“The Instrument Families”

1. “The Instrument Families” Cathy Maggard J.W. Adams Combined School Music K-4 Music Sol 1.9; 2.8; 3.10 The student will identify orchestral instruments by sight and sound.

2. ORCHESTRA INSTRUMENTS An orchestra is a group of musicians who play together. There are about 100 musicians in a symphony orchestra. A symphony orchestra usually plays pieces of classical music. The instruments they play can be divided into 4 “families’’: STRINGS, WOODWINDS, BRASS, and PERCUSSION.

3. “The String Family” VIOLIN VIOLA CELLO STRING BASS These instruments are made from wood with 4 strings of sheep gut, nylon or wire. Strings played with bow made of horsehair!

4. VIOLIN • Smallest and highest pitched string instrument • Wooden instrument • Player holds under chin • Rich, melodic voice • Used as “fiddle” for bluegrass music Listen to the VIOLIN!

5. VIOLA • Small wooden string instrument • Looks like violin, but slightly larger • Either plucked of bowed • Voice is deeper, richer, and darker than violin Click here to listen to a viola!

6. CELLO • Large wooden string instrument • Player sits with cello between his/her knees • Low, rich-sounding voice • Either plucked or bowed Click here to listen to a cello!

7. STRING BASS • Largest and lowest string instrument • Player must stand or sit on tall stool to play • Voice is deep and powerful • Also called Double Bass or Contrabass Click here to listen to a sting bass!

8. “The Woodwind Family” • FLUTE • CLARINET • OBOE • BASSOON Woodwinds are hollow tubes played by blowing into them. Pressing keys that open and close changes the notes. May be wood or metal.

9. FLUTE • Small (2 ft. long) metal instrument shaped like a pipe • Player holds sideways and blows across open mouth-piece • Voice is clear, pure, sweet and can go very high Click here to listen to a flute!

10. CLARINET • wind instrument shaped like a long cylinder • Usually made of wood and has a reed in mouthpiece • Low notes- soft and hollow • Highest- thin and piercing Click on music notes to listen to a clarinet!

11. OBOE • Two-foot-long wooden tube that widens into a bell • Has double reed • Lower voice – gruff or comical • Higher voice- soft, sweet, gentle-sounding Click on the oboe to hear it’s tone color!

12. BASSOON • Eight-foot tube that doubles back on itself • Double reed attached to a long pipe • Makes lyrical or comical sounds • Contrbassoon-about 16 ft. long, folded over 4-6 times • Plays lowest note in orchestra Click here to hear a bassoon!

13. “The Brass Family” • TRUMPET • TROMBONE • FRENCH HORN • TUBA Brass instruments made of metal tubing curled in different shapes and lengths…the longer the tube, the lower the tone.

14. TRUMPET • Smallest brass instrument • Three valves can be pushed to change the notes • Voice- loud and bright or warm and sweet • Player must “buzz his/her lips to produce sound Click on the trumpet to hear it’s voice!

15. TROMBONE • Large brass instrument with loudest voice in the orchestra • Only brass instrument with slide that moves back and forth to give different pitches Click on the trombone to hear it’s tone!

16. FRENCH HORN • coiled 12-17 ft. brass tubing wound around and ending in a large “bell” • Player holds on lap and keeps one hand inside the bell • Voice is very mellow • Pressing valves change pitch Click on the French Horn to hear it’s voice!

17. TUBA • Largest and lowest of the brass instruments • Has powerful, deep sounds that can be funny or scary • 18-35 ft. of tubing with bell Click on the tuba to hear it’s sound!

18. “The Percussion Family” • Percussion instruments are made from several materials • Played by tapping, striking, shaking or beating to keep rhythm and tone color • Include all drums • May be pitched (vibraphone, xylophone, etc.) or non-pitched (maracas, quiro, triangle, tambourine, etc.)

19. SNARE DRUM • large, cylinder-shaped drum with two heads • Snares, or strings wrapped with wire, are stretched across bottom to create vibrating sound • Sharp, rhythmic beating sound or long, rasping roll

20. BASS DRUM • Large cylinder-shaped drum • Parchment skin stretched over both ends • Player beats with a large beater • Low, booming sound Click on the bass drum to hear it’s tone color!

21. TIMPANI DRUM • Large copper bowl with calfskin stretched across top • Also called kettledrum • Foot pedals adjust the skin to make different pitches • Voice loud boom, quiet thump, or distant rumble

22. CYMBALS • Metal plates • Player holds cymbal in each hand and claps together • Loud, metallic crash when struck together

23. TAMBOURINE • Small percussion instrument • Drum with small jingling metal disks around the rim • Player may shake or strike Click on the tambourines to hear percussion instruments!

24. VIBRAPHONE • Percussion instrument with a double row of wooden bars of different length • Player uses wooden mallots to play this pitched percussion instrument Click here to hear more percussion voices!

25. PIANO • Grand piano-top of slide • Upright –bottom of slide • Has 88 keys that are connected to tiny felt hammers that strike metal strings • Both percussion and string instrument • High, medium or low pitches

26. SYNTHESIZER • Keyboard instrument • Electric and computerized • Portable • Uses technology to perform instrument, voice,and sound effects functions Click here to hear synthesizers!

27. Instrument Quiz STRINGS WOODWIND BRASS PERCUSSION

28. Fun Page Can you name the instrument? ______ _______ _______ _______ _______ ______ ______ ________ ___________

29. More Fun Music Sites http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/instrumentlab/ http://www.playmusic.org/string/game.html Have fun with musical instruments!!