Orchestra

By Roksana

Percussion FamilyPercussion:These are instruments designedto make sounds when hit with a stick or hands.

Rhythm:Percussion instruments are in charge of this. Drums support themusical piece and keeps the time.

Beat (in music):Heart beat of the song, it’s steadyand continuous.

Membranophones:Snare, drum, bongos and timpani. An instrument that has a stretched membrane or drum head covering the hollow shell.

Idiophones:Xylophones, triangles, maracas. Instruments without membrane that creates sound when the instrument itself is made to vibrate.

Mallet:Or stick. Causes instrument to vibrate and make a noise.

Brass FamilyWind Instrument:Any instrument you play byBlowing through it.

Purse (VERB):To play a brass instrument, lips have to be pursed to create akind of buzzing noise.

Vibrate:Lips do this. Hold lips together tightly to make a high pitchedbuzz, relax lips to make low pitched sounds.

Pitch (in music):The longer the tube, the lower the pitch. It also depends on the tubes width.

Brass:- long metal tubesInstruments made from this don’t necessarily belong to this family.

Tone (in music):Buzzing lips against mouthpiece causes the tube and air inside to vibrate, causing a clear tone.

Valve:- Trumpet, tuba & French horn. Player changes pitch of notes by pressing down on a series of this.

Tuba: Hits the lowest note and sits on the musicians lap.

Bugle:Natural bass instrument-has neither slides or valves so has limited range of notes.

Trombone:Slide instrument-player slides long tube up and down allowing smooth change of notes.

Woodwind InstrumentsWoodwinds:

These instruments are not all made out of wood, but require wind to make a noise. These are basicallytubes with holes in it. For example:flutes, saxophones, oboes and clarinetsare all woodwind instruments.

Mouthpiece:

To make music, air is blown into the instrument through this, also a reed.These types of instruments wouldnot be able to be played without this.

Reed:

If the woodwind instrument has this it is often made out of bamboo type of wood. It is the vibrating air produced inside the instrument, blown through the reed within the mouthpiece, that makes the sound.

Edge-blown:Flutes and recorders are these types of instruments. Air is blown over a edge in the mouthpiece.

Single-reed:Clarinets and saxophones are these types of instruments. They have a single reed in their mouthpiece which vibrates to get the air inside the instrument moving.

Double-reed:The oboe uses this and produces even more vibration. All woodwind instruments have a series of notes running down its length. Playing these instrument is harder then it looks.

String InstrumentsPlucked:When string is flicked with thumb, finger or small piece of plastic.Pitch is changed by pressing on neck in different places, using the technique.

Struck:Within the piano, when the key is pressed a felt hammer hits one of the strings to produce a sound. Lower pitched strings- longer and thicker.Higher pitched- shorter and thinner.

Resonator:Strings are nearly always joined onto this. Hollow structure usually made of wood or metal. It amplifies the sound waves from the vibrating strings

making the sound louder and fuller.

Bowed:This technique is when the string is rubbed over and played using a bow. Orchestral instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass-from highest to lowest pitch.

Lyre:The oldest kind of stringed instrument-popular with the ancient Greeks. The harp is another example of an old string instrument.

Bow:A strong, flexible stick of horsehair stretched onto it. It is rubbed with resin to produce friction.