Terms, Signs And Instruments (Part 1) Flashcards
Four families of the orchestra
Strings, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion
Strings
Instruments with strings that are played with a bow or plucked
Woodwind
Instruments that are blown using a reed or a hole in a mouthpiece
Brass
Instruments that are blown by vibrating the lips in a mouthpiece
Percussion
Instruments that struck
String instruments
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Harp
Woodwind instruments
Piccolo
Flute
Oboe
Cor anglais
Clarinet
Bassoon
Brass instruments
Trumpet
Horn
Trombone
Tuba
Percussion instruments
Timpani
Tubular Bells
Xylophone
Marimba
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Celesta
Side Drum
Bass Drum
Cymbals
Tambourine
Castanets
Tam-tam
Triangle
Harp
Plays from music arranged on two staves, like piano music. The strings on the harp are plucked and pedals or levers are used to change the pitch of the strings
Piccolo
A small type of flute. It uses treble clef and sounds an octave higher than its written notes
Cor anglais
Also know as the English Horn, it is closely related to the oboe. It uses the treble and is a transposing instrument.
Tubular Bells
Vertical metal bars struck with one or two small hammers
Xylophone
Horizontal wooden bars arranged like a piano keyboard and usually struck with hard beaters
Marimba
Like the xylophone, but larger with a more mellow sound - usually struck with soft beaters
Glockenspiel
Horizontal metal bars arranged like a piano and struck by beaters
Vibraphone
Similar to a glockenspiel, it produces a softer sound when the metal bars are struck. It contains a motor to add vibration to the sound
Celesta
Looks like a piano, but contains metal bars rather than strings. It produces a bell-like sound
Tambourine
Hit or shaken by the hand, with small cymbal-like discs around its outer edge. Sometimes it has a ‘skin’ or membrane.
Castanets
Two small discs of wood hit together with the fingers. Originates from Spain
Tam-tam
A large gong hit with a beater
Triangle
Triangular metal instrument hit with a metal beater
Instruments of definite pitch
Instruments that can play specific pitches (eg. C, D, etc.)
Instruments of indefinite pitch
Instruments that make sounds that are not at specific pitch
Definite pitch instruments
Timpani
Tubular Bells
Xylophone
Marimba
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Celesta
Instruments of indefinite pitch
Tambourine
Castanets
Tam-tam
Triangle
Which instruments use reeds?
All Woodwind instruments, with the exception of the flute and piccolo
Single reed
A very thin piece of wood that vibrates against the instrument’s mouthpiece, used by the clarinet
Double reed
Two things pieces of wood, bound together, that vibrate against each other to create a sound, used by the oboe, cor anglais and bassoon
Transposing instruments
Instruments that the sound they make is different from the notes written in their music
Transposing instruments
Trumpet in B flat - major 2nd lower than written
Clarinet in B flat - major 2nd lower than written
Clarinet in A - minor 3rd lower than written
Horn in F - perfect 5th lower than written
Cor anglais in F - perfect 5th lower than written
Piccolo - octave higher than written
Double bass - octave lower than written
Written pitch
Notes written in the music
Sounding or concert pitch
Notes that are produced when they are played
Order of range of voice types, highest to lowest
Soprano
Mezzo-soprano
Alto
Tenor
Baritone
Bass
Open score
When the SATB choral music is on four staves, with each part written on its own stave
Short stave
When the SATB choral music is on two staves, where soprano and alto parts share a treble stave, and tenor and bass parts share a bass stave
SATB
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
