ALMOST ANY OBJECT CAN BECOME A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT IF MANIPULATED IN A PARTICULAR WAY.

IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO LIST EVERY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT IN EXISTENCE.

THROUGH THIS EXHIBIT, YOU WILL BE INTRODUCED TO SOME OF THE STANDARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE CLASSICAL

ORCHESTRA.

REGARDING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, THERE IS NOT A “BETTER” OR “WORSE”.

THERE IS SIMPLY “DIFFERENT.” EACH CULTURE HAS ITS OWN APPROACH TO MUSIC, AND RESULTINGLY, ITS OWN

INSTRUMENTS … THOSE INDIGENOUS TO THE REGION AND CULTURE.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Among the fist musical sounds

other than voice, were the

vibrations made by slitting a blade

of grass and blowing on it.

Some of the first rhythms occurred

by striking two sticks together.

The portability of the recorder and

the flute contributed to

their popularity.

The bag pipe for example is so old its origin has never been established. The harp came from Syria but found its way to Egypt and eventually to Northern Europe, where it became Ireland’s national symbol.

A FAVORITE EUROPEAN INTSTRUMENT AFTER THE CRUSADES, THE LUTE ORIGINATED IN

PERSIA, BUT ITS NAME CAME FROM THE ARABIC WORD AL’UD, MEANING

WOOD.

Part of a classification system for musical instruments. The term ‘family’ has been used to

indicate a group of instruments with similar qualities or origins.

Idiophones Membranophones Chordophones Aerophones Electrophones

Winds› Wood winds› Brass

Strings Percussion

Called such because they were initially made of wood. That is no longer the case.

Flute, and variations Recorder Piccolo Clarinet, and

variations Oboe Bassoon English horn Saxophone (not a

member of the classical orchestra)

WOODWIND INTRUMENTS

THE FLUTE

THE FLUTE IS THE COLORATURA SOPRANO OF THE WOODWINDS WITH A HIGH RANGE AND BRILLIANT, SILVERY STONE. FLUTES ARE USUALLY MADE OF SILVER OR GOLD, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN MADE FROM BONE, BAMBOO, CLAY, AND COMMONLY FROM WOOD.

WHEN A MOUTH PIECE IS ADDED, THE INSTRUMENT CAN BE PLAYED, BUT ONLY FOR THE BRIEF TIME IT TAKES FOR THE BARK TO DRY OUT.

OBOE

THE OBOE IS THE WOODWIND’S LYRIC SUPRANO AND HAS A SLIGHTLY MORE NASAL, BITTERSWEET TONE THAN THE FLUTE. A VARIATION OF THE OBOE IS THE ENGLISH HORN WITH ITS MORE REEDY AND DISTANT, PLANTIVE TONE.

THE OBOE’S ANCESTOR WAS THE SHAWM, PLAYED IN ANCIENT SUMERIA AND EGYPT AND EVENTUALLY FOUND ITS WAY TO EUROPE VIA THE CRUSADES.

CLARINETTHE CLARINET IS THE WOODWIND’S DRAMATIC SOPRANO. IT HAS A WIDE RANGE FROM LOW TO HIGH AND A SMOOTH, LESS-REEDY TONE THAN THE OBOE. AN AGILE INSTRUMENT,

IT IS CAPABLE OF RAPID SCALES AND TRILLS AND IS FOUND IN BOTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS AND JAZZ

ENSEMBLES.

THE CLARINET WAS DEVELOPED IN GERMANY DURING THE EIGHTEENTH

CENTURY FROM A GREEK INSTRUMENT, THE CHALUMEAUX.

BASSOON

LOWER AND HEAVIER IN TONE THAN THE OBOE. THE BASSOON IS THE BASS

OF THE WOODWINDS, BUT WHNE PLAYED IN A DRY STACCATO MANNER IT HAS A COMIC EFFECT THAT EARNED

ITS TITLE “CLOWN OF THE ORCHESTRA”.

SAXOPHONE

THE SAXOPHONE, ANOTHER FAVORITE JAZZ INSTRUMENT, IS THE YOUNGEST

MEMBER OF THE WOODWIND FAMILY. IT WAS INVENTED IN 1840 BY ADOLPHE SAX, A BELGIAN INSTRUMENT MAKER.

IN TONE THE SAXOPHONE HAS A DEEP, REEDY SOUND THAT BLENDS EASILY WITH OTHER INSTRUMENTS, BUT IS

ALSO PLAYED AS A SOLO INSTRUMENT.

Trumpet Trombone French horn Tuba

BRASS INSTRUMENTS PRODUCE SOUNDS THROUGH TUBING AND BELL SHAPES THAT AMPLIFY VIBRATIONS MADE BY

PERFORMERS’ LIPS.

TWO TRUMPETS, ONE SILVER AND ONE BRONZE, WERE FOUND IN THE TOMB OF THE EGYPTIAN KING TUTANKHAMEN. TRUMPETS WERE REGULARLY SOUNDED IN EGYPTIAN ARMIES, AND EGYPTIAN PRIESTS BLEW TRUMPETS WHEN WORSHIPPING THE GODS.

THE MODERN TRUMPET IS FOUND IN NEARLY ALL ORCHESTRAS, BANDS, AND ENSEMBLES WHERE ITS HIGH PITCH AND BRILLIANT TOME MAKE IT EASY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER THE MUSIC IS CLASSICAL, JAZZ, OR POP.

WHEN MUSICIANS USE A MUTE, A PEAR-SHAPED DEVICE PLACED IN THE BELL, THE TRUMPET TONE CHANGES, BECOMING SOFTER AND MORE LYRICAL.

THE FRENCH HORN IS DERIVED FROM THE RAMS’

HORN OR SHOFAR.

THE FRENCH HORN EVOLVED FROM THE BRASS HUNTING HORN AND WAS A

RATHER PLAIN ORCHESTRAL STANDARD.

IN TONE THE FRENCH HORN RANGES FROM MAJESTIC LOWS TO MYSTERIOUS HIGHS, AND IF HORNS

PLAYERS PLUG ITS BELL WITH THEIR HAND , THE

TONE BECOMES HUSKIER.FRENCH HORN

THE TROMBONE IS MANIPULATED BY A SLIDE THAT PERFORMS MUCH LIKE VALVES. WHEN A PLAYER DRAWS THE SLID OUT, THE TONE BECOMES LOWER. THIS MAKES IT A DIFFICULT INSTRUMENT TO PLAY BECAUSE THE MUSICIAN IS CONTINUOUSLY REGULATING PITCH WITH THE SLIDE.

UNLIKE OTHER HORNS, THE TROMBONE HAS UNDERGONE FEW CHANGES SINCE THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY, WHEN THE SLIDE WAS ADDED TO A LONG TRUMPET CALLED SACKBUT.

TROMBONE

THE TUBA HAS THE LOWEST RANGE OF BRASS INSTRUMENTS, AND ITS TONE IS FULL AND MELLOW. WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER INSTRUMENTS, IT IS A YOUNGSTER, DATING ONLY FROM THE 1830’S.

TUBA

Violin Viola Violoncello Double bass

THE VIOLIN IS THE SOPRANO OF THE STRING FAMILY AND HAS A CLEAR PENETRATING TONE. VIOLINISTS PERFORM WONDERFUL FEATS OF SOUND WITH THE INSTRUMENT AND CERTAIN

EFFECTS.

THE VIOLA IS SLIGHTLY LARGER AND PITCHED LOWER THAN THE VIOLIN. IT IS THE ALTO OF THE STRINGS AND HAS A RICH, FULL TONE.

THE CELLO IS TWICE THE SIZE OF THE VIOLIN, ITS NECK IS PROPORTIONALLY SHORTER, AND ITS STRINGS ARE LONGER AND THICKER.

THE CELLO IS THE BARITONE OF THE STRINGS WITH A MELLOW TONE BOTH DEEP AND SWEET.

CELLO (VIOLONCELLO)

DOUBLE BASS

THE DOUBLE BASS IS TALL, REQUIRING THE PLAYER TO EITHER STAND, OR SIT ON A TALL STOOL.

THE INSTRUMENT IS FLEXIBLE AS A CLASSICAL INSTRUMENT, AND AS A JAZZ INSTRUMENT.

ITS TONE IS DEEP, DARK AND RICH … VERY RESONANT.

PERCUSSIONBASICALLY, ANY OBJECT BECOMES A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT WHEN STRUCK AND USED IN A MUSICAL WAY.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THE ZYDECO MUSIC LONG ASSOCIATED WITH NEW ORLEANS. MANY A COOK HAS EMERGED FROM A RESTAURANT KITCHEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BAND BY STRIKING A POT WITH A LADLE, OR SHAKING A STRING OF DRIED FOODSTUFFS.

BASIC PERCUSSIVE INSTRUMENTS

THE PIANO IS A PERCUSSIVE INSTRUMENT, AND A STRINGED INSTRUMENT. AS SUCH, IT DOES NOT FIT NEATLY INTO THE OTHER EXISTING CATEGORIES.

SOUND IS CREATING FROM THE STRIKING OF A HAND ON A KEY, WHICH CAUSES A HAMMER TO LIFT AND STRIKE A STRING … THE PERCUSSIVE ELEMENT.

THE PIANO EXISTS IN A VARIETY OF DESIGNS, EACH INTENDED FOR A SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE STYLE AND VENUE.

From this point forward, when you hear music, listen for the different instrument sounds.

Recognize them as the sounds of your world … of everything that ever

was.