What family of instruments makes up the majority of the orchestra?

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. ... In fact, the second violins used to be seated opposite the first violins, where the cellos normally are.

These characteristics ultimately divide instruments into four families: woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings.

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 ...

Gamelan, the term for a traditional musical ensemble in Indonesia, typically refers to a percussion orchestra composed predominantly of tunedgongs of various types and metal-keyed instruments. ... The most well-known gamelan ensembles are those from the islands of Java and Bali.

Theodore Thomas

The modern orchestra's woodwind section typically includes: flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons. The piccolo, cor anglais, bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet, and contrabassoon are commonly used supplementary woodwind instruments. The section may also on occasion be expanded by the addition of saxophone(s).

10 Composer Tips for writing Orchestral MusicFirst create a piano reduction. ... Nothing is more important than the musical motif (melody, main idea) and the bass line. ... In the orchestra the strings are often the most iconic part. ... Horns are easier than you think. ... Less is most definitely more. ... Hybrid elements. Daha fazla öğe...

Two basic orchestras exist—chamber orchestras (small!) and symphony orchestras (big!). Chamber orchestras employ about 50 or fewer musicians (who may all play strings).

The London Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world's greatest orchestras.

A choir is a group of voices. By analogy, sometimes a group of similar instruments in a symphony orchestra are referred to as a choir.

This world music day, let's look at 10 most expensive musical instruments of all time:Lady Blunt Stradivarius Violin. ... Hammer Stradivarius Violin. ... John Lennon's Steinway Z Piano. ... The Lady of Tennant Stradivarius. ... Eric Clapton's Fender Stratocaster. ... OM-45 Deluxe Acoustic Guitar from C. F. ... Gasparo Bertolotti da Salo Viola.Більше…

Pianos/keyboard instruments were originally for home use / chamber music. The idea was that an individual could create a polyphonic sound at home with only one instrument. Most music involves multiple instruments. Pianos aren't included in a usual orchestral setup because the instruments are 1 line only.

The string section is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is the most numerous group in the typical Classical orchestra. ... An orchestra consisting solely of a string section is called a string orchestra.

Eighty musicians

Conductors act as guides to the orchestras or choirs they conduct. They choose the works to be performed and study their scores, to which they may make certain adjustments (such as in tempo, articulation, phrasing, repetitions of sections), work out their interpretation, and relay their vision to the performers.

Long considered indispensable indicators of a community's sophistication, orchestras are in danger of becoming cultural dinosaurs. Some are already extinct: within the past decade, major ensembles have collapsed in cities as disparate as Oakland, California; New Orleans; Denver and Birmingham, Alabama.

In that case, the clarinet becomes the de facto tuning instrument. Then there are keyboard instruments like piano, harpsichord or organ. The entire orchestra must tune to them, but the oboe still plays a role.

There are three ways in which the woodwind family creates sound: by blowing air across the edge of or into the mouthpiece (flute or piccolo), by blowing air between a single reed and a fixed surface (clarinet and bass clarinet), or by blowing air between two reeds (oboe, English horn, bassoon, and contrabassoon).

An Inside Look at Five of America's Best OrchestrasChicago Symphony Orchestra. Ranked at number five on the list, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is the highest ranked American orchestra on the list. ... Cleveland Orchestra. ... Los Angeles Philharmonic. ... Boston Symphony Orchestra. ... New York Philharmonic.