Transcript Instruments of the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
There are four “families” of
instruments
•
•
•
•
Woodwinds
Strings
Brass
Percussion
Woodwinds
• Air is used to push sound waves from the
instrument to our ear.
• Faster sound waves make higher pitch
• Smaller instruments make higher pitch
Woodwinds
• At one time all woodwind instruments were
made of hollow wooden tubes (modern flutes
are made of metal)
• Saxophone is considered a woodwind
instrument because it uses a reed (like
clarinet, bassoon and oboe)
• From smallest to largest, woodwind
instruments are
• Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon
• http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/ka
mien9e/part01/chapter02/youngpersonsguid
e/brittenguideinteractive.htm
Strings
• The horsehair on the bow, when pulled across
the string of an orchestra instrument sets the
string in a back and forth motion
• The string can be plucked with the finger as
well, just like the guitar family. This technique
is called pizzicato.
Strings
• From highest to lowest, the orchestra strings
are Violins (separated into first and second
sections)
• Viola, ‘Cello and Double Bass
• Guitar, mandolin, banjo and those kind of
string instruments are plucked or strummed
• Technically, the piano, is a “keyboard
chordaphone,” but is often considered more
of a percussion instrument
• http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/ka
mien9e/part01/chapter02/youngpersonsguid
e/brittenguideinteractive.htm
Brass (an alloy of zinc and copper)
• Modern brass instruments are either brass
(gold colored) or nickel-silver alloy (silver)
• Sound is created by the performer “buzzing”
into a mouthpiece
• From highest to lowest you have trumpet,
French horn, Trombone and Tuba
• Bands include alto horn, baritone horn
(variations of the tuba)
• http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/ka
mien9e/part01/chapter02/youngpersonsguid
e/brittenguideinteractive.htm
There are two types of percussion
instruments
• Percussion instruments of indefinite pitch
(“you can’t sing the note a drum makes”) that
includes most drums, shakers, cymbals, etc.
• …and percussion instruments with definite
pitch (a note you can sing, or define in
notation) that includes xylophone, bells,
vibraphone and timpani (a drum with definite
pitch!)
• Phone means “sound” in Greek
Percussion instruments are classified
by how the sound is made:
• Membranophone: a skin or “drum head” that
is struck with a stick or mallet (snare drum,
bass drum, quad drums, tom-tom drums—
indefinite pitch)
• Idiophone: an instrument that uses ‘itself’ to
make sound, like tambourine, shaker, cymbals
• Pitched Idiophones: instruments like bells,
xylophone, vibraphone—with definite pitch
• http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/ka
mien9e/part01/chapter02/youngpersonsguid
e/brittenguideinteractive.htm
RIP Ronnie Montrose (1947-2012)
• With Van Morrison (late 60’s) “Wild Night”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foplyX_nu
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• With Edgar Winter (1972) “Frankenstein”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIldFpGUCU
• Rock Candy (Montrose 1973)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUeuAnM
NDhA