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 Home > Learning Center > Orchestra Instruments

Orchestra Instruments

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Orchestras are a type of concert band that play classical music while seated, under the guidance of a conductor. The word orchestra was originally used to describe the place where musicians and dancers performed in Ancient Greece. Today orchestra describes an ensemble of up to one hundred musicians divided into four sections.

The four sections are divided based on the type of instrument. There is a strings section, a percussion section, a woodwind section and a brass section. The orchestra is led by a conductor. The conductor’s responsibility is to make sure the music is interpreted properly by the musicians and to guide them through the piece.
The strings section is composed of four instruments; here is a brief description of each:

• Cello- is played with a bow pulled across the strings. It is like a violin but larger, with a thicker body. The cello is played while seated with the instrument between the player’s legs.
• Double bass- is also played with a bow pulled across the strings, but can also be plucked. The double bass is also played upright but can be played seated or standing. The double-bass is bigger than the cello and also emits a deeper tone.
• Viola- is played like a violin, but has its own unique tone. The viola represents the tenor in the strings section.
• Violin- is played with a bow drawn across the strings. The body of the instrument rests between the shoulder and chin of the musician.
  The brass section is composed of wind instruments that fall into the brass wind category and typically contains four different kinds of instruments:
• Trumpet- is used mostly in jazz bands. It is believed that trumpets were once used for signaling in ancient Greece and Egypt.
• Tuba- a large, deep sounding instrument. Usually represents the bass in the brass section.
• Trombone- the trombone also plays bass in an orchestra. It plays deeper than the trumpet, but not as low as the tuba. In a brass band the trombone plays treble.
• French horn- a horn that is identified by its backward facing bell. The sound can be manipulated by the musician’s hand which is placed within the bell.
  The woodwind section contains the woodwind instruments (a division of the wind family) and can contain a number of instruments including:
• Bassoon- plays the bass and tenor part in the woodwind section. The instrument is blown into at one end and the other end is supported against the right thigh of the musician.
• Clarinet- there are several types of clarinets. The clarinet is played by blowing into the instrument’s edge and the pitch is varied by covering the holes with fingers.
• Oboe- is the treble part of the woodwind section. The pitch is changed by covering or uncovering certain holes. The instrument can be very difficult to play. An English horn is a type of oboe.
• Flute- is a well-known woodwind instrument. Pitch is changed by covering holes as well. A piccolo is also a type of flute.
• Saxophone- one of the newer woodwind instruments. It can be soprano, alto, tenor, or baritone.
• The percussion section provides the beat for the entire orchestra, but also has a very important instrumental impact on a piece. The percussion section can include the following instruments:
• Timpani- are also known as the kettle drums. They are played with two mallets and can be up to thirty-one inches across.
• Bass drum- lowest and largest member of the percussion family. The drum is played with sticks or padded beaters.
• Cymbals- a non-pitched instrument that is played either by hitting with a stick or brush or by crashing them together.
• Triangle- a simple instrument made of steel. It’s played by striking with a metal rod.
• Xylophone- a set of bars, ranging in sizes that produce different tones when struck with a padded mallet.

Orchestras create beautiful music through the efforts of all instruments working together. Each instrument adds to the piece and enriches the depth and tone. Those interested in playing in an orchestra should first decide which section most interests them and then research the instrument that most appeals to them.

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