Field Guide to the Orchestra

Field Guide to the Orchestra Get ready to discover an amazing musical world.

Welcome!

Orchestras and the classical music they play can entertain you, tell you

Contents

stories, make you laugh or cry, or take

The Orchestra

you away to faraway places. Simply

The Instruments

put, listening to an orchestra can be a

The Four Families

powerful experience. Knowing a few

The Instrument Spotter’s Guide

Music for Getting to Know the Instruments

What Orchestras Play

The Style of Music

Main Musical Forms

Musical Time Periods

things about orchestras and the range of music they play can make it even better. Everything you need to get started or refresh your memory is right here in this guide. So, let’s get going!

Creating Music—The Composer’s Toolbox Where Orchestras Play How to Be an Awesome Audience Member About the Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra More Resources

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The National Symphony Orchestra

Photo by Scott Suchman

The Orchestra What’s an Orchestra?

Very simply, orchestras are groups of musicians playing instruments together. The first orchestras formed more than 400 years ago—and for composers and audiences alike, it was love at first sound. Orchestras most often play classical, instrumental music and you can quickly identify them by their characteristic mix of instruments from four main instrument families (more on those later). When orchestras are really large, we call them symphony orchestras. Today, a symphony orchestra like the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has about 100 members. The music has evolved over the years, but one thing’s for sure—with all those instruments playing together, orchestras make some amazing music.

Who’s Who Orchestra musicians practice (a lot!), listen carefully, and cooperate to make great music. Everyone has an important role to play, but here are a few people you’ll notice with extra responsibilities during a performance:

❖ The conductor is the person who stands on the podium and leads the orchestra. Conductors guide the musicians on when and how fast and loud to play. They do this mostly through their hand and arm motions. Notice that conductors use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast or slow to play and their left hand to tell how loud or soft. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct.

❖ The concertmaster, usually the lead violin player, is kind of like an assistant to the conductor. Concertmasters walk out on stage before the conductor appears and take a bow before sitting down and giving the signal for the orchestra to tune.

❖ The lead oboe player plays the “A” note that all the other musicians tune (adjust) their instruments to match. This step, which sounds a little crazy for a minute, ensures that all the instruments sound perfect together when the music starts.

❖ The soloist can be an orchestra member or a guest musician who performs music that features one instrument over all the others; soloists play their instruments with extraordinary skill.

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The Instruments The Four Families When you see the orchestra on stage, the instruments are arranged by instrument families.

Each family has a number of individual instruments. Let’s get to know them a little better.

Strings These instruments are all made of wood and have strings.

The family includes, from smallest to largest, the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Musicians play them by using a bow (a stick of wood with a tight ribbon of horsehair) in their right hand and pressing the string with the fingers of their left hand. That makes the string vibrate and create sound. The bodies of the instruments have a hollow center called a resonating chamber, and it makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. To get ready to play, musicians rub blocks of rosin on their bows to help the bows better grip the strings.

String players change the sound of their instruments by:

Violin

Viola

Cello

Double Bass

❖ changing where they press the strings. ❖ changing where they pull the bow across the strings. ❖ using their fingers to pluck the strings, called pizzicato (pronounced pitz-uh-KAH-toh).

Woodwinds Flute Clarinet

Piccolo

Oboe Saxophone

Musicians play woodwind instruments by blowing into them. Flute and piccolo players blow across an opening. Clarinet and saxophone players blow air across a single reed (a thin strip of woody grass), and the oboe and bassoon players blow air across a double reed. To get ready to play, the clarinet, bassoon, oboe, and saxophone players moisten their reeds in water or in their mouths (which helps make the instruments sound clearer).

Players change the sounds of their instruments by:

❖ changing the strength and angle of the air flow. ❖ changing the embouchure (AHM-boo-shoor), Bassoon

which is the way the players hold their lips, tongue, and teeth as they blow into the instrument.

❖ pressing down on different keys.

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Brass The brass instruments stand out because they’re big and shiny. They make loud, full, and sometimes very deep sounds. These instruments—the trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba—are made of twisted metal tubing that opens into a bell shape.

To make sound, players “buzz” their lips on the instrument’s mouthpiece. (Before a concert, you might hear them buzzing their lips to warm up.)

Trombone

Trumpet

Players change the sound of the instrument by:

❖ changing the shape of their lips against the mouthpiece.

French Horn

❖ changing how strongly they blow air through the mouthpiece.

❖ moving parts of the instruments called slides (on the

Tuba

trombone) or valves (on the other brass instruments).

Percussion Bass Drum Timpani Cymbals Snare Drum

Piano

Percussion instruments like drums and tambourines make sounds when you cause them to vibrate by hitting, rubbing, shaking, or scraping them. At an orchestra concert, the most common percussion instruments are the snare drum, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, xylophone, tambourines, and triangles, but some others include maracas, gongs, and chimes.

Sometimes orchestras also feature a piano and other related keyboard instruments, such as the harpsicord and organ; and believe it or not, these instruments are often considered part of the percussion family because they are played by striking the keys.

Players generally change the sound of percussion instruments by:

❖ changing what they use to hit them, such as changing from a mallet (small hammer) to their hands.

Xylophone

The Same, But Different There’s something else to know: Within each family, some instruments may look the same, but they’re really not—they’re different shapes and sizes and are played in slightly different ways (for example, the violin and the cello).

That means each sounds a little different.

And listen for this: the bigger the instrument, the lower the sound it makes.

❖ changing where or how hard they hit or shake them. ❖ tightening or loosening the head of drums.

The Instrument Spotter’s Guide For a guide to the instruments, visit our Instrument Spotter’s Guide: http://bit.ly/InstrumentGuide

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Who Goes Where Most orchestras arrange the performers’ seats in the shape of a fan, with the conductor downstage at the center. The strings sit nearby in the front rows, with first and second violins on the audience’s left and the violas, cellos, and double basses (usually) on the right. Farther back are the woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and contra-bassoons) and the brasses (French horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba). From the balcony, you would have a good view of the percussion instruments (like timpani, bass drums, and cymbals), which end up in the very back.

Notice that the loudest and most booming instruments—the percussion, brass, and double basses—are placed toward the back so they don’t drown out everyone else.

“A” Note

Concertm

aster

Look for the Concertmaster!

The leader of the violin section, known as the “Concertmaster,” usually enters after the orchestra is already seated. He or she is in charge of tuning the orchestra.

You may notice the concertmaster ask for an “A” from the oboe player when the musicians are tuning up. At the end of the concert, the Concertmaster usually serves as the “point person” when the entire orchestra stands to bow.

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Music for Getting to Know the Instruments

Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns (kuh-MEEL san-SAHNZ)

Ready to learn more about how the instruments sound in the orchestra and classical music?

These musical pieces were written to help you do just that. Besides being fun to listen to, they help you tune in to the sounds and characteristics of the different instruments.

In this 14-part musical romp through the zoo, each part “describes” a different animal or place (though one describes pianists, since the composer had quite a sense of humor).

youtube.com/watch?v=1L993HNAa8M

The Lion—all string instruments, pianos

ens and Roosters—violins, violas, H clarinet, pianos

The Donkeys of the Wild—pianos

The Tortoise—all string instruments, piano

Elephants—double basses, piano

Kangaroos—pianos

quarium—violins, violas, cellos, flute, A glockenspiel (a percussion instrument made of metal bars and played with small hammers), pianos

A bird: a high-sounding, light melody (flute)

Personages with Long Ears—violins

A duck: a slow, waddling melody (oboe)

The Cuckoo—clarinet, pianos

A cat: a light but slightly sneaky melody (clarinet)

Birds—all string instruments, flute, pianos

The wolf: deep, strong sounds (French horns)

Pianists—all string instruments, pianos

Hunters: gunshots (timpani) and melody (flute, oboe, and clarinet)

ossils—all string instruments, clarinet, F xylophone (like the glockenspiel, but with wooden bars), pianos

The Swan—cello, pianos

inale—all string instruments, piccolo, F clarinet, glockenspiel, xylophone, pianos

Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev (SAIR-gay pro-KOFF-ee-ef) youtube.com/watch?v=9ueGfjBKbiE The composer wrote this story and music to teach about musical instruments. He gave each character a musical theme, played by one instrument or a small group of instruments, so listen out for: Peter: a joyful, skipping melody (violin, viola, and cello) Peter’s grandfather: a slower, low-sounding melody (bassoon)

The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 by Benjamin Britten youtu.be/4vbvhU22uAM No, this is not the title of a book! The composer wrote this as a musical crash course on how an orchestra works, with different instrument families and individual instruments taking turns playing the melody and expressing different moods.

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What Orchestras Play The Style of Music

Main Musical Forms

You might hear the music orchestras play described as orchestral, symphonic, and classical. Let’s break it down:

Another way to recognize classical music— besides hearing the main instruments of the orchestra—is in the form. Classical music often follows a set format or plan for how it will go from start to finish. Here are a few of the musical forms you hear the most:

Orchestral music is work performed by an orchestra. An orchestra has a traditional sound involving the brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion. One hears orchestral music in concert halls and also in film scores, pop music, and even video games.

Symphonic music employs the full power of an orchestra in a lengthy work usually consisting of four movements or sections called a symphony.

In symphonic music, the musicians play many notes at the same time. Those notes might blend or clash. The melody might be passed between instruments. The music changes keys or tempo (such as suddenly faster or slower), or shifts from really soft to really loud. Symphonic music allows the composer to explore what music can do while challenging our ears.

Classical music, simply put, is just a type of classical music. Although classical music (with a lowercase “c”) refers to the world of Western concert music as a whole, “Classical music” (with a capital “C”) refers to a special brand of concert music written between 1750 and 1825 (this includes works by Mozart and Beethoven).

And even though Classical music was written long ago, it can be written today using many of the ideas from that period. More on all that in the Musical Time Periods section below.

❖ Sonata: a piece for one instrument, usually with piano accompaniment and written in three sections, or movements

❖ Concerto: a piece for one instrument with orchestra back-up, usually in three movements

❖ Symphony: a full orchestra piece usually in four movements

Musical Time Periods People often talk about classical music by what time period or era it came from, so it’s good to have a general idea of the differences. Each era shares some similarities in its overall sound, everything from what instruments are used to the style of the piece. And each era was followed by a new era that mixed things up.

Here’s a basic overview: Early Music: 400 CE–1600 CE During this long block of time, music as we know it began to take shape. People were adding simple vocal music to church services and poetic lyrics to songs, and—this is important—writing musical notes down so they could be remembered and passed down.

Listen for…music for a solo singer or music in which several voices sing the same exact notes in the earlier centuries; and later on, music with three or more voices that take turns singing the melody.

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Baroque: 1600–1750

Romantic: 1825–1900

Composers started having some fun during this period. They tried out new techniques like imitation (where one instrumental “voice” copies another) and improvisation (where performers would make up detailed, fancy sounds called ornamentation for their parts).

New instruments—like the harpsicord, a pianolike keyboard instrument—were also becoming available, adding to the range of sounds that could be created.

Romantic-era composers? Well, let’s call them rebels. They aimed for music with intense emotions like love, sorrow, joy, pain, and fear.

They also loved storytelling and rejected the structures or formats of the Classical period.

“Program music” (music based on an outside subject like a book, a play, an event, or even a painting) became incredibly popular.

At the same time, composers began to establish musical formats. They started dividing pieces into sections, or movements, each with a different style. During this era, composers also began creating staged operas (a dramatic performance set to music from a full orchestra).

Listen for… light and fancy melodies contrasted with accompanying lower and deeper notes.

Also, listen for instrumental “relaying,” where different instruments take turns playing melodies or musical themes.

Classical: 1750 –1825 Around this time, composers and audiences began to prefer simpler music that was easier to follow. That gave us musical pieces that focused on just one melody or theme.

Composers also wanted more balance, so while they kept the format of musical movements, they varied them. If one movement of a piece was bouncy and fun, the next would usually be slower and more serious.

Listen for… music that suggests big feelings or helps you imagine specific scenes or places like a movie soundtrack.

20th Century (and Beyond!): 1900 –today Think of this as the “anything goes” period.

Composers tried everything from re-inventing and revolutionizing the idea of keys (so, no more major and minor, but rather, a new network of notes on which to base a piece), to going “back to basics” and building entire works out of the simplest bits of melody and rhythm. Other composers took inspiration from the music of East Asia. Still others used old Classical rules or went Romantic-style with big emotional works. More recently, composers have started using new technologies and electronic instruments.

Listen for… anything you can think of! Expect the unexpected and listen for everything from dazzling, large-scale symphonies to infectious and pulsating dance rhythms to smaller, more intimate works.

Listen for… a sense of balance rather than music that feels over-the-top or too emotional.

For example, if you notice a musical phrase has gone from a low note to a high note, odds are it will be answered by a phrase that moves from high back to low. Also, listen for the modern piano, which was invented and became popular during this period.

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Creating Music—The Composer’s Toolbox Composers write the music that the orchestras play. Composers can get their ideas, or inspiration, from their imagination, experiences, travels, stories, other people, other music, paintings, memories, and more. Once they have an idea, then what?

In writing music, the main building material is of course the musical instruments—and composers choose which instruments will perform which parts of the music. But there are many ways to put the sounds together, and for that, composers use musical tools like these: Melody, a pattern of musical notes arranged by a composer—it’s the part of the music that can stick in your head. A composer organizes a melody by moving between higher and lower notes (the various tones or “pitches” we hear in music). Melodies carry the message of the music and also suggest ideas, memories, or emotions.

Rhythm, a pattern of long and short notes that fill a melody. Note that it’s different from the beat, which is a steady repeating pulse (think of that as the heartbeat of the music, or the part you tap your foot to).

Harmony, the sound that happens when several different notes are played at the same time, either on the same instrument or by blending notes from many instruments.

Tempo, how fast or slow the music is.

keys tending to sound brighter and happier and minor keys often sounding sadder or unsettled.

Texture, different layers of sound—monophonic describes a single layer, polyphonic means many layers playing with or against each other, and homophonic features one leading sound layer with other layers providing background.

Words, describing how to play. See below.

That’s Italian!

Many composers use Italian words written on their music to describe how to play it (although a few German and French words appear, too). Why? Many musical forms started in Italy, and many of the Italian markings simply became the ones used the most. Some people think the Italian words sound musical, too, making their use appealing.

Here are some you might hear or see the most: piano (pee-AN-oh)—to be played softly and gently pianissimo (pee-uh-NIS-uh-moh)—extra soft and gentle forte (FAWR-tey)—to be played strongly and loudly fortissimo (fawr-TIS-uh-moh)—extra strong and loud crescendo (kri-SHEN-doh)—to become gradually louder

Pitch, how high or low the music sounds.

Dynamics, how loud or soft the music is.

Ornamentation, musical details that decorate or enhance the main melody, such as trills (two similar-sounding tones played really fast back and forth to create a fluttering sound).

diminuendo (dih-min-yoo-EN-doh)—to become gradually softer adagio (uh-DAH-zhee-oh)—slowly allegro (uh-LEY-groh)—upbeat and fast dolce (DOHL-chey)—sweetly

Variations, changes to a main theme or melody.

Think of it like three bowls of vanilla ice cream: one is plain, the next one has strawberry sauce and whipped cream, and the third one has chocolate sauce and sprinkles—that’s a theme and two variations.

Major and minor keys, the group of notes musicians should play; the keys determine the mood or atmosphere of the music with major

scherzo (SKERT-soh)—light and playful pizzicato (pitz-uh-KAH-toh)—plucking strings on string instruments with fingers instead of using a bow maestro (MAYH-stroh)—a most excellent composer, conductor, or teacher of music 10

Where Orchestras Play Orchestras can actually play anywhere—including parks, places around the world, and studios where their music is recorded so it can be played on the radio, in movies and videogames, and of course, on your phone. But the place they call home is the concert hall. The sounds from musical instruments come from vibrations, and concert halls are specially designed to have good acoustics (uh-KOO-stiks)—qualities such as the right floor, ceiling, and walls that help the sound vibrations travel loudly and clearly. That’s why you can hear (and sometimes feel!) such great details in the music when you sit in the concert hall.

But recorded music sounds pretty terrific, too—and the advantage is that it goes anywhere and everywhere. Listen up and you might be surprised how often you hear orchestra music every day.

Photo by Scott Suchman

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How to be an Awesome Audience Member The music is all the more powerful when you, the audience, join us at the Kennedy Center. Keep in mind that shorter concerts, like the Young People’s Concerts, will be about one hour with no intermission (break). Longer orchestra concerts usually have one 15-minute intermission, when you can get up and walk around. Either way, the more prepared you are, the more you can relax and have a great experience at the performance. Some tips:

Before the performance: A few simple steps can make a big difference:

❖ If you aren’t familiar with the concert hall (where most orchestra performances at the Kennedy Center take place), get a preview: youtube.com/watch?v=tg4EDZFOcmk

❖ Read about the music in your performance guide or program.

❖ Bring a sweater or jacket in case the concert hall is chilly.

eating, drinking, and talking before the performance begins.

❖ Chimes and blinking lights in the lobby mean that it’s almost time for the performance to start (or restart if it’s intermission)—so head for your seat.

❖ Turn off and put away all your electronic devices.

❖ Plan to use the restroom and finish During the Performance: Now it’s all about the music. You probably have this down, but just remember to give the performers your fullest attention and have fun. And, of course, clap, but…see below.

When to Clap In orchestra performances, you’ll want to show your appreciation early and often by clapping, but there are a few things to know. Clap when the first violinist or “concertmaster” walks onstage, and again when the conductor (and guest soloist if there is one) appears.

Then clap at the end of each musical number. Now, that’s where it can get a little tricky. Some musical pieces have three or four movements or sections with short silences between them. It’s easy to mistake those short silences for the end of the number. But don’t worry. Just keep an eye on the conductors, who will only lower their hands fully at the end of a piece—that’s when you clap. You can also always wait and follow the crowd for when to put your hands together.

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About the Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra

The REACH

Photo by Richard Barnes

The Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is a memorial that opened in 1971 to honor the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

President Kennedy loved the arts and supported them throughout his time in the Oval Office (1961–1963).

We call the Kennedy Center a “living” memorial because, just like “live” theater has real people in it, the Center has living people moving around inside it all the time. (Except in the middle of the night.)

The main building features some of most awesome hallways you’ve ever seen. One is the Hall of Nations. Check out the flags from all the countries America has diplomatic relations with.

The other is the Hall of States featuring flags from every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. But the most amazing hallway of all is the Grand Foyer, from which you enter the Concert Hall. It’s 630 feet long—so big that you could lay the entire Washington Monument along the floor and still have room left!

The Concert Hall is just one of nine theaters in the main building, and the REACH across the plaza features many more new performance spaces. There’s always something exciting going on and exhibits to see, so try to leave extra time to explore during your visit.

The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) The National Symphony Orchestra started playing world-class music when it was founded in 1931. The Kennedy Center serves as a kind of “home base” for the NSO, and the orchestra has performed there every year since the Center opened in 1971.

Today the NSO is made up of about 100 musicians who perform around 150 concerts each year. And the orchestra isn’t just a performing group. It also commits itself to music education and audience engagement. In other words, anytime you come to an NSO concert, get ready for an educational and exciting event!

Photo by Scott Suchman

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More Resources Here are few more fun resources to help you keep exploring orchestras and classical music.

Websites Classics for Kids classicsforkids.com SFO Kids: Fun and Games with Music sfskids.org New York Philharmonic Kidzone nyphilkids.org

Videos “Class Notes: How Do Composers Compose?” (young American composer Jake Runestad playfully answers a wide range of questions about composing music): youtube.com/watch?v=Yk1LFEbQCKA&feature=youtu.be “Class Notes: What Does a Conductor Do?” (conductor Sarah Hicks discusses and demonstrates what conductors need to know and do to lead the orchestra): youtube.com/watch?v=x_6cTbyWP88 “Class Notes: A Look Inside the Score” (learn what the symbols mean on written music): youtube.com/watch?v=EAlaZ4yFp7A “George Meets the Orchestra: An Introduction to the Orchestra for Children” (George, a young Australian boy, explores the Sydney Youth Orchestra and its instruments): binged.it/2PbpNnL

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David M. Rubenstein Chairman

Deborah F. Rutter President

Jordan LaSalle

Interim Senior Vice President Education

Gianandrea Noseda

Music Director National Symphony Orchestra

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Š 2020 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts