Instrumental Families

There are four different families of instrument in the

orchestra.

The Percussion family

• The percussion family splits into two sections: pitched and non pitched.

• The percussion section sits at the back of the orchestra as they are very loud and they need a lot of space.

Percussion

• Pitched Percussion

• Timpani• Piano• Xylophone• Glockenspiel

• Non-Pitched Percussion.

• Side/snare drum• Triangle• Cymbals• Bass drum• Tambourine • Wood block• Etc.

Pitched Percussion

Non-pitched percussion

The Brass family

• There are four different instruments which are in the brass family in the orchestra (there are more different instruments which are used in brass bands etc.)

• The brass section sits near the back of the orchestra – there is only the percussion behind them.

The Brass family cont’d

• The four brass instruments are:

• Trumpet• French Horn• Trombone• Tuba

• The trumpet is the highest pitch and the tuba is the lowest.

Trumpet

• The trumpet plays the highest notes in the brass section.

• There are normally two trumpeters in an orchestra.

• The trumpet is also used a lot in Jazz music.

• The trumpet is played with a mouthpiece and it has three valves.

The French Horn

• The French horn also has a mouthpiece and three valves.

• There are usually four horns in the orchestra.

• The horn is nearly four metres long when unwound.

The Trombone.

• The trombone has a mouthpiece the same as the trumpet but it has a slide instead of valves.

• There are 3 trombones in an orchestra and they are also used in jazz music.

• The trombone plays quite low notes.

The tuba.

• The tuba plays the lowest notes in the brass section.

• The tuba has a mouthpiece the same as the trumpet (but a lot bigger) an four valves.

• The tuba is nearly five metres long.

• There is one tuba in an orchestra.

The String family

• There are five different instruments which are in the string family in the orchestra.

• The string section is the biggest one in the orchestra.

• The strings sit at the front of the orchestra.

• The leader of the orchestra plays first violin.

The String family cont’d• The five string instruments are:

• Violin• Viola• Cello• Double bass• Harp

• The violin is the highest pitched instrument. (they are split into violin one and two in the orchestra.) and the double bass is the lowest.

The Violin and the Viola

• The violin is the highest instrument in the string family.

• The violin and the viola have four strings and they are both played under the chin.

• The strings are played with a bow.

• There are about 30 violins and 10 violas in an orchestra.

The Cello and the Double Bass

• The cello and the double bass are the two other main instruments in the string family. They are bigger and play lower notes. The double bass is the lowest instrument in the string section.

• Both instruments also have four strings.

• There are usually 10 cellos and six double basses in an orchestra.

The Harp

• The harp is not always used in the orchestra.

• The harp has 47 strings and can play both high and low notes.

• The harp also has pedals like the piano.

The Woodwind family

• There are four main instruments which are in the woodwind family in the orchestra.

• There are also many different sizes of these instruments available which are also used in the orchestra.

• The woodwind section sits behind the strings.

• The saxophone is a very popular woodwind instrument but it is NOT in the orchestra.

The Woodwind family cont’d

• The four woodwind instruments are:

• Flute (piccolo)• Oboe (Cor Anglais)• Clarinet (Bass Clarinet)• Bassoon (Contra Bassoon)

• The flute is the highest pitched instrument and the bassoon is the lowest.

Flute / Piccolo

• There are usually two flutes and a piccolo in an orchestra.

• The piccolo is a smaller version of the flute and it plays really high notes.

• These are the highest instruments in the woodwind section.

Oboe

• There are two oboes and a Cor Anglais (a slightly bigger oboe) in the orchestra.

• The oboe plays the note ‘A’ that the whole orchestra tunes to.

• The oboe has a double reed.

Clarinet.

• There are two clarinets and a bass clarinet in the orchestra.

• The clarinet has a single reed – the same as the saxophone.

• The clarinet has a big range of different notes.

Bassoon

• The bassoon plays the lowest notes in the woodwind family.

• It has a double reed like the oboe.

• The Italian word for bassoon ‘fagotto’ means a bundle of sticks!

The Orchestra Layout

Percussion

Conductor

The Orchestra Layout

Percussion

Brass

Conductor

The Orchestra Layout

Percussion

Brass

Strings

Conductor

The Orchestra Layout

Percussion

Brass

Woodwind

Strings

Conductor

The layout of the orchestra