The Orchestra

An orchestra is a group of musicians who play instruments from four basic groups or families: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. They are called families because the instruments in each group share characteristics such as how they make their sound, how they are constructed and the materials used to make them. The musicians sit next to other people who play the same instrument or others from the same family. This is the way most orchestras are arranged.

String Instruments

The string instruments make sound when a bow or finger strums the strings and causes a vibration. The sound from the vibrating string is amplified by a hole in the body of the wood instrument. The longer the string, the lower or deeper the sound of the notes it produces. The violin, viola, cello, bass and harp are the most common string instruments in the orchestra. The string family makes up more than half the orchestra. They are the most versatile and play almost continuously in much of the music written for orchestras.

Woodwind Instruments

For woodwinds, or winds, the musician blows air into a tube to cause the sound. The wind actually refers to breath. By covering or opening holes in the instrument with his fingers, the player can control how long the air must travel. The longer the air must travel, the lower the notes. Most winds use a thin piece of wood called a reed which vibrates when the musician blows across it. Woodwinds, like clarinets, oboes, and bassoons, are usually made of wood, although flutes and saxophones are often metal. The woodwinds add color to the string sound and often carry the melody.

Brass Instruments

Brass instruments also get their sound when the musician blows air through a mouthpiece into a tube. By changing how far the air must travel through the tubes, the musician creates the different notes. The sound for the lowest notes must travel the furthest. These are usually golden instruments made of brass, such as the trumpet, trombone, tuba and the French horn. These instruments play loudly and often provide a dramatic climax to a piece.

Percussion Instruments

Percussion instruments make sound when two objects bang into each other. The objects can be a hand, a stick, a mallet, or a piece of metal. In fact, almost anything you can hit like a drum, rattle, or shake would be called a percussion instrument. The percussionists in the orchestra need to play many different instruments, often in the same piece of music! Percussion instruments include drums, cymbals, xylophones, chimes and tambourines. They emphasize the rhythm in a score.