The document summarizes the different sections and instruments that make up a modern orchestra. It describes the four main sections - woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion - and lists common instruments within each section such as flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon for woodwinds; trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba for brass; violin, viola, cello, and double bass for strings; and timpani, xylophone, tambourine, and castanets for percussion. It provides brief descriptions of how each instrument is played and its tonal qualities.

1. Musical Instruments of the Orchestra

2. What is an Orchestra ? Orchestra is an old Greek word which means ‘a dancing place’.

3. In Greece, during the 5th century B.C., orchestra was the name given to the space in front of the main acting area which was used by the chorus, who danced as well as sang, and by the instrumentalists of open air theaters.

4. Today we use the word orchestra to refer to a reasonably large collection of instruments playing together as a group. Greek Theatre

5. The orchestra has expanded gradually from early 17th century and is now a very wonderful and varied combination of instruments, which falls into four group. The Orchestra

6. Woodwind Instruments As the name ‘woodwind’ suggests, the instruments of this section of the orchestra are mostly made of wood, though flutes are now often made of metal instead.

7. In each woodwind instruments there is a series of holes bored along the length of the tube. When all the holes are covered, the instrument sounds its lowest note. But if the player uncovers the bottom hole, a higher note is sounded. Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon

8. Woodwind Instrument Nowadays, it is made of metal.

9. It is easy to recognize the flute among the instruments of the woodwind section, as it is held sideways rather than straight in front of the player.

10. The low notes are soft and mellow, but higher notes become brighter and more brilliant. Flute

11. Woodwind Instrument It is a double-reed instrument.

12. It has a reedy sound and can express a pastoral feeling. Oboe

13. Woodwind Instrument Of the four main woodwind instruments, the clarinet was last to join the orchestra.

14. The clarinet has a single reed -- a flat piece of cane.

15. The last part of its range has a hollow but rich sound. The middle part of the range is smooth. High up, the clarinet sounds rather sharp. Clarinet

16. Woodwind Instrument It is a double-reed instrument with a conical tube 9 feet long.

17. The low notes are very reedy. The higher notes are more flute-like and sound lovely. Bassoon

18. Brass Instruments The sounds of the brass section, like those of the woodwind, are made by blowing.

19. Brass instruments are long, hollow brass tubes blown from one end. They are curred or bent into various shapes. Trumpet French Horn Trombone Tuba

20. Brass Instrument The trumpet is the most ancient of the instruments in the brass section.

21. It is one of the most powerful and colorful musical instruments in the orchestra.

22. The tone quality is really brilliant. Trumpet

23. Brass Instrument It is a long conical tube coiled into a circular shape and ends in a large bell shape.

24. It has a beautiful mellow tone of pure and lofty character. French Horn

25. Brass Instrument The Italian name means ‘big trumpet’, and the trombone is in fact a long, folded trumpet with a more deeply cupped mouth-piece.

26. It has a rich, noble tone. Trombone

27. Brass Instrument The Italian name means ‘big trumpet’, and the trombone is in fact a long, folded trumpet with a more deeply cupped mouth-piece.

28. It has a rich, noble tone. Trombone

29. String Instruments The strings are the ‘backbone’ of the orchestra. More than half the members of an orchestra play string instruments.

30. The sound is produced by bowing, plucking or striking the string.

31. Violin, viola, cello and double bass are similar in shape and each has four strings, but in different sizes; all tuned in fifth except the double bass that is fourth. Violin Viola Cello Double Bass

32. String Instrument It is about 23.5 inches long.

33. The violins of the orchestra are divided into two groups: first violins and second violins. The difference is not in the music they play -- the first violins usually play higher notes than the seconds. Violin

34. String Instrument It is about 25 inches long and is pitched a fifth lower than violin. Viola

35. String Instrument The correct name for this instrument is really, as in Italian, violoncello -- but it is always called cello for short.

36. It is around 5 feet in height and is pitched one octave lower than the viola. Cello

37. String Instrument The double bass, sometimes just called bass for short.

38. It is the largest in size (around 6.5 feet in height) and has the deepest tone (one octave below the cello) in the string family. Double Bass

39. Percussion Instruments Percussion instruments are those which are struck or shaken.

40. Percussion instruments can be divided into two groups. They are ‘tuned’ and ‘non-tuned’. Tuned: Non-tuned: Timpani Xylophone Tambourine Castanets

41. Percussion Instrument It can also be called kettle drum.

42. These are often used in sets of two, three, or four each tuned to a different note.

43. The instrument is played with two sticks.

44. The player can tighten or loosen the parchment with pedals for tuning. Timpani

45. Percussion Instrument It consists of blocks of hard wood, each tuned to a note.

46. The player strikes the wooden blocks with wooden beaters to produce a bright, dry, hard sound. Xylophone

47. Percussion Instrument Small metal plates are loosely inserted around the shell.

48. When the player hits or shakes it with his hand, the mental plates give a jingling effect. Tambourine

49. Percussion Instrument These consist of little wooden clappers moved by the thumb and forefinger of the player.

50. In the orchestra, they are placed on a stick. Castanets

51. Seating Plan Because of their family likenesses, the instruments of each section are grouped together. The platform is usually terraced, and the sections are positioned according to instrumental sounds and tone-colors.

52. Woodwind Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Brass Trumpet French Horn Trombone Tuba Strings Violin Viola Cello Double Bass Percussion With pitch Without pitch Timpani Xylophone Tambourine Castanets Instruments Orchestra

53. 1º E.S.O. Bilingüe 2010/2011