Timbre

A description of the actual sounds that you hear.

“Tone color” or “quality”

Timbre

Timbre can be a list of the instruments or voices that you hear.

Timbre can also refer to the variations in tone color of a specific instrument (a

bright guitar or dark voice).

Timbre

6 Families of Instruments

Family

• An instrument is grouped into a family based on how it PRODUCES sound (not how it sounds, what it looks like, what material it’s made from, etc).

6 Families

• String

• Woodwind

• Brass

• Percussion

• Keyboard

• Electronic

Rule of Thumb

• The smaller/shorter the vibrating element (string, pipe, air tube, etc.), the HIGHER the pitch.

• The larger/longer the vibrating element, the LOWER the pitch.

String

• Bowed Strings– Violin– Viola– Violoncello (cello)– Double bass

The nucleus of an orchestra consists of bowed strings.

String

• Plucked Strings– Guitar– Banjo– Mandolin– Bass Guitar– Balalaika– Lute

Woodwinds

• Single reed (clarinet and saxophone)

• Double reed (oboe, bassoon and English horn)

• No reed (flute and piccolo)

Brass

• Trumpet

• Trombone

• French Horn

• Tuba

Percussion

• Definite pitch (marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, chimes, bells, timpani)

• Indefinite pitch (bass drum, snare drum, woodblocks, cymbal)

Keyboard

• Piano

• Pipe organ (king of instruments)

• Harpsichord

What is the proper name of the piano?

What is the proper name of the piano?

• pianoforte

Electronic

• Electronic keyboards

• Computer

• Synthesizer

• MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

Orchestra

• A group of (usually more than 20) instruments which has bowed strings as its nucleus.

• To that, you may add any number or type of instruments.

Dave Matthews Band

• The instruments in his band include guitar, bass guitar, drums, and violin.

• Just because it has a violin, it is not an orchestra!

Seating plan of an Orchestra

• Softest instruments in front (bowed strings)

• Woodwinds behind

• Brass behind

• Percussion in back

• Loudest instruments are in the back.

Conductor

• Stands in front of orchestra

• Keeps time and keeps them together

• Listens to sound and shapes the music as it’s being played

Conductor

• The music directors of the "Big Five" orchestras of the United States each made over $1,000,000 per year, with the music director of the New York Philharmonic making the most, at $2,777,753 during the 2009-2011 season.

• Music directors of smaller full-time orchestras, like in Atlanta, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Baltimore made from $400,000 to $977,000 per year.

Concertmaster

• First chair first violin

• Responsible for bowings in the section

• Plays all passages written for solo violin

• Tunes up the orchestra

• Is expected to “stand in” for the conductor if necessary

Concertmaster

• The concertmaster for the Atlanta Symphony set a new all time high compensation level at $578,436.

• The average compensation for the Top 10 highest paid concertmasters is $418,324.

Voices

Voices

• SATB

Voices

• Female:

• Soprano (high)

• Alto / Contralto (low)

• Male:

• Tenor (high)

• Bass (low)

Voices – Most Common

• Female: Mezzo Soprano

• Male: Baritone

A cappella

• Unaccompanied voices

• Literally, “as in the chapel” – i.e., no instruments.