Define the 4 family of orchestral instruments?

Answer:

You now know that the four families of the orchestra are the string, woodwind, brass and percussion families.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many instruments make up a full orchestra?

A modern full-scale symphony orchestra consists of approximately one hundred permanent musicians, most often distributed as follows: 16–18 1st violins, 16 2nd violins, 12 violas, 12 cellos, 8 double basses, 4 flutes (one with piccolo as a specialty), 4 oboes (one with English horn as a specialty), 4 clarinets (one with ...

What instruments were the basis of the Baroque Orchestra?

Baroque orchestra instruments usually included:strings - violins, violas, cellos and double basses. woodwind - recorders or wooden flutes, oboes and bassoon. brass - sometimes trumpets and/or horns (without valves)timpani (kettledrums)continuo - harpsichord or organ.

What is it called when an orchestra warms up?

It's just called tuning. Also, although when to start is indicated by the violinist (usually assistant leader, as the leader will walk on with the conductor), it's actually an oboe that gives the note which everyone tunes to (an A).

How old is the Cleveland Orchestra?

The Cleveland Orchestra was founded in 1918 by music-aficionado Adella Prentiss Hughes, businessman John L. Severance, Father John Powers, music critic Archie Bell, and Russian-American violinist and conductor Nikolai Sokoloff, who would become the Orchestra's first music director.

How much do Met orchestra members make?

Major orchestra salaries range by the orchestra from a little over $100,000 to a little over $150,000. Principals, the ranking member of each orchestra section, can make a great deal more, in some instances more than $400,000. And most major orchestras play for a season lasting only about nine- months a year.

What makes a band an orchestra?

An orchestra is a large group of musicians which can include even 100 or more members. ... Orchestras use four main families of instruments – strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Bands use brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments but generally do not use string instruments.

What is the difference between chamber and symphony orchestra?

While chamber music is basically played on strings, symphonies have an array of instruments besides the string section - percussion, brass and woodwinds. The third major difference is the presence of a man in black tailcoat, holding a piece of stick and making feverish gestures. That's the conductor.

23 Related Question Answers Found:

Where does an orchestra practice?

One will practice alone for several hours a day. Most orchestras do not pay their members enough for a comfortable living, so musicians may teach, perhaps in a university or music school, or private students. They might also participate in chambergroups—which again requires more practice and rehearsal time.

What section of the orchestra does harp instrument belong to?

Harp differs from the other plucked-string instruments in that its strings emerge from the sounding board, while all others are side-strung, like lutes and guitars, which belong to the lyre family. The harp is the only plucked-string instrument to be a regular member of the orchestra.

Do orchestras use guitars?

Most guitar orchestras seem to use nylon-string acoustic guitars primarily, played in the manner of classical guitar, using bare fingers or fingernails to pluck the strings. ... The "Japanese guitar orchestra" now has 4 sizes of guitars.

What happened to Glenn Miller and his Orchestra?

Popular big band leader Glenn Miller lost his life in a plane crash during the Second World War. To this day, the exact cause of the fatal crash and the death of those on the plane with him remains a mystery. Some even believed the story of a plane crash was a cover story for a more sordid end.

Where do musicians sit in an orchestra?

Orchestra Chairs The most skilled musician sits in the first chair of each section and plays any solo parts for that instrument. The next most skilled player would sit in the second chair and the least skilled musician would sit in the last chair of his or her section.

How much do professional orchestra members make?

The potential for a stable career with excellent job security, salary and benefits. The base scale pay for members of the top American orchestras (Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia) is approximately $2000+/week (minimum guaranteed scale).

What is a symphony orchestra called?

“Symphony orchestra” is a generic term, whereas “philharmonic orchestra” is always part of a proper name. So, you can call every philharmonic a symphony, but you can't call every symphony a philharmonic—even though they're the same.

Who composed the Young Person's Guide to the orchestra?

Benjamin Britten The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra/Composers Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is well known today as an orchestral showpiece and a staple of the orchestral repertoire. It was, however, originally composed as the sound track for an educational documentary made in 1945 by the Crown Film Unit for the UK Ministry of Education.

Does Andre Rieu still have an orchestra?

André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (born 1 October 1949) is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra....

André Rieu
Occupation(s)Violinist, Conductor, Entrepreneur
InstrumentsViolin, 1667 Stradivarius, Captain Saville
Years active1978–present
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What role does the double bass play in an orchestra?

The Basses Double bass. Names that position these, the largest instrument in the orchestra's string section, relative to the cello. For so long, and in so many works, the role of the bass has been to double the cello part. As a transposing instrument, the bass plays the cello line an octave lower.

Is the viola part of the orchestra?

The strings are the largest family of instruments in the orchestra and they come in four sizes: the violin, which is the smallest, viola, cello, and the biggest, the double bass, sometimes called the contrabass.

Where do trumpet players sit in the orchestra?

The HORN is in the back row of the orchestra, behind the bassoons and clarinets. The horn is a very long brass tube wrapped around in a circle several times. If you unwound a horn's tubing, it would be twenty-two feet in length! The TRUMPET sits to the right of the horns, and the TROMBONE sits behind the trumpet.

What string instruments are not in an orchestra?

8 Instruments Rarely Used In OrchestraHarp – Although the harp is one of the most common instruments in the history of music, it is not always used in most classical compositions. ... Glass Armonica – ... Saxophone – ... Wagner Tuba – ... Alto Flute – ... Sarrusophone – ... Theremin – ... Organ –

Are there bass clarinets in orchestra?

Bass clarinets regularly perform in orchestras, wind ensembles/concert bands, occasionally in marching bands, and play an occasional solo role in contemporary music and jazz in particular. Someone who plays a bass clarinet is called a bass clarinetist.