Lesson: INSTRUMENT IDENTIFICATION Objective: Students will identify different instruments of the orchestra by sight and sound. Materials: Selected audio files found under each subheading. Optional worksheet References: London 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 India! 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 a painting. Each note, or color, is carefully selected by the Exercise 1 Instruments: composer to create the most beautiful final product for the audience. In each of Instrument 1 the pieces you will hear during the concert, the composers colored their Instrument 2 music with the sounds 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, Viola, Cello, Bass and Harp make up the string family. All string instruments are made of wood 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 pizzicato. There is a large size difference between the violin 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 string instrument Exercise 2: The String Section 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 violins 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 Musical Instrument 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 octave 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, endpin 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. 3. Finally, under the instrument label, write questions BASS such as “what is the largest woodwind instrument?” as The double bass is the orchestra’s foundation. well as the answer, “The bassoon.” 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 seven pedals, which control the pitches of the strings. Exercise 3: The Instruments Exercise 2: The Woodwind The saxophone 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 FLUTE and wind ensembles, questions: Originally, flutes 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 reed. The sound is pro- 3) What string instruments use an end pin? (Cello duced when the player blows across a hole in the and bass) side of the instrument. The piccolo is a smaller kind of flute that produces an even higher sound. OBOE The oboe is the instrument that the orchestra tunes Woodwinds to, which you hear before every concert starts. It Preface: looks very similar to the clarinet, 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 clarinets, including bass and contrabass. Exercise 1: The Family BASSOON Play the sound sample of the woodwind instrument The bassoon, like the oboe, is a double reed 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 bassoons over the string section. The bigger, lower sounding brother of the bassoon is the Contrabassoon. 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 Brass Section linked in Exercise 2, discuss the following questions: TRUMPET 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 bugle 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 HORN The French Horn, 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 trombone is the only brass instrument without valves that you will find in the orchestra. To change pitch, the trombone uses a piece of tubing called the slide. The slide makes the instrument shorter or longer, making the pitch higher and lower. TUBA The tuba 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 the lowest notes for the brass section. Exercise 3: The Instruments After listening to each instrument’s sound sample, (left to right) Alto clarinet, bass clarinet, 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 silver 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 mouthpiece. Exercise 1: The Family Play the sound example of a brass family Playing Pavane 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 Percussion Section 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).