Standard Orchestral Instruments2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons (woodwind instruments)2 or 4 French horns, 2 trumpets (brass instruments)2 timpani or “kettle drums” (percussion instruments)12 violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos and 2 double basses (string instruments)
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu
The double bass, also known simply as the bass (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass).
The saxophone made great strides in being accepted in many types of music. Today, it is one of the most popular wind instruments and can be commonly heard in wind bands, jazz bands, and rock bands. Currently, the saxophone is the only wind instrument that is not a permanent member of the orchestra.
Chamber orchestra
The guy with the stick is called a conducter and he is very important. He keeps time acting as a sort of metronome for everyone and he also indicates dynamics and such to different sections of the orchestra.
Symphony orchestra: This collective noun is given to the group that concerns the symphony part of the orchestra.
They were, in rank order, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (5th), the Cleveland Orchestra (7th), the Los Angeles Philharmonic (8th), the Boston Symphony Orchestra (11th), the New York Philharmonic (12th), the San Francisco Symphony (13th), and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (New York City) (18th).
Lower in pitch and capable of deeper, warmer tones, the cello is a melodic force that rivals the violin. Due to its richer tones, the cellos often provide counterpoint melodies to the violins. Yet the cello's versatility also means it can be used to perform harmonic accompaniment to the violins.
There are 2 to 4 bassoons in an orchestra and they have a similar range to that of the cello. Bassoons usually play lower harmonies, but you will sometimes hear their hollow low notes featured in a melody. You play the bassoon by holding it upright and blowing through the double reed.
Eleven to fourteen brass instruments will be found in the orchestra. The brass family usually sits across the back of the orchestra. The HORN is in the back row of the orchestra, behind the bassoons and clarinets.
Within the orchestra the piano usually supports the harmony, but it has another role as a solo instrument (an instrument that plays by itself), playing both melody and harmony.
A symphony orchestra and a philharmonic are the same thing - sort of. They're the same size and they play the same kind of music. ... “Symphony orchestra” is a generic term, whereas “philharmonic orchestra” is always part of a proper name.
When we think of the 'traditional' layout of an orchestra, we think of the violins directly to the left of the conductor and the violas in the centre, with the woodwind and then the percussion behind them.
Orchestral musicians are seasoned professionals and it is the COMPOSER who decides, and writes down, exactly what s/he wants the players to do. The "maestro" did not write the music. Players play without cues from the conductor. Conductors are not needed for performances.
17th century