THE INSTRUMENTS

The String Instruments of the Orchestra!

VIOLIN! ! The violin is the smallest member of the string orchestra. It has the highest! sound. It is known for its brilliant tone quality. The violin is held under the! chin and parallel to the floor. There are more violins in the orchestra than! any other instrument. They are divided into two sections, the first and! second violins. Like all the stringed instruments, there are different sizes! of violins to fit different sizes of students!!

VIOLA! ! The viola looks like the violin, but is slightly larger. This instrument! produces a lower sound. The tone quality is rich and mellow, less brilliant! sounding than the violin. The viola, like the violin, is held under the chin.! Good violists are always in demand in small and large performing groups.!

CELLO! ! The cello has a beautiful tone, which gives the orchestra a rich, full sound.! It is tuned an octave lower and is much larger than the viola. The cello,! along with the bass produces the bottom sound of the orchestra. The! instrument is supported by a long endpin, which rests on the floor, and the! player always sits to play it.!

BASS! ! The bass has a deep, dark sound, which gives the orchestra a solid! foundation. It is a versatile instrument, which can be used in a variety of! groups ranging from the symphony to the jazz combo. Many bass players! also learn to play the electric bass! The bass is the largest member of the! string family. It is usually played standing up or sitting on a stool.! The Instruments of the BAND!

FLUTE! ! The Flute is a woodwind instrument. (While today it’s silver-plated, the earliest flutes were made of wood.) Each note has a different fingering, and the sound is made by the player blowing over the hole in the headjoint (the part without the keys). The flute can play some of the highest notes in the band, and often gets to play the melody and some of the “flashy” parts in the music.!

CLARINET! ! The Clarinet is similar to the flute. Both are woodwinds and both use a number of keys to reach all of the different notes. The clarinet though can play lower notes, and its sound comes from a vibrating reed attached to the mouthpiece. Reeds wear out and are replaced regularly. Because it can play high and low notes, the clarinet can do many jobs in band and can be teamed up with a variety of instruments!

SAXOPHONE! ! The saxophone is between the woodwinds and the brass. It uses a reed like the clarinet, but is made of brass like trumpets and trombones. That makes it louder than the other woodwinds, but it still uses a different fingering for each note. Saxophones are used in band and especially in jazz groups, but they aren’t found in orchestras very often. In band they play background parts a lot, but they are usually featured in jazz ensembles.!

TRUMPET! ! The trumpet is a bras instrument and uses its three valves to open different tubing for its notes. Players have to “buzz” their lips to make a sound, and make their lips tighter or looser for high and low notes. That’s why the same fingering can make several notes: the player is changing muscle tension, too. Trumpets play a lot of melody parts, and often get to play the loudest parts of a song. Trumpets are used in band, orchestra and jazz ensemble! HORN ! ! The Horn is sometimes known as the FRENCH HORN. It is a member of the brass family and players have to “buzz” their lips to make a sound. Horns have three or four valves depending on the instrument to open different tubing for its notes. Students only with good musical ears (such as students that may have sung in a choir or piano players) should ! consider French Horn.

TROMBONE! ! The Trombone is a lot like the trumpet, but it plays much lower notes. Its sound is made the same way, but instead of valves, it uses a slide to change the length of its tubing for different notes. Trombones get to play all the low, loud parts in band, orchestra, and jazz ensemble. !

EUPHONIUM (Baritone)! ! The euphonium is sometimes known as the baritone. It is a member of the brass family and players have to “buzz” their lips to make a sound. Euphoniums have three or four valves depending on the instrument to open different tubing for its notes. The Euphonium looks like a small version of a tuba and has a VERY beautiful sound. In fact, the name euphonium is based after the word EUPHORIA.!

TUBA! ! The Tuba is a member of the brass family and players have to “buzz” their lips to make a sound. Tubas have three or four valves depending on the instrument to open different tubing for its notes. The tuba is the largest instrument in the band and many would believe it would be hard to physically manage. The tubas we use for beginners are ¾ size and easy to handle. !

PERCUSSION! ! Percussion includes all kinds of drums (like snare drum), mallet instruments (xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, bells), and auxiliary percussion (triangle, tambourine, etc.) Most of the instruments are stuck with drumsticks, mallets or beaters. ! Percussion is not “drum set”. It is not part of the curriculum and students that choose to participate in percussion will learn to play ALL of the percussion instruments, not just hitting a drum. Students that have a piano background will be given priority if they choose percussion.!