Musical Instruments
An orchestra is a large group of musicians who play together on a variety of instruments. Leading the group of musicians is the conductor. The instruments of the orchestra are organized into families:
Strings – String Instruments use vibrating strings to make their sound.
Woodwinds – Woodwind instruments are made of a long hollow tube of wood or metal. The sound is made by blowing air through a very thin piece of shaved wood called a reed, or across a small mouthpiece.
Brass – Brass instruments are wind instruments made of metal with a cup shaped mouthpiece.
Percussion – Percussion instruments are played by being struck or shaken.
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Interactive Orchestra |
| Enjoy this interactive way to see and hear the instruments of the orchestra. | |
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Class Clips - Music / Science KS2: House of Sound |
| Fran Scott and Greg Foot explore the science of sound, music and musical instruments. |
Woodwind Instruments
The woodwind family of instruments includes, from the highest sounding instruments to the lowest, the piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon and contrabassoon.
The Bassoon
This long, narrow woodwind instrument has a double reed. Its wooden tube is doubled back on itself to reduce its height and ends with a bell that points up. Bassoons play the low notes in the woodwind family.
The Clarinet
A woodwind instrument consisting of a black cylindrical tube that has a mouthpiece with a single reed at one end, and a bell at the other end. The wooden tube has holes covered by metal keys, which are pressed to change the instrument's pitch.
The Contrabassoon
This instrument is also called a double bassoon. It has a double reed that can play an octave lower than a regular bassoon. Its tube is over 16 feet long and is doubled over on itself four times. The metal bell at the end of the tube points downward.
The English Horn
A woodwind instrument with a double reed that is similar to an oboe, but longer, and with a pear-shaped bell. Its tone is lower and mellower than an oboe.
The Flute
A small, cylindrical woodwind instrument, usually made of silver, that is held sideways to the mouth. It is a tube with one open end and one capped end. Sound is created by blowing across a mouthpiece at the capped end of the instrument. Its pitch is changed by pressing the metal keys that cover holes along the tube.
Oboe
A woodwind instrument made of a conical tube with a double reed stuck into the top. Sound is made by blowing through the double reed. The pitch is changed by opening and closing holes on the sides of the instrument.
Piccolo
A small flute that sounds an octave higher than a regular flute. It gets its name from the Italian word for "little" - short for flauto piccolo, or little flute.
Saxophone
A wind instrument made of brass with a single reed and a curved conical tube. The pitches are controlled by keys on its body. It is named for its inventor, Adolphe Sax.
Brass
Essentially, a brass instrument is a long pipe with a mouthpiece at one end and a bell-shaped opening at the other, which has been coiled and shaped for easy use. Sound is produced by the player vibrating or buzzing their lips against the mouthpiece. The player can change the pitch of the note by pressing down valves which lengthen the tube itself or by alternating their embouchure. Brass instruments are the loudest instruments in the orchestra.
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Rochdale Borough Council - Choose a brass instrument to play |
| Select this link to listen to how the different brass instrument sound |
Cornet
Similar to a trumpet, the cornet has a partly conical metal tube and is mellower and less brilliant than the trumpet.
French Horn
A brass wind instrument with a conical tube that's bent into a circle, a funnel shaped mouthpiece, and a wide bell. The modern French horn has valves that allow it to play a complete chromatic scale.
Trombone
A brass wind instrument with a cup mouthpiece and a long metal tube. A moveable U-shaped slide changes the length of the tube, which changes the pitch of the instrument.
Trumpet
A brass instrument with a cup-shaped mouthpiece and a metal tube with a bell-shaped end. Three valves can be pressed to change the length of the tube, which changes the pitch of the instrument.
Tuba
The largest and lowest brass instrument, with a mouthpiece and a big bell-shaped opening to a tube that is wrapped around in an oval. Valves on the tube can be pressed to change the pitch of the instrument.
String
Orchestras typically boast five different types of string instruments. Other sring instruments include the banjo, guitar and bass guitar.
Cello
A stringed instrument that is double the length of a violin and deeper from front to back. It has four strings, is held between the knees, and is supported on the floor with a metal peg. It is played with a bow and has a tone that is much lower and more mellow than a violin.
Double Bass
The largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the string family. The double bass rests on the floor on a metal peg; double bass players often stand when they perform.
Harp
This string instrument dates back to pre-historic times. The modern harp has a large triangular frame with strings stretched vertically across the triangle. The strings are graduated in length from longest/lowest pitches to shortest/highest and there are pedals that can be used to raise the pitch of each string by half steps. The sound is created by plucking the strings with fingers.
Violin
The highest pitched member of the string instrument family. It has a shallow wooden body, four strings that are tuned with pegs, and it is played with a bow.
Viola
Slightly larger than the violin, this member of the string family has a hollow wooden body, four strings that are tuned with pegs, and is played with a bow. It sounds a fifth lower than a violin.
Percussion
Percussion instruments refer to musical instruments sounded by striking, scraping, or shaking against another similar instrument. The materials used to make percussion instruments include metal, wood, or plastic, and they come in different sizes and shapes.
Bass Drum
The largest drum. It stands upright and is hit on the side. It is used in both orchestras and marching bands.
Chimes
A set of tuned metal tubes that hang in rows in a frame. The sound is made by striking the tube at the top edge with a mallet. The chimes are often used by orchestras to create the sound of bells.
Cymbals
A percussion instrument consisting of two round metal plates that create classing sounds when struck together. A single cymbal can also be struck with a stick.
Timpani
The only drum that can be tuned to produce definite pitches. Timpani is Italian for kettle drum, another name for the instrument because of its large kettle-shaped bottom, over which the skin of the drumhead is stretched. The player uses a pedal to tighten and loosen the drumhead to change the pitch.
Gong
A metal disc with a turned down rim that makes a loud, booming sound when struck with a mallet.
Tambourine
A percussion instrument consisting of a small wooden hoop with metal disc inserts called jingles. The hoop is covered on one side with a drumhead. It is played by shaking or striking the drumhead with the hand.
Triangle
A percussion instrument made of a metal bar bent into the shape of a triangle with one corner open. It is held by a string and struck with a metal rod.
Xylophone
A percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned wooden bars arranged like a piano keyboard, with a hollow tube under each bar. Each bar gives off a different pitch when struck with a mallet.