What is the bass in an orchestra?

Answer:

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).

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do musicians in orchestras get paid?

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.

When was Electric Light Orchestra popular?

During the 1970s and 1980s, ELO released a string of top 10 albums and singles, including two LPs that reached the top of British charts: the disco-inspired Discovery (1979) and the science-fiction-themed concept album Time (1981).

How many BBC orchestras are there?

Five orchestras

Can you be in orchestra in college?

The great thing is that few schools have orchestras that are purely music/performance major students: Non-music majors are involved to maintain a full, rounded sound, so even if you aren't going for a music degree, you can still participate.

What qualifies as an orchestra?

An orchestra is “a group of performers on various musical instruments for playing music, as symphonies, operas, popular music, or other compositions.” An orchestra especially includes stringed instruments of the viol class, clarinets and flutes, cornets and trombones, drums, and cymbals.

What instruments make up a symphony orchestra?

A Symphony Orchestra is defined as a large ensemble composed of wind, string, brass and percussion instruments and organized to perform classical music. Wind instruments include flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoons. String instruments include harp, violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

19 Related Question Answers Found:

What is orchestra pit in theatre?

In traditional theatre, a lower area located in front of the stage where the orchestra sits for musicals, ballets, opera, concerts, and the like.

What are the different types of instruments of an orchestra?

Instruments of the OrchestraString family. Violin. Viola [vee-OH-lah] Cello (violoncello) [CHEL-low] ... Woodwind family. Flute, Piccolo. Oboe, English horn. Clarinet, Bass clarinet. ... Brass family. Trumpet. Horn (French horn) Trombone. ... Keyboards and Harp. Celesta [cheh-LESS-tah] Piano. Harpsichord.

What is the meaning of orchestral music?

A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including strings, woodwinds, brass instruments, and percussion instruments. The instruments played by such a group. 2. The area in a theater or concert hall where the musicians sit, immediately in front of and below the stage.

How much do film orchestras make?

Orchestration Rates The American Federation of Musicians Union sets the rates from time to time, which come in around $26 to $65 per page for orchestration. Orchestrators with a proven track record earn the best rates.

What is the flutes role in the orchestra?

How does Flute contribute to a band or orchestra? Just as the violin acts as the leader of the string section, the flute leads the woodwind section. They are the soprano voice in many orchestral and concert band pieces. Modern orchestras often use the flute to convey different cheerful or sad emotions.

Do orchestras have harps?

Beginning orchestras generally don't have harp parts, and if they do, they're often too difficult, so I write easy harp parts into the music for them. ... A harp like the one Atz plays stands about 6'2" and weighs about 90 pounds.

Where does the string family sit in the orchestra?

The strings sit at the front of the stage in a fan-shape in front of the conductor. The first violins are on the conductor's left, then come the second violins, then the violas and then the cellos. The double basses are behind the cellos.

Who was considered as the master of orchestration?

Now to start things off, we're going to play you a piece by Rimsky-Korsakov, the Russian composer, who is looked up to as the real master of orchestration, the composer who wrote the most famous book about it, and the one so many other composers have imitated ever since.

What are three types of orchestras?

Three distinct types of orchestra--symphony, chamber and string--expose audiences around the world to new cultural and musical experiences each year.

Why does an orchestra tune?

Orchestras always tune to 'A', because every string instrument has an 'A' string. The standard pitch is A=440 Hertz (440 vibrations per second). ... This is because most of the band instruments are actually pitched in B flat, and so this is their natural tuning note.

How much do pit orchestra musicians 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.

Do orchestras have recorders?

In time, the recorder was replaced in the orchestra by woodwind instruments that were newer or being enhanced, such as the oboe and flute. Our contemporary interest in historically informed performance has returned the recorder to the concert stage.

Where can I play in an orchestra?

Today orchestras can usually be heard in concert halls. They also play in opera houses for opera and ballet, or in a large stadium for huge open-air concerts.

What does the guy in front of the orchestra do?

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.