Musical Instruments Booklet

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 Musical Instruments
Booklet
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Orchestra
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An orchestra is a large group of musicians that play

instruments together. The orchestra is divided into four
groups: strings, brass, woodwind and percussion.
 Brass
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Most of the instruments in the brass family. Sounds

are created by the musician pressing their lips up
against the mouthpiece and blowing, creating a
vibration.

Percussion
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There are many percussion instruments. These can

be shaken, tapped or knocked to make many
different sounds. These instruments are great for
making rhythms.
 Strings
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The string family is usually the largest in the orchestra. These

instruments look alike but they each have their own pitch. To
play these instruments, you need a bow, which is dragged
across the strings to make sound.

Woodwind
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The woodwind family is also quite strong in the

orchestra. These instruments are long tubes, usually
made of wood (or metal for the flutes) and the sound
is made by blowing into the mouthpiece.
 Conductor
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The conductor is the boss. They stand at the front of the

orchestra, making sure they musicians play together.
Some conductors hold a stick called a baton which they
use to guide the orchestra.

trumpet
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A trumpet has three piston valves. When you blow

into the mouthpiece, you press these valves down
to make different sounds.
 trombone
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A trombone has a long slide that is pushed out or pulled in

to play different notes.
When the tube is pushed out long, a lower sound is made
so when the tube is pulled in smaller, a higher sound is
made.

French horn
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The sound on these horns is made by the musician

blowing into the mouthpiece and pressing on the
three rotary valves. The musician also places their
hand in the bell to help control the sound.
 tuba
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Tubas are really big instruments so the musician

hugs them when they play them. The tuba has a
very low but gentle sound. It takes a lot of air to
make the sounds.

cornet
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The cornet is very similar to the trumpet. The

arrangement of the tubing on the cornet is different
to that of a trumpet. It has more curves and loops
making it shorter than the trumpet. It is played in the
same way as the trumpet.
 clarinet
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Clarinets made a smooth sound. They have a single

reed which is attached to the mouthpiece. The sound is
made by blowing on the mouthpiece and reed.

oboe
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At the start, the oboe plays the note ‘A’ and the rest of
the orchestra has to make sure that their ‘A’ sounds
exactly the same as the oboe. The oboe has a double
reed made up of two thin pieces of cane that vibrate
against each other when blown.
 flute
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The flute was originally made from wood, but is

now made from gold or silver. It is played by
blowing across the hole in the mouthpiece. A flute is
held sideways.

bassoon
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The bassoon has a double reed that sits on the end of

a crook. It makes rather low sounds, though it can make
a few high sounds as well.
 contra bassoon
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The contra bassoon is bigger than the bassoon and

makes an even lower sound. It also has a double reed
and is sometimes known as a double bassoon.

bass clarinet
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The bass clarinet is larger than a clarinet and makes a

very low sound. It is a single reed instrument made of
wood.
 piccolo
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A piccolo is exactly the same as a flute except that

it has a much high sound. It is usually smaller in size
than the flute and is usually made of silver or wood.

cor anglais
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The cor anglais is like an oboe only bigger. It makes a

sad sound. Another name for the cor anglais is the
English horn. It has a bent metal crook to which the
double reed is attached.
 saxophone
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The saxophone is a woodwind instrument that is made

of brass. It also has a reed that is attached to a
mouthpiece.

tenor saxophone
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The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized instrument. It is one of

the two most common types of saxophones, the other being
the alto.
It is easy to distinguish by the bend in its neck near the
mouthpiece. Many jazz musicians have been tenor
saxophonists.
 baritone saxophone
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The baritone saxophone is one of the largest

members of the saxophone family. It is commonly
used in classical music, military bands, marching bands
and jazz.

bass flute
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The bass flute is a woodwind instrument that has a tube

around 146cm long.
It has a ‘J’ shaped head joint which brings the hole within
reach of the player. They can be easily drown out by other
instruments, so are usually only used in flute choirs.
 recorder
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The recorder is a woodwind instrument that has seven

holes. Sound is produced by the musician blowing air into
the mouthpiece and opening or closing off the holes.
These days it is thought of as a child’s instrument.

bagpipes
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Bagpipes used enclosed reeds feed from a constant reservoir

of air to produce sounds.
The most popular are the Scottish Great Highland bagpipes,
though they have been played for centuries throughout Europe,
Turkey, the Caucasus and in Northern Africa.
 violin
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The violin is known for ‘singing.’ It can make people feel sad
or happy.
In the orchestra, the front violinist is the ‘leader’ of the
group of violins. The sound comes out of the ‘ f ‘-holes in
the violin.

double bass
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A double bass is an enormous instrument. They are

about 180 cm tall and are very wide also. They have a
very low sound.
 cello
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The cello is like a big violin. It rests on the floor, so the

musician needs to sit down to play them.
A cello has a low sound and is still played with a bow
like a violin.

viola
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Viola’s look exactly like violins, except they are

bigger. They are played the same way as violins.
They have a lower sound than the violins.
 harp
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The harp is a large string instrument which the strings

are plucked to make the sounds.
They were very popular during the Middles Ages and
the Renaissance.

pipe organ
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Pipe organs are commonly used in churches or cathedrals. They

produce sound by driving pressurized air, or wind, through pipes
that are selected via a keyboard. They have more or more
keyboards that are played with the hands and a pedalboard
which is played with the feet.
 music stand
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A music stand is used to hold sheet music in a position,

allowing the musician to read it while performing.
They can be made from wood, plastic or metal. Some are
able to be folded down for easy transportation.
Small stands, called a lyre, can be attached to the
instrument itself. Conductors use large music stands to hold
their scores.

vibraphone
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A vibraphone can also be known as the vibraharp or

the vibes. It is similar in appearance to the xylophone
and glockenspiel. They are often used within jazz music
or in a wind ensemble.
 piano
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The piano (abbreviation of pianoforte) is played using a

keyboard. It is widely used due to its versatility. Pianos are
not portable and are often quite expensive.
An acoustic piano usually has a wooden case, surrounding
the soundboard and metal strings and a row of 36 black and
52 white keys.

timpani
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The timpani or kettledrums, are part of the percussion

family. They are a type of drum with a skin stretched over
a large bowl that is traditionally made of copper. They are
played by striking the skin or head with a timpani stick or
timpani mallet.
 snare drum
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The snare or side drum is a very popular percussion

instrument. They can be used in orchestras, concert bands,
marching bands, parades and more.
They originated from the Tabor drum and have evolved into
many different versions including the kit snare, marching
snare and the piccolo snare.

gong
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A gong is a flat, circular metal disc which is hit with a mallet.

It is a percussion instrument that originated in China. There
are three broad types of gongs: suspended gongs – flat,
circular discs; bossed gongs – raised centre boss and are
often played horizontally; bowl gongs – bowl-shaped gongs
that rest of cushions.
 marimba
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The marimba is a percussion instrument that consists of a set

of wooden bars which are struck with mallets to make
sounds.
They can be used in solo performances, woodwind and
brass ensembles, marimba concertos, jazz ensembles and
orchestral compositions.

chimes
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Chimes, also known as tubular bells, are part of the

percussion family. Each bell is a metal tube which
range in length.
 maracas
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Maracas are a percussion instrument that originated in Latin

America. The musician holds them by their handles and shake
them. They are usually played in pairs.
Traditionally they were made from dried gourd or coconut
shells filled with seeds or dried beans. Modern maracas can
also be made from leather, wood or plastic.

xylophone
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A xylophone is a percussion instrument that

consists of wooden bars which are struck by
mallets to produce sound.
 bongo drums
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Bongos are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument. They

consist of a pair of small open bottomed drums of
different sizes. They are instruments that create sound by
a vibration of a stretched skin or membrane.

tambourine
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A tambourine is a percussion instrument that consists of a

frame with pairs of small metal jingles, called ‘zils’. The frame
is usually made from wood or plastic. Commonly tambourines
are circular and may or may not have a skin or head.
 triangle
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A triangle is a percussion instrument that is usually made

from steel. It is a bar of metal that has been bent into a
triangular shape. This instrument is usually held by a loop of
thread or wire at the top curve.

bass drum
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A bass drum is a large percussion instrument that can vary

in size.
They are they largest drum of the orchestra. They can
also be used on drum kits and are struck with a beater
that is attached or in marching bands.
 cymbals
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Cymbals are thin, round plates that are usually hit together to
produce sound.
They are a percussion instrument that are used in many
ensembles such as orchestras, percussion ensembles, jazz
bands, heavy metal bands and marching groups.
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