FEATURED INSTRUMENT FAMILIES Young People's Concerts |
||
| String instruments make up the largest section of the
orchestra. They consist of the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. They all
have the same basic shape, but are very different in size. They each have four
strings, are made of wood, and are played by drawing a bow across the strings
or plucking the strings with the fingers. String instruments also come in
smaller sizes so children can learn to play them. Other members of the string family include the harp, the piano and the harpsichord. The harp has 47 strings so it is considered to be a member of the string family. The strings of the harp are plucked or strummed by the harpist. The piano is a member of both the string and percussion families of the orchestra. It has strings that are struck with felt covered hammers. The harpsichord looks similar to the piano, but its sound is softer. The strings of the harpsichord are plucked when the musician plays on the keyboard. |
 |
|
| . | Woodwind instruments are most commonly made
of wood or metal, and are played by blowing air across an opening at one end or
through a "reed", and by covering and uncovering holes along the instrument
with fingers or levers, keys, and pads. The members of this family are flute
and piccolo, oboe and English horn, clarinet and bass clarinet, and bassoon and
contra-bassoon. |
 |
| Brass
instruments are the loudest members of the orchestra. They include French horn,
trumpet, trombone, and tuba. Brass instruments are long tubes of metal which
the player blows into through a mouth-piece at one end. The player makes a
buzzing sound with his or her lips, and the sound comes out the other end which
is wider, like a bell. |
 |
|
Percussion instruments are the rhythm section of the orchestra. They make sounds when they are struck, scraped, or rattled with hands or special sticks. Some percussion instruments have a definite highness or lowness, a quality called pitch, and some do not have a definite pitch. Xylophone, timpani, chimes, vibraphone, and Celesta are examples of pitched percussion instruments, while bass drum, snare drum, triangle, cymbals, and tambourine are non-pitched percussion instruments. The percussion family has the most members, with new instruments added all the time. Modern percussion instruments include found objects such as flower pots, china plates, and tin cans. |
 |
|