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Lesson: INSTRUMENT IDENTIFICATION

Objective: Students will identify different instruments of the by sight and . Materials: Selected audio files found under each subheading. Optional worksheet References: Philharmonic Kids

Preface: Exercise 1: Match the Instrument to the Sound

It has taken more than five hundred Before we introduce each instrument, let’s years for the many instruments of the test your knowledge. orchestra to find their final shape and form. Think about it, some instruments 1. Using the handout included in this packet are as old as Blackbeard the pirate and and the instrument audio samples from the Taj Majal in ! below, have the students match the correct instrument to the sound played. 2. Once finished, assess the students’ performance and prior knowledge.

Instruments and Tone Color:

Music is similar to painting. Each note, or color, is carefully selected by the Exercise 1 Instruments: to create the most beautiful final product for the audience. In each of Instrument 1 the pieces you will hear during the , the colored their Instrument 2 with the of each individual instruments. As audience members, we Instrument 3 get to experience this musical painting as a whole, but we can appreciate each Instrument 4 color as well! To truly know what to listen for, it is important to know the Instrument 5 sound of each instrument. Instrument 6 Strings

Preface:

Violin, , , and make up the family. All string instruments are made of and have strings stretched over them. These instruments (except for the harp) are played with a “bow” -- a long stick with horsehair stretched from one end to the other. The end of the bow that musicians hold in their hands is called the “frog.” Musicians use the frog to control the tension of the horsehair! String instruments can be played by strumming or by plucking the strings, which is called .

There is a large size difference between the and cello. This Exercise 1: The Family size difference makes it impossible to hold the cello like a violin.

Play the sound sample of the Exercise 2: The family, and discuss with the class the differences in tone (The quality or character of a VIOLIN sound. The unique difference between voices of The violin is the smallest member of the string family. Because its strings are the shortest, it the same instrument; the color or mood of the produces the highest sound. There are more voice) and range (The total amount of notes an in the orchestra than any other single instrument is capable of producing ). instrument!

VIOLA The viola is an important member of the orchestra, but is not often heard by itself. Because it is bigger than the violin, with longer OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: strings, it makes a rich warm sound that is lower in pitch. A more interactive way to quiz students on their instrument knowledge is to create Fortune Tellers. Your students will know how to make the CELLO The cello plays even lower than the viola -- a fortune teller paper creations! whole lower. And it’s more than twice the

size! Cellists rest the cello on the floor using an 1. Color each of the four top sections a separate color, since it would be impossible to hold a cello and label each section for the four instrument families. like a violin! 2. On the inside, after an instrument is chosen, write

down the name of any instrument. BASS 3. Finally, under the instrument label, write questions such as “what is the largest ?” as The is the orchestra’s foundation.

well as the answer, “The .” These big, deep instruments add weight to the orchestra’s sound. They are the largest stringed instruments, standing more than six feet tall. The bass uses an endpin, too!

HARP Some people consider the harp a member of the The harp is one of the oldest instruments in percussion family because a harpist can strike existence, thought to have been around for more the strings to produce sound. What family do you think it should be in and why? than four thousand years. The modern harp has 47 strings and pedals, which control the pitches of the strings.

Exercise 3: The Instruments Exercise 2: The Woodwind The is one Section woodwind that is After listening to each instrument’s sound sample, always found in bands linked in Exercise 2, discuss the following and wind ensembles, questions: , were but very rarely plays in made of wood, which is why the orchestra! 1) What string instrument can play the highest they are considered a wood- note? (Violin) wind. However, flutes used 2) What string instrument makes up the most today are made out of metal and members of the orchestra? (Violin) do not use a . The sound is pro- 3) What string instruments use an end ? (Cello duced when the player blows across a hole in the and bass) side of the instrument. The is a smaller kind of flute that produces an even higher sound.

OBOE The is the instrument that the orchestra tunes Woodwinds to, which you hear before every concert starts. It Preface: looks very similar to the , but it has a very small “double” reed that sticks out from the end. The woodwind members of the orchestra are the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. There can be CLARINET two, three, or four of any of these woodwinds in an The clarinet uses only a single reed to make its orchestra, playing at the same time. All of the sound. Although it has a very smooth, mellow tone, modern woodwinds are played by blowing into them the clarinet has a very wide range (low notes to high and creating different notes by placing your fingers notes) and is often featured in solos. There are on the keys, or buttons, that cover various holes. many sizes of , including bass and . Exercise 1: The Family BASSOON Play the sound sample of the woodwind instrument The bassoon, like the oboe, is a and is family playing together, and discuss with the by far the biggest and lowest sounding woodwind. If you were to unfold a bassoon, it would be almost class the difference in tone and range. nine feet tall! You can usually see the tops of over the string section. The bigger, lower sounding brother of the bassoon is the .

The woodwinds sit in two rows in the middle of the orchestra! This allows them to hear each other and allows their sound to travel throughout the orchestra. Exercise 3: The Instruments After listening to each instrument’s sound sample, Exercise 2: The Section linked in Exercise 2, discuss the following questions: The trumpet is the smallest, highest-sounding brass 1) What woodwind instrument can play the highest instrument. Because of its small size and shape, it note? (Flute) has a very clear, direct sound. The military uses a 2) What woodwind instruments are played with a form of trumpet called the which has no reed? (Oboe, clarinet, and bassoon) valves and requires the player to rely upon the 3) What is the only woodwind instrument that does shape of his mouth to create different pitches. not use a reed? (Flute) FRENCH The , or horn, has a velvety, round and deep tone color. It has the largest range of all the brass instruments. The horn’s unique sound has been a favorite of composers for centuries, so it is no surprise that it is often used for solos.

TROMBONE The is the only without valves that you will find in the orchestra. To change pitch, the trombone uses a piece of tubing called the . The slide makes the instrument shorter or longer, making the pitch higher and lower.

TUBA The is the largest, lowest-sounding brass instrument. It has a much mellower, distant sound than the trombone. The tuba, like the double bass and the bassoon, is crucial in an orchestra because it provides notes for the .

Exercise 3: The Instruments After listening to each instrument’s sound sample, (left to right) , , linked in Exercise 2, discuss the following contra-bass clarinet, sub-contrabass questions: Bassoon and Contrabassoon clarinet 1) Which brass instrument can play the highest Brass notes? (Trumpet) Preface: 2) Which brass instrument can play the lowest The orchestral brass instruments are made of note? (Tuba) metal, although the metal can be instead of 3) Which brass instrument uses a slide to change brass. Brass instruments produce sound by notes, instead of using valves or keys? “buzzing” the lips against the mouth piece; the rest (Trombone) of the instrument amplifies and refines the sound. There are two ways to change pitch on a brass instrument, using slides or valves in combination with changing the shape of the lips against the .

Exercise 1: The Family Play the sound example of a brass family Playing Pour Une Infante defunte, and discuss with the class the difference in tone and General Rule of All Instruments: Longer (bigger) range. instruments have lower pitches. Shorter (smaller) instruments have higher pitches!

Percussion Exercise 2: The PITCHED PERCUSSION Preface: The percussion family is huge! It includes any The following common percussion instruments can instrument that produces sounds when struck, produce different notes (pitches). The only in scraped, or shaken. A percussionist in an this group is the because each drum is orchestra may play as many as a dozen different instruments in one concert! tuned to a different note.

BELLS () Exercise 1: The Family A set of flat metal bars tuned like a and Play the sound example of the family. This is a Percussion played with hard mallets. ; it is possible to make music with only percussion instruments! Can you think of another CHIMES time when music was made only with percussion A set of tubular hit with a hammer. instruments? TIMPANI Sometimes called kettle because they are TEACHER NOTE: shaped like kettles, timpani are very important because they underline important, big chords. Vic Firth, an international percussion stick

company, was founded by Vic Firth when he began playing with the Orchestra and believed that a higher quality stick The xylophone, similar to , is tuned like a could drastically improve the sound quality for the piano. The xylophone is different from the bells orchestral percussionist. The Vic Firth company because it is made of many wooden bars. has produced a series of videos that detail the

proper playing and maintenance of percussion PIANO instruments. Playing percussion is more than simply hitting an instrument. There are small The piano is a large stringed instrument played with changes that a percussionist can make which a keyboard. A “hammer” strikes the strings when result in a large change in sound. If you have the player hits the keys and makes the strings access to YouTube, you are welcome to utilize the inside the piano vibrate. Vic Firth videos to demonstrate the proper way to play each of the percussion instruments.

UNPITCHED PERCUSSION The following are common percussion instruments that do not provide different TEACHER NOTE: pitches. We encourage you to utilize other resources to educate your students on the different orchestral Cymbals are thin metal disks that are clashed instruments and their families. We know that together or struck with sticks. They come in some classes will enjoy more challenging many sizes. information and activities. The in London has a fantastic online resource that your students can use to explore the different instruments and families in more depth. The “snare” is a set of strung across the This resource provides information about the bottom of the drum that vibrate when the drum history of each instrument, playing techniques, and tips for players and future players! is played. Please click here to access this resource. TRIANGLE The triangle is a steel rod bent in the shape of a triangle and hit with a mallet.

TAM-TAM The tam-tam is a large circular metal plate, usually suspended from a frame, which is struck with a heavy mallet.

Exercise 3: The Instruments ACTIVITY VARIATION: After listening to each instrument’s sound sample, linked in Exercise 2, discuss the Following questions: Materials: Worksheet included in this packet and audio files from Exercise 2 in every instrument family. 1) What famous percussion instrument is also a type of string instrument? (Piano) Instructions: 2) What is another name for the kettle drums? 1) Play a sound file from one of the instruments in (Timpani) Exercise 2 without telling students which instrument 3) What are some things you could use as you are playing. percussion instruments? (open discussion) 2) Have students write down which instrument they think was played and what family that instrument belongs to. 3) When you have played ten different instrument sound files, have the students check their work against the items you played in that order. 4) Discuss the instruments and instrument families with your students. Objective: Students will use their pre-acquired knowledge of instruments to demonstrate how sound is made. Students will use simple materials to make simple instruments.

Materials: Varies from instrument to instrument, see below.

CHOOSE YOUR INSTRUMENT

5 -NOTE WATER XYLOPHONE (PERCUSSION) Activity Variation: Materials: You have not created a ‘pentatonic’ , or five note major • (5) 20 oz. Sobe juice bottles There are many ways to discuss • Tap water (you can choose to scale, with the notes F, G, A, , D. color it, if preferable) the science of music by varying You can play a number of songs  Measuring cup the length of an instrument or the with these notes, try these exam- speed at which  Metal Spoon ples: Instructions: happen. In the orchestra, all 1. Fill each bottle with the Rain, rain, go away: instruments vary their tone by approximate amount of water: (5 3, 5 5 3, 5 5 3 6 5 5 3) increasing or decreasing the 1. 19 oz, 570 mL 2. 13 oz, 390 mL length of the instrument or Camptown ladies: changing the speed at which the 3. 11 oz, 330 mL (5 5 3 5 6 5 3, 3 2 3 2) 5. 8 oz, 240 mL musicians lips or strings vibrate! 6. 6 oz, 180 mL Mary had a little lamb: A great way to demonstrate this (3 2 1 2 3 3 3, 2 2 2, 3 5 5) is to take a rubber band and 2. Check to make sure relative tuning is accurate. increase and decrease its length The sound is produced by the while students “” the band. vibrations in the glass bottle when 3. Label each bottle accordingly struck by the spoon. Music is all about and (1,2,3,5,6)). length! Notice that the less water you have, 4. Fill each bottle with a different the higher the sound, and the more food coloring. water you have the lower the sound.

THE (BRASS) Instructions: 1. Cut the bottle straight across at the middle. Materials: 2. Duct Tape the paper into a rounded, tube form at the • Water Bottle end of the cut section of the bottle. • Scissors (Careful supervision) 3. ‘Buzz’ into the end of the bottle like a trumpet or • Duct Tape trombone, using your lips to change pitch. Think about doing a • Large Sheets of Paper “raspberry” into the instrument to achieve the ‘buzz.’ (Construction paper if possible)

The sound is produced by the buzzing of the lips vibrating against the narrow, plastic bottle opening. When you tighten your lips the sound gets higher, and when your lips are more flabby, the sound gets lower. Directions: Draw a line connecting the sound clip heard with the correct instrument!

Sound #1

Sound #2

Sound #3

Sound #4

Sound #5

Sound #6

Directions: Draw a line connecting the sound clip heard with the correct instrument!

Sound #1

Sound #2

Sound #3

Sound #4

Sound #5

Sound #6

Teacher’s Activity Worksheet

OBJECTIVE: Students will distinguish different instruments of the orchestra by sound.

Materials: Student Worksheet, Teacher Worksheet, Music files from links

Before we begin, let’s test your knowledge of the instruments! Listen to the instrument sound files played by your teacher and write down the name of the instrument you hear and the family (strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion) to which each instrument belongs.

Remember, some instruments sound similar, like the violin and the viola or the trumpet and the trombone. Try to listen for the different, special features, like high notes and low notes of each instrument.

TEACHERS: Randomly choose ten of the instrument samples and record there order here for your reference:

1) ______

2) ______

3) ______

4) ______

5) ______

6) ______

7) ______

8) ______

9) ______

10) ______

Activity for Deeper Exploration

The four families of the orchestra are very different, aren’t they? On a separate sheet of paper, list the four different instrument families and the instruments that belong to them. Next to each instrument, write a short description of how the instrument sounds to you, and to you only. Look at this paper again after you hear our concert and see if you still have the same opinion of the instruments sound! NAME: ______Date: ______

THE INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Before we begin, let’s test your knowledge of the instruments! Listen to the instrument sound files played by your teacher and write down the name of the instrument you hear and the family (strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion) to which each instrument belongs.

Remember, some instruments sound similar, like the violin and the viola or the trumpet and trombone. Try to listen for the different, special features, like high notes and low notes of that instrument. Be sure to use complete sentences!

Example: This instrument was the trumpet, which belongs to the brass family.

1) ______

2) ______

3) ______

4) ______

5) ______

6) ______

7) ______

8) ______

9) ______

10)______

The four families of the orchestra are very different, aren’t they? On a separate sheet of paper, list the four different instrument families and the instruments that belong to them. Next to each instrument, write a short description of how the instrument sounds to you, and only to you.