exploring the families of musical instruments!. musical instruments, like plants and animals, are...
TRANSCRIPT
•Musical instruments, like plants and animals, are categorized into
families. •Traditional classical orchestra
instruments are divided into four distinct families.
CATEGORIES:
Brass instruments were traditionally made of brass, but today, we
recognize that some instruments are classed as “brass” although they’re
made of other materials. Some instruments made of brass are
in fact not in the brass family!
BRASS INSTRUMENTS CONTINUED
Brass instruments create sound by the musician ‘buzzing’ their lips into a round mouthpiece.
• Brass instruments usually have long, sometimes coiled tubing.
French Horn Trumpet
Other brass instruments include the euphonium, the tuba and the
trombone.
OTHER BRASS INSTRUMENTS
Euphonium
Tuba Trombone
Woodwinds are instruments whose sound is created by the musician’s breath. However, these instruments do not
require the ‘buzzing’ that the brass need.
There are two types of woodwinds: flutes and reeds.
WOODWINDS CONTINUED
The Flute family consists of instruments with which you blow over a hole or edge to
create the sound. These include all flutes, recorders, and various types of whistles.
Flute Recorder
Most of the woodwinds have a mouthpiece with either one or two reeds. When the musician blows into the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates to create the sound.
Clarinet
Comparison of the sizes of 4 different
woodwinds.
Be careful!The Saxophone is classified as a woodwind instrument. Although it’s body is made of
brass, the mouthpiece contains a reed.
Instruments whose sounds are created by using strings are members of the string
family. The strings may be plucked, scratched with a bow, or strummed.
John Mayer
•There are many different types of guitars, and they can be found in cultures all around the world. The Classical
Guitar is often used in modern symphonies.
Left: Classical Guitar Center: Mandolin Right: Banjo
Harps are also part of the string family; the harp is included in the classical orchestra.
Left: Classic HarpRight: Lyre (ancestor of the harp)
Percussion instruments are those that are played by striking or shaking.
All drums are percussion instruments.
Often, drums are used to keep the rhythm in a musical piece
Some percussion instruments are tuned instruments, which means you can play notes in a
scale on them.
Left: Chimes
Bottom Left: Glockenspiel
Bottom Right: Xylophone
Right: Bells
Glockenspiels are made of metal. Xylophones are made of wood.
OTHER PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS
Left: Tambourine Center: Cymbals Right: Maracas
Left: Triangle Center: Cowbell Right: Wood block