussion, is used. The xylophone and similar instruments and timpani sound definite pitches. The snare drum, cymbals, and other percussion instruments do not produce definite pitches but, rather, a sound effect. The xylophone, marimba, and glockenspiel have wood or metal bars in the pattern of a keyboard.
The Symphony Orchestra
It’s not unusual for today’s modern orchestra to consist of about 80 players or more. Nearly half of the orchestra is made up of string players, which sets the orchestra apart from a band. A little more than half of string players use the violin. Woodwinds and brasses have one player on each part with the horns comprising the larger group. Only three or four performers play percussion instruments because seldom do you hear more than three percussion instruments played at any one time.
The Instrument and Their Sounds
The Instrument and Their Sounds
In class we listened to a portion of Benjamin Britten’s A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. In fact, a shorter portion of the same work is provided via You Tube in the frame preceding this paragraph. If you really want to hear the different instruments demonstrated click on the graphic (or the link) below to go to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s site for listening to the instruments and the sounds they produce.
Prof. Songer
JCTC - Downtown
