Concert Instruments Trivia Flashcards
Learn and recognize common instruments used in today's music performance, including orchestra, chamber music, and concert band. Learn more with Ultimate Music Theory Workbooks, Videos and Online Courses. UltimateMusicTheory.com
Flute - Originating as far as 30,000 years ago in the form of carved bone, the flute has been around, however primitive, since Cro-Magnon times. The first sideways-held fute was created about 3,000 years ago in China, and the first silver-plated flute was built in the 1900s. It is part of the woodwind family, and Beethoven was the first major composer to begin using the flute in compositions.
Name and describe the instrument.
Oboe - Currently made from rosewood or plastic, the double-reed oboe has been around dating back to the Middle Ages, and in the 17th century was incorporated into the orchestra. It is a member of the woodwind family.
Name and describe the instrument.
Clarinet - Originating from an ancestor known as the chalumeau, the first single-reed instrument, the clarinet was first created by Christoph Denner with the help of his son. They added two keys, which augmented the instrument’s range, and by the end of the 19th century, the clarinet had become what it is today. The clarinet is in the woodwind family.
Saxophone - Invented in 1846 by Adolph Sax, the saxophone, of the woodwind family, is built in different sizes for different musical ranges. There are actually nine different saxopone sizes, all made of brass, the most common being soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone.
Recorder - A member of the woodwind family, the recorder was most popular in medieval times. It has since fallen in popularity to make way for the flute.
Bassoon - A double-reed instrument from the woodwind family, the bassoon appears primarily in orchestral, concert band, and chamber music. Due to its large size, it must be held with a supporting device at a diagonal angle in front of the player.
Name and describe the instrument.
Violin - A four-stringed instrument from the string family, the violin was fully developed by the 16th century in Italy. Sound is produced by drawing a bow across the strings, and notes are fingered on the neck.
Name and describe the instrument.
Viola - The viola, almost identical yet slightly larger than the violin, can produce a deeper note range, and usually accompanies the violin. It also has slightly thicker strings, giving it a distinct sound separate from that of the violin.
Name and describe the instrument.
Cello - A member of the string family, the cello is the second largest bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, the largest being the double bass. Used in orchestras, chamber music, as well as a solo instrument, the cello is played in a seated position, with its weight supported by what is called an endpin resting on the floor.
Double Bass - The double bass, or upright bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument. Because it stands around six feet tall, its player generally stands or sits on a high stool while playing. In the 1950s, the double bass became more popular in music such as country, bluegrass, rockabilly, rock and roll, and tango.
Name and describe the instrument.
Trumpet - The earliest forms of the trumpet date back as far as 1500 BC. Air is blown through closed lips, which creates a buzzing sound that is magnified through the tubes of the instrument. The trumpet is used in all types of music, from classical to jazz, and is a member of the brass family.
Name and describe the instrument.
Trombone - A member of the brass family, the trombone has a slide mechanism that, from moving back and forth, alters the pitch of the sounded note. Its mouthpiece is similar but larger than that of a trumpet, and sound is produced by vibration of the lips.
Piccolo - The piccolo, identical to the flute save for its smaller size, is a woodwind usually made of silver or wood. One of the earliest known pieces to use the piccolo was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, in which the piccolo comes in only at the final movement.
Contrabassoon - A double-reed instrument of the woodwind family, the contrabassoon is a large bassoon, played one octave lower. It was developed in the mid-18th century, but only became popular in the late 19th century when improvements were made to produce a better tone.
Bass Clarinet - The larger and lower-sounding relative of the clarinet, the bass clarinet is a single-reed woodwind. Since the late 19th century, it has been commonplace in the symphony orchestra and concert band.
English Horn - A double-reed woodwind related to the oboe, the English horn is thought to have originated from Silesia (an area around Poland and Germany) in the early 1700s. It has the same button configuration as the oboe and is played in similar fashion as well.
French Horn - A brass instrument consisting of about 13 feet of tubing wrapped into a coil, the French horn contains a trumpet-like mouthpiece and is operated with three valves with the left hand. Although known as the French horn, it actually originates from Germany, and its correct (though hardly used) name is simply the horn.
Tuba - The largest and lowest-pitched of the brass instruments, the tuba is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra. The original tubas of the 1800s used five valves for obtaining different notes, while today’s use only three. Sound is produced by a large, trumpet-like cupped mouthpiece.
Harpsichord - Widely used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the harpsichord’s use began to dwindle with the rise of the piano in the late 18th century. It was most likely invented in the late Middle Ages. When a key is pressed, a long strip of wood attached to a small plectrum is lifted, plucking the string assigned to that key.
Name and describe the instrument.
Organ - Of the various types of organs, the pipe organ is the oldest. Dating back to about 250 BC, it became commonplace in gladiator matches, and later grew to become a staple instrument for the Catholic Church. It is a keyboard instrument with dfferent sized tubes through which air travels, creating pitch. The tubes can vary in size from as great as 32 feet high to as small as one inch high.
Piano - One of the most popular instruments in the world, the piano is used in an extremely wide variety of music. By hitting a key, a felt-covered hammer strikes a steel string, producing sound. Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) of Padua, Italy is credited with the piano’s creation. It is thought that the piano was formed to combine both the loudness of the harpsichord with the expressive control of the clavichord.
Bass Drum - A percussion instrument that varies in size, the bass drum is most often used to keep time. It is a descendant of the Turkish davul, a cylindrical drum with two thin heads. It is used in large ensembles, orchestras, as well as on drum kits fit with a pedal for striking.
Castanets - Held in the hand and struck together to create clicks, the castanets are percussive instruments usually made of hardwood. They are used to create accents in rhythm, and can be held in both hands and hit in rapid succession.
Chimes - The chimes, or tubular bells, are percussive instruments made of metal tubes with differing lengths for altered pitch. Chimes are usually struck with a mallet, and often have a sustain pedal to allow them to ring for longer periods of time.
Cymbals - A common percussion instrument, cymbals are thin disks made of different alloys, and depending on how they are struck, offer composers a wide variety of sound and dynamics. They can be struck together or scraped, and are also used mounted on stands for drum kits.
Glockenspiel - Shaped like a keyboard, the glockenspiel is a percussive instrument consisting of a set of tuned keys. Mallets with heads ranging from metal to plastic are used to strike the keys, and sometimes the player holds two mallets in each hand to strike and sound chords.
Gong - Originating from East and Southeast Asia, the gong is a flat metal disk that is hit with a mallet. Depending on its shape, a gong can sound a multi-pitched crash, or it can hold a single note when struck. There are three general types of gongs: suspended, bossed (raised center), and bowl-shaped.
Guiro - The guiro is a simple percussion instrument that is essentially a hollow gourd with ridges on the outside. The ridges are rubbed with a stick to create a ratchet-like sound.
Snare Drum - A staple in the percussive ensemble, the snare drum is a drum with cables or chords stretched over the bottom skin. These chords rattle when hit, producing a unique and sharp sound. Historically, the snare drum was featured in military marches and parades. It is now commonplace in most drum kits, and used in all types of music.
Tambourine - Built of a wood or plastic (and usually circular) frame lined with zils, or small metal jingles, the tambourine is a handheld percussive instrument. It may or may not have a skin covering one side, which allows for different playing techniques.
Timpani - The timpani is a large, bowl-shaped drum, with a skin (also called head) stretching over it. Currently used in styles including concert and marching ensembles, the player, or timpanist, hits the head with a timpani mallet.
Triangle - Simply a bar of metal bent into a triangular shape, the triangle is usually held up by a looped string, and struck with a wand. First created in the 16th century, this member of the percussion family is crafted with one corner open to give it an indefinite pitch.
Xylophone - The xylophone is a percussion instrument set up like a keyboard, with wooden bars tuned to different pitches. The bars are hit with mallets, and depending on the type of music being played, they are crafted for various tunings.
