Instruments (T, S, and I) Flashcards
How are instruments of the string family categorised?
Stringed Instrument
How many strings do a majority of string instruments have? What is the exception?
Majority have 4 strings, excluding the harp, which has 47.
What does Arco mean?
‘Play with the bow’
Without the right pedal
Senza pedal
What are 5 common string instruments?
The violin, viola, cello, double bass, and harp. The harp can also be identified as a percussion instrument.
‘Play with the bow’
Arco
Senza sordini/Avec Sourdines (Senza sord
Without mutes
What does [__] upside down mean
Down bow
‘Pluck with the fingers’
What does pizzicato mean (pizz.)
What does Con sordini (con sord.) mean?
With mutes
How are string instruments played?
By drawing a bow across the strings or plucking/tapping the strings with your fingers.
What does Sul D mean?
Play on the D string
Without mute
Senza sordini/Avec Sourdines (Senza sord
What does pizzicato mean (pizz.)
Pluck with the fingers.
Which instrumental families can play multiple notes, and which cannot?
The string family and percussion family can play multiple notes at once.
The woodwind family and the brass family can only play 1 note at a time.
Up bow
V
Ped. * or Ped._____|
Press the sustain pedal. Release the pedal at * or. ______|
What is ‘con sordini’, and which string instrument cannot play it?
‘Con sordini’ means with mutes. The string instrument that cannot play it is the harp.
Play on the D string
Sul D
What does V mean?
Up bow
Play on the G string
What does Sul G mean?
With mutes
Con sordini (con sord.)
Which string instrumets are non - transposing? Which ones are transposing (and by how much)?
Violin, Viola, Cello, and Harp are non - transposing.
The Double bass is transposing. It is played an octave lower then shown.
What clefs can string instruments play?
Violin : Treble Clef
Viola: Treble or (Alto Clef)
Cello: (Bass Clef), Tenor Clef, or Treble Clef
Double Bass: Bass Clef
with the left hand
mano sinistra, m.s
What does Sul G mean?
Play on the G string
Down bow
[__] upside down
What are woodwind instruments?
Long, narrow tubes with holes that are played by blowing through mouthpieces or reeds.
What are common woodwind instruments, from high to low.
Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Cor anglais, Clarinet, Basoon.
mano sinistra, m.s
with the left hand
Release the left pedal
Tre Corde
What clefs are the common woodwind instruments? Which ones are transposing?
Piccolo: Treble Clef (Transposing - played a octave higher)
Flute: Treble Clef ( non-transposing)
Oboe: Treble clef (non - transposing)
Cor Anglais: Treble Clef (transposing - played a perfect 5th lower then written.)
Clarinet: Treble Clef (transposing. Clarient in B flat is played a major 2nd lower then shown, and clarinet in A sounds a minor 3 lower then written)
Bassoon: Mainly Bass Clef but at times Tenor Clef (non - transposing)
Which common woodwind instruments are played by mouthpiece, and which by reed? Which ones are single and which ones are double?
The piccolo and flute are played via a mouthpiece. The Cor anglais, Oboe, and Bassoon are played with a Double reed. The Clarinet is a single reeded instrument.
What are brass instruments?
Carved tubes of brass played by vibrating lips on the mouthpiece.
Can brass instruments play ‘con sordini’?
Brass instruments can play ‘con sordini’, or with mutes.
Press the sustain pedal. Release the pedal at * or. ______|
Ped. * or Ped._____|
What are common brass instruments, from highest to lowest?
The Trumpet (Treble Clef)
French Horn (Treble Clef)
Trombone (Bass Clef) or Tenor Clef
Tuba (Bass Clef)
With the right hand
mano destra, m.d
Which brass instruments are transposing, which are not?
The Trombone and Tuba are non - transposing.
The Trumpet in B flat is played a major 2nd lower then what was written.
The French Horn transposed in F sounds a perfect 5th lower then what was written.
What is the piano?
A keyboard instrument with 88 keys. It produces sound by pressing a key on the keyboard causing a hammer to strike the strings. It is often played with 2 hands written in Treble and Bass Clef.
What are the 3 pedals on the piano?
The Una Corda (Soft pedal), the ‘Sostenuto Pedal’ (Rarely used), and the ‘Sustain pedal’ (Damper Pedal)
mano destra, m.d
With the right hand
Senza pedal
Without the right pedal
Una Corda
Press the left pedal
Press the left pedal
Una Corda
Tre Corde
Release the left pedal
What are percussion instruments?
Instruments that are hit, shook, or scraped. They are classified as indefinite, or definite pitch.
Which percussion instruments are of definite pitch?
Timpani/Kettle Drums (Only drums with notes of definite pitch)
Glockenspiel (Has metal bars)
Xylophone (Has wooden bars)
Marimba (Has wooden bars with resonators)
Vibraphone (Has metal bars with resonators)
Celesta Chas (Metal bars with a keyboard)
Tubular Bells (Chimes)
Which percussion instruments are of indefinite pitch?
Snare Drum or Side Drum/Triangle/Bass Drum/Cymbals/Tambourine/Castanets/Tam-tam (Gong)
Which percussion instruments are transposing? What clefs are they?
Timpani: Bass Clef
Glockenspiel: Treble Clef. Transposing, sounds 2 8ves higher then written.
Xylophone: Treble Clef. Transposing, sounds 8ve higher then written.
Marimba: Treble Clef or Bass Clef.
Vibraphone: Treble Clef
Celesta Chas: Treble Clef or Bass Clef. Transposing, sounds 8ve higher then written.
Tubular Bells/Chimes: Treble Clef
What is the order of choral voices? Which clefs are they in?
Soprano (Treble) - Mezzo Soprano - Alto (Treble) - Tenor (Treble or Bass) - Baritone - Bass (Bass)
What is the acronym to remember choral voice order?
Singing Allow to Bass
