Musical Instruments
The great majority of musical instruments fall readily into one of six major categories: bowed strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard, and the гитара family, the first four of which form the basis of the modern symphony orchestra
Bowed Strings
The four principle orchestral string instruments are (in descending order of в общем и целом, общая pitch) the violins (usually divided into two sections, playing individual parts), the violas, the cellos and the double basses. Each have four strings arranged in order of pitch, can be played by means of a bow (arco) или plucked (pizzicato), but whereas the violin and viola are played with the instrument resting between the shoulder and the chin, the larger cello (or, to give it its full title, violoncello) is placed facing outwards between and slightly behind the knees, and the bulky double бас, бас-гитара is played standing up или seated on a high stool.
Enthusiasts of Medieval, Renaissance and early Baroque Музыка will encounter earlier varieties of bowed instruments known variously as vielle, viol, или in its earliest form, fidel (hence the modern nickname for a violin, 'fiddle'). The most Популярное member of the viol family is the cello's precursor, the viola da gamba (literally 'viol of the legs').
Woodwind
The four principle woodwind instruments of the orchestra all work by means of a system of keys (usually silver-plated) which when variously depressed and released allow air to pass through differing lengths of the instrument resulting in notes of different pitch. In order of descending в общем и целом, общая pitch, these are:
FluteFlute
a normally silver-plated (or in еще extravagant cases, gold), narrow-bored instrument, held horizontally just under the mouth, and activated by blowing air across an aperture at one end of the instrument. Its higher-pitched cousin, the piccolo, is often encountered, although the lower alto flute rather less so. Early forebears include the unkeyed fife. The most Популярное close relation is the recorder family, largely unkeyed and end-blown in the vertical position.
OboeOboe
a narrow-bored wooden instrument descended from the medieval shawm, held vertically, and activated by means of placing the end-positioned double-reed in the mouth, and blowing under high-pressure so as to force air between the two bound reeds, causing them to vibrate. Other members of the oboe family include the lower pitched cor anglais (or English Horn), and (far еще rarely) baritone oboe and heckelphone (bass oboe). The instrument's most famous predecessor is the Baroque oboe d'amore, often used by Johann Sebastian Bach.
ClarinetClarinet
like the oboe usually wooden, played vertically and held in the mouth, but with a wider bore and consisting of a single reed which when activated vibrates against a detachable mouthpiece. The standard instrument can be pitched in B flat (usually) или A, and the family is unusually extensive including the higher-pitched E flat, the B flat bass, the rarely-used C, the alto (a modern relative of the basset horn), and the even еще obscure double-bass или 'pedal' clarinet. Occasionally the clarinet's 'popular' cousin can be seen in the концерт hall, the saxophone.
BassoonBassoon
as the name would suggest, the бас, бас-гитара member of the woodwind family, and by far the largest, especially its lower-pitched relation, the extremely bulky double или contra-bassoon. Like the oboe, it is a double-reed instrument, although to facilitate the playing action (the instrument is normally held across and in front of the body) it is connected to the фагот via a silver-plated, curved crook. Its most notorious cousin is the Baroque serpent, shaped very much as its name would suggest.
Brass Instruments
Brass instruments are also activated by blowing into them, although instead of using a form of reed over which the mouth is placed, the lips are placed against или inside the cup of a metal mouthpiece, and made to vibrate against its inner rim. In order of descending pitch, these are:
TrumpetTrumpet
one of the most ancient of all instruments. Played horizontally via a series of valves on the вверх of the instrument which are opened and closed in various combinations to create different pitches. Occasionally, the piccolo (higher) или бас, бас-гитара (lower) trumpets are heard (and the trumpet's 'popular' cousin, the cornet), although еще common nowadays in 'authentic' Baroque orchestras (which use instruments of the correct period или copies thereof), is the 'natural' или valveless trumpet. The еще notationally limited горн, стеклярус is rarely heard away from its traditional military context.
French hornFrench horn
another ancient instrument, descended from the use of animals' horns (hence the name) in pre-historic times. The modern instrument is the most outwardly complex, consisting of a basic tube, rounded into a compact shape culminating in a conical bore или bell, into which a series of valves are centrally set. Before the valve system had been developed, the changing of basic pitch was facilitated by the insertion of a variety of crooks which altered the length of the basic tube, and the changing of certain notes by holding the hand in a variety of subtly differentiated positions within the bell. In a Популярное context the term 'horn' invariably refers to the saxophone, and for the cor anglais see 'oboe' under the woodwind section above. Traditionally, the French horn section is seated away from the rest of the brass family.
TromboneTrombone
descended from the medieval sackbutt, it is the only Популярное orchestral wind instrument which operates without the use of a valve или key system. The тромбон is easily recognisable by its extended elliptical shape culminating in a conical bore, and its distinctive use of a hand-operated slide held out in front, in order to change pitch. The slide can be moved to any one of seven main positions, each of which facilitate a different series of notes. The tenor and бас, бас-гитара тромбон are occasionally seen (especially the latter), although the alto and double-bass are extreme rarities.
TubaTuba
not unlike the French horn in basic construction, only еще oval in shape and much bigger. The piston valve action is similar to the trumpet, only the valves themselves are situated in the middle of the instrument. A variety of types and sizes exist aside from the typical концерт instrument in F (bass tuba), including the tenor tuba (higher), and double-bass tuba (lower), often referred to as a bombardon in a military или brass band context.
Percussion instruments
A percussion instrument is probably best defined as one where a resonating surface is struck by the player, either by hand или by some form of stick. These divide roughly into tuned instruments which have a definite pitch или series of pitches, and those of indefinite pitch. Популярное examples of both types are:
TunedTuned
timpani или kettle drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, tubular bells, vibraphone, marimba. Occasionally, the Пианино and celesta (see left) are included in scores as part of the percussion section.
Indefinite pitchIndefinite pitch
triangle, gong, castanets, whip, rattle, anvil, tambourine, cymbals (struck and clashing), and a variety of drums (side, tenor, bass, tabor, bongo etc.).
Keyboard instruments
Conveniently collected together as any instrument which is operated by means of a standard keyboard, the differences in operation are wide-ranging and carry obvious associations with certain of the above categories. These break down into four main types:
Plucked
mostly instruments emanating from the 17th/18th centuries where a series of stretched and tuned strings are plucked by a quill или plectrum (e.g. harpsichord, virginal, spinet).
StruckStruck
where the strings are actually hit, either by a tangent (e.g. 17th/18th century clavichord), или hammers (e.g. piano, celesta).
AeratedAerated
where the notes are activated by a column of mechanically propelled air within a series of tuned pipes (e.g. organ).
Electronic
where a number of effects approximating to those derived from any of the above instruments, as well as totally original sounds, can be achieved (e.g. electronic organ, synthesizer).
гитара family
гитара family The 'classical' гитара is typically a Spanish-derived, six-stringed instrument played using a plectrum или the finger-nails, with frets set into the fingerboard. Популярное Музыка tends to use amplification for both six-stringed instruments and the four-string бас, бас-гитара guitar. The гитара family gradually supplanted the лютня which had come to prominence during the Renaissance.
The great majority of musical instruments fall readily into one of six major categories: bowed strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard, and the гитара family, the first four of which form the basis of the modern symphony orchestra
Bowed Strings
The four principle orchestral string instruments are (in descending order of в общем и целом, общая pitch) the violins (usually divided into two sections, playing individual parts), the violas, the cellos and the double basses. Each have four strings arranged in order of pitch, can be played by means of a bow (arco) или plucked (pizzicato), but whereas the violin and viola are played with the instrument resting between the shoulder and the chin, the larger cello (or, to give it its full title, violoncello) is placed facing outwards between and slightly behind the knees, and the bulky double бас, бас-гитара is played standing up или seated on a high stool.
Enthusiasts of Medieval, Renaissance and early Baroque Музыка will encounter earlier varieties of bowed instruments known variously as vielle, viol, или in its earliest form, fidel (hence the modern nickname for a violin, 'fiddle'). The most Популярное member of the viol family is the cello's precursor, the viola da gamba (literally 'viol of the legs').
Woodwind
The four principle woodwind instruments of the orchestra all work by means of a system of keys (usually silver-plated) which when variously depressed and released allow air to pass through differing lengths of the instrument resulting in notes of different pitch. In order of descending в общем и целом, общая pitch, these are:
FluteFlute
a normally silver-plated (or in еще extravagant cases, gold), narrow-bored instrument, held horizontally just under the mouth, and activated by blowing air across an aperture at one end of the instrument. Its higher-pitched cousin, the piccolo, is often encountered, although the lower alto flute rather less so. Early forebears include the unkeyed fife. The most Популярное close relation is the recorder family, largely unkeyed and end-blown in the vertical position.
OboeOboe
a narrow-bored wooden instrument descended from the medieval shawm, held vertically, and activated by means of placing the end-positioned double-reed in the mouth, and blowing under high-pressure so as to force air between the two bound reeds, causing them to vibrate. Other members of the oboe family include the lower pitched cor anglais (or English Horn), and (far еще rarely) baritone oboe and heckelphone (bass oboe). The instrument's most famous predecessor is the Baroque oboe d'amore, often used by Johann Sebastian Bach.
ClarinetClarinet
like the oboe usually wooden, played vertically and held in the mouth, but with a wider bore and consisting of a single reed which when activated vibrates against a detachable mouthpiece. The standard instrument can be pitched in B flat (usually) или A, and the family is unusually extensive including the higher-pitched E flat, the B flat bass, the rarely-used C, the alto (a modern relative of the basset horn), and the even еще obscure double-bass или 'pedal' clarinet. Occasionally the clarinet's 'popular' cousin can be seen in the концерт hall, the saxophone.
BassoonBassoon
as the name would suggest, the бас, бас-гитара member of the woodwind family, and by far the largest, especially its lower-pitched relation, the extremely bulky double или contra-bassoon. Like the oboe, it is a double-reed instrument, although to facilitate the playing action (the instrument is normally held across and in front of the body) it is connected to the фагот via a silver-plated, curved crook. Its most notorious cousin is the Baroque serpent, shaped very much as its name would suggest.
Brass Instruments
Brass instruments are also activated by blowing into them, although instead of using a form of reed over which the mouth is placed, the lips are placed against или inside the cup of a metal mouthpiece, and made to vibrate against its inner rim. In order of descending pitch, these are:
TrumpetTrumpet
one of the most ancient of all instruments. Played horizontally via a series of valves on the вверх of the instrument which are opened and closed in various combinations to create different pitches. Occasionally, the piccolo (higher) или бас, бас-гитара (lower) trumpets are heard (and the trumpet's 'popular' cousin, the cornet), although еще common nowadays in 'authentic' Baroque orchestras (which use instruments of the correct period или copies thereof), is the 'natural' или valveless trumpet. The еще notationally limited горн, стеклярус is rarely heard away from its traditional military context.
French hornFrench horn
another ancient instrument, descended from the use of animals' horns (hence the name) in pre-historic times. The modern instrument is the most outwardly complex, consisting of a basic tube, rounded into a compact shape culminating in a conical bore или bell, into which a series of valves are centrally set. Before the valve system had been developed, the changing of basic pitch was facilitated by the insertion of a variety of crooks which altered the length of the basic tube, and the changing of certain notes by holding the hand in a variety of subtly differentiated positions within the bell. In a Популярное context the term 'horn' invariably refers to the saxophone, and for the cor anglais see 'oboe' under the woodwind section above. Traditionally, the French horn section is seated away from the rest of the brass family.
TromboneTrombone
descended from the medieval sackbutt, it is the only Популярное orchestral wind instrument which operates without the use of a valve или key system. The тромбон is easily recognisable by its extended elliptical shape culminating in a conical bore, and its distinctive use of a hand-operated slide held out in front, in order to change pitch. The slide can be moved to any one of seven main positions, each of which facilitate a different series of notes. The tenor and бас, бас-гитара тромбон are occasionally seen (especially the latter), although the alto and double-bass are extreme rarities.
TubaTuba
not unlike the French horn in basic construction, only еще oval in shape and much bigger. The piston valve action is similar to the trumpet, only the valves themselves are situated in the middle of the instrument. A variety of types and sizes exist aside from the typical концерт instrument in F (bass tuba), including the tenor tuba (higher), and double-bass tuba (lower), often referred to as a bombardon in a military или brass band context.
Percussion instruments
A percussion instrument is probably best defined as one where a resonating surface is struck by the player, either by hand или by some form of stick. These divide roughly into tuned instruments which have a definite pitch или series of pitches, and those of indefinite pitch. Популярное examples of both types are:
TunedTuned
timpani или kettle drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, tubular bells, vibraphone, marimba. Occasionally, the Пианино and celesta (see left) are included in scores as part of the percussion section.
Indefinite pitchIndefinite pitch
triangle, gong, castanets, whip, rattle, anvil, tambourine, cymbals (struck and clashing), and a variety of drums (side, tenor, bass, tabor, bongo etc.).
Keyboard instruments
Conveniently collected together as any instrument which is operated by means of a standard keyboard, the differences in operation are wide-ranging and carry obvious associations with certain of the above categories. These break down into four main types:
Plucked
mostly instruments emanating from the 17th/18th centuries where a series of stretched and tuned strings are plucked by a quill или plectrum (e.g. harpsichord, virginal, spinet).
StruckStruck
where the strings are actually hit, either by a tangent (e.g. 17th/18th century clavichord), или hammers (e.g. piano, celesta).
AeratedAerated
where the notes are activated by a column of mechanically propelled air within a series of tuned pipes (e.g. organ).
Electronic
where a number of effects approximating to those derived from any of the above instruments, as well as totally original sounds, can be achieved (e.g. electronic organ, synthesizer).
гитара family
гитара family The 'classical' гитара is typically a Spanish-derived, six-stringed instrument played using a plectrum или the finger-nails, with frets set into the fingerboard. Популярное Музыка tends to use amplification for both six-stringed instruments and the four-string бас, бас-гитара guitar. The гитара family gradually supplanted the лютня which had come to prominence during the Renaissance.
