Why do orchestras need to tune before practicing or performing?

Answer:

Orchestras always tune to concert pitch (usually A=440 Hertz, 440 vibrations per second). Conveniently, every string instrument has an A string. So it makes sense for string orchestras to tune to the open A string of the first violinist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a symphony and philharmonic orchestra?

“Philharmonic puts the emphasis on the organizers and the audience, whereas symphony places it on sound and the actual music-making.” Another example close to home: The Philharmonic Society of New York was founded in 1799.

What category is the piano in an orchestra?

Percussion instruments So, the piano also falls into the realm of percussion instruments. As a result, today the piano is generally considered to be both a stringed and a percussion instrument.

Who organized the Original Creole Orchestra in Los Angeles?

Original Creole Orchestra. Sometime in either late 1911 or early 1912, bassist Bill Johnson, who had been making his career in Los Angeles, California since 1909, started the initiative to organize an "Original Creole Ragtime Band" to play the New Orleans style across the country.

What is a second violin in an orchestra?

The simplest answer is to say that usually the second violins play a supportive role harmonically and rhythmically to the first violins which often play the melody and the highest line of the string section. ... If truth be known, a lot of what is required of the second violins is difficult even at times treacherous!

Is there a difference between philharmonic and symphony orchestras?

The short answer is: there is no difference at all. They are different names for the same thing, that is, a full-sized orchestra of around 100 musicians, intended primarily for a symphonic repertoire.

15 Related Question Answers Found:

When an orchestra was no place for a woman?

Even in the United States, which was far less hidebound in terms of musical tradition, it was not until 1930 that an orchestra, in this case the Philadelphia Orchestra, hired a woman in a tenured position. Entire sections of the orchestra remained male because their instruments were considered unladylike.

How do you follow an orchestra conductor?

1:233:30Your Guide On How To Follow A Conductor - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPower if a conductor is not awkwardly mirroring the right hand with the left then the left hand canMorePower if a conductor is not awkwardly mirroring the right hand with the left then the left hand can actually often provide valuable performance information through cues and gestures.

What section is the piano in the orchestra?

Other instruments such as the piano and celesta may sometimes be grouped into a fifth section such as a keyboard section or may stand alone, as may the concert harp and electric and electronic instruments. The orchestra, depending on the size, contains almost all of the standard instruments in each group.

Does an orchestra have to have strings?

An orchestra uses string instruments while a band originally did not use any string instruments. An orchestra can include up to 100 or even more members while bands include a comparatively lesser number of people. Orchestras originally played western classical music and opera.

Is orchestra or mezzanine better for Hamilton?

Amongst all the three sections, the orchestra has some of the best seats in the theatre. ... For people who would rather not be that close to the stage, there are the elevated front mezzanine seats. The middle seats, numbered 104 to 108, in rows A to C of the mezzanine offer a great look at the stage.

What is the piano role in the orchestra?

The piano, in common with two other percussion instruments, cannot be played in an orchestral ensemble without being recognised. But, unlike those others, it happens to possess the capacity of all key- board instruments for rendering full melodic, harmonic and contra- puntal effects.

Why do orchestras have so many of the same instrument?

The basic principle is very simple. The more important and busy parts you have, the lower the volume, the higher the rank on the same instrument, the closer you sit to the conductor. Of the harmonization theory of Western music, the four-voice system is also applied to the orchestra.

Why are saxophones not in an orchestra?

Question: Why aren't there any saxophones? The most commonly given reason for why saxophones are rarely used in orchestral pieces is because they were invented much later than the standard orchestra. ... For now, not enough pieces include saxophone to add it as a standard instrument, but who knows what the future holds.

What role does the woodwind play in an orchestra?

Woodwinds are color instruments, and can be used for just about anything. Like the strings and the brass they can play as a choir, they can split up and double various other parts, they can provide secondary or primary themes, and they can solo gloriously.