MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA

By: Amina Boudjellel 7x1

Membranophones and Idiophones are two groups made up of musical

instruments in the Percussion family. Some of the main instruments in the Percussion family are: Mallet, Drum kit,

Xylophone, Snare drum, Triangle, Tambourine, Maracas, Chimes, Marimba, Djembe, Drum Machine, Timpani or Piano, Cymbals or Castanets, Bass drum, Gongs, Celesta etc...

Membranophones is an instrument that has a stretched membrane or drum head covering a hole. Idiophones is an instrument without a membrane that creates sound when the instrument itself is made to vibrate.

A Mallet is a stick which causes the drum to vibrate and make a noise, either with your hand or a mallet.

A drum kit includes a bass drum, a snare drum, toms and cymbals. A drum machine can create a number of percussion sounds.

Percussion FamilyDid you know? E

arly

humans made prim

itive

instruments b

y stretching

animal skin over g

ourds

to make drums.

Brass Family

Some of the main instruments of the Brass Family are: Brass,Tuba,Trombone,Bugle,Trumpet and French horn.

Brass is nothing more than long metal tubes. The tube is twisted around, to make it compact and easy to handle.

A Tuba is a Brass instrument that hits the lowest notes. The length of the pipe that makes a Tuba can be as long as 5.5 metres, and it sits on the players lap.

The bugle is a natural brass instrument that doesn't have valves or slides and they have a limited range of notes.

Did you know? When

you press a valve you

create a longer airw

ay

inside th

e instrument.

Some of the instruments in the Stringed family are: Lyre, Bow,

guitar, harp, banjo, electric guitar, violin. A few key terms: Resonator- is the body of an instrument. It’s a hollow structure

usually made of wood or metal. It amplifies the sound waves from a vibrating string, it makes the sound louder and fuller.

Plucked- a string can be plucked, which is like flicking it with your thumb, finger or a small piece of plastic.

Struck: - the strings in a piano is usually struck with a small hammer. A felt covered hammer hits one of the strings, producing a sound on the piano key.

Stringed FamilyDid you know? T

he

lower pitched str

ings

are long and thick, a

nd

the high pitched strings

are short a

nd thin.

BOWGUITAR

HARP

LYRE

VIOLIN

Some of the instruments in the woodwind

family: piccolo, flute, oboe/English horn, saxophone , clarinet,  bass clarinet, bassoon .

Here are some key words: Woodwinds is a tube with holes along it. Mouthpiece: to make music , air is blown into the instrument

through a mouthpiece or a reed. Reed: it is often made of bamboo, through this it’s the vibrating

air produced inside the instrument, that makes the sound.

Woodwind family

Reco

rd

er

Bassoon