The Different
Kinds of Musical
Instruments
Markho Anthonio R.
Martirez
Reana Jane D. Eroy
Reporters
• What is musical instrument?
• A musical instrument is a device that
produces sound that is played by a person.
• Of all the instruments, the “human voice” is
the oldest and most popular. The voice as
a medium of musical expression is so
intimate, personal and direct.
Musical Instruments
are divided into 4
families:
• String
• Woodwind
• Brass
• Percussion
String
• The stringed section includes the violin,
viola, cello, guitar, and double bass.
• These instruments have four strings which
are played by means of a “bow”. They can
also be played by plucking called
“pizzicato”.
GUITA
- Is a plucked (pizzicato)
R
instrument, with a flat black and
inward curving sides somewhat six
strings and is said to be of oriental
origin. Revival of interest in guitar
music was done by the Spanish
Composer, Francisco Tarrega
(1852-1909).
VIOLIN
- Has an extremely wide
range, admired for its
singing tone which is the
instrument closest to the
human voice. The
greatest violin maker
was Antonio Stradivari
an Italian of origin.
VIOLA
- Is bigger than a violin. Its strings are
longer, thicker and heavier and is
lower in range. It is an ideal
instrument to express mournful and
passionate nature and situation.
CELLO
(VIOLONCELLO
) known as
- Is popularly
“cello”. It has lower
range than the viola,
notable for its lyric
quality and dark
resonance in the lower
range. In the orchestra,
the cellos can perform
functions similar to the
violins and violas.
DOUBLE
BASS
- Is so large that it is
played standing. It has
the lowest range in the
string section. It plays
the bass part, the
foundation of the
harmony.
Woodwin
d
• The woodwind of the orchestra consists
of members of four different families:
• Piccolo
• Flute
• Oboe
• Clarinet (an English Horn)
• The tone of the woodwind instrument is
produced by a column of air vibrating
within a pipe that has little holes at the
sides.
PICCOL
O
- Means “little flute”. It
has a piercing tone that
produces the highest
note in the orchestra.
The tone is shrill in the
upper register that
sounds like a birdcall.
FLUTE
- It is the orchestra
soprano of the
woodwind choir. It is one
of the oldest
instruments. Its tone
color ranges from the
poetic to the brilliant,
cool and velvety in the
lower register and
smooth in the middle.
OBOE
• Is made up of wood; the
double reed in the
mouthpiece consists of
two slips of cane so
shaped as to leave
between them a small
passage for air. This
instrument is associated
with pastoral scenes and
nostalgic melodies. It
sounds mysterious and
peculiar.
CLARINET
- Is a single reed
instrument. The tone is
beautiful, clear and
powerful in the higher
register, relax in the
middle and cool and
almost expectral in the
low register. This is
considered the alto of
the woodwind family.
BASS
CLARINET
• It has a rich, flexible,
wide and dynamic
tone, making it an
invaluable member of
an orchestra. The
range is one octave
lower than that of the
clarinet.
THE
• It BASSOON
has a heavy, thick
tone in the low
register, dry and
sonorous in the
middle, reedy, intense
and somewhat funny
in the upper register.
It is called the “clown
of the orchestra”.
THE
CONTRABASSOO
N as the
- Also known
“double bassoon” ,
produces the lowest
tone in the orchestra. In
the woodwind section it
is compared to the
double bass among the
strings and that it
supplies the foundation
for the harmony of the
section.
ENGLISH
-It HORN
has a heavy, thick
tone in the low register,
dry and sonorous in the
middle, reedy, intense
and somewhat funny in
the upper register. It is
called the “clown of the
orchestra”.
Brass
Instrumen
• The brass family consists of the trumpet,
cornet, trombone, horn and tuba.
• This section can be utilized in playing
melodies, sustaining harmony, rhythmic
accent for massed tone and sonority
that contributes to the climax of the
music.
• These instruments have cup-shaped
mouthpieces, except for the French
horn, whose mouthpiece is shaped like
a funnel.
TRUMPE
T
• It is associated with
martial music. The
tone is firm, brilliant
that gives radiance to
the orchestral mass.
TROMBO
- It is an Italian word
which means NE “large
trumpet”. It has its
sonorous tone that
combines the brilliance
of the trumpet and the
majesty of the horn.
2 types:
• The slide
• The valve
HORN
- It is generally called
“French Horn”, has 4
valves played by the left
hand instead of the right
hand like the trumpet
and cornet. This
instrument was first
developed by the
French kings for
elaborate hunting calls.
TUBA
- It is the bass of the
brass choir. It furnishes
the harmonic foundation
of the section. It is made
of metal and has three
valves, but some tube
has a fourth valve thus
expanding the range of
the instrument.
2 types:
• Upright
• Bell front
CORNET
- It is very similar to the
trumpet. It has 3 valves,
the same cup-shaped
mouthpiece, but partly
cylindrical and partly
conical in bore; the tone is
more mellow, less piercing
and shorter in length than
the trumpet.
Percussion
Instrumen
ts
• The term percuss means, “to strike” so
that all instruments whose manner of
playing is either by striking, plucking, or
strumming, directly or indirectly, fall
under the Percussion section.
• The percussion of the orchestra is
divided into two:
a. Percussion with definite pitch
b. Percussion without definite pitch
Percussion with definite
pitch
TIMPANI
- (Kettle drum) are used in
sets of two, four or six
drums. It is a hemisphere
copper shell across which
is stretched head of
calfskin held by a metal
ring. It is played with two
padded sticks which may
be either soft or hard.
XYLOPHON
E - Is consists of tuned
blocks of wood which
produce a dry crisp
timbre when struck. It is
frequently used in
primitive cultures
particularly in Africa.
CELESTA
- It resembles a small
upright piano. It is
operated by a keyboard,
the steel plates when
struck by a small
hammer produces an
ethereal sound. It is best
adapted to light and
graceful effects.
PIANOFOR
- Popularly known as
TE “piano”. It is the most
popular instrument used
in the home as well as
in the concert stage. Its
strings, inside the body
of the piano, are struck
with little hammers
controlled by a keyboard
mechanism.
HARP
- It is said to be the oldest
musical instruments. It was
the traditional instrument of
the bands of the ancient
Britain and Ireland. Its
strings are played by
plucking and produce a
crystalline tone that blends
well with the orchestra
timbre.
CHIMES-Are bell-like sounds. It
is a set of metal tubes,
suspended from a metal
frame, chromatically
tuned and struck with a
wooden hammer. They
are employed to
produce the effect of
church bells, hence the
alternative name
“tubular bells”.
Percussion without
definite
pitch
SNARE
-DRUM
Also known as “side drum”.
It is a small drum with two
heads stretched over a shell
of metal. The upper head,
which is struck by the player
with his two drumsticks is
called batterhead. The lower
is called the snare-head
which is equipped with
snares.
CASTANETS
- Consist of cup-shaped
wooden clappers clicked
rhythmically together by
Spanish dancers to whose
hands they are attached. In
orchestral use, they are
mounted in a handle which
is shaken.
BASS DRUM
- With its Italian name a
“gran cassa”. A large
drum which varies in
size both in depth and
diameter, the heads are
thicker and the tension
is much less than with
smaller drums, which
produces a deep
sonorous sound like that
of a cannon.
CYMBAL
S - It is consist of two
large circular brass
plates of equal size,
made slightly convex so
that only the edges will
touch together. They are
struck together with a
sliding motion to create
a crashing sound.
GONGS
- Also called “tam-tam”
of Chinese origin. A
broad circular disc of
metal slightly convex
with the edges turned
giving it the appearance
of a shallow plate with
low vertical sides. It is
suspended on a frame
so as to hand freely and
is struck with a heavy
bass drum.
TRIANGL
Ein shape of
- It is a small round bar
of steel bent
a triangle, open at the
upper end, struck with a
beater of the same
material. The tone is
penetrating and should
be used sparingly. It can
play single strokes,
rhythmic, sparingly and
rolls.
TAMBOURIN
E
- It is a small single-headed
drum, the shell of which is
pierced at intervals to allow
the insertion of loosely-
hanging jingles made of
circular metal plates, usually
in pairs connected by a
metal wire which passes
through the holes of the
shell.
END!!
