Instruments of the Orchestra Including roles of the conductor and concertmaster/concertmistress

Instrument Families Strings (harp, violin, viola, cello, double bass) Woodwinds (piccolo, flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet) Brass (trumpet, horn in F (French Horn), trombone, euphonium, tuba) Percussion (timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, snare drum, cowbell, xylophone, castanets, tamtam, and whip (slap stick))

The Orchestra Leaders Conductor – the man or woman in charge of directing the orchestra; they stand in front of the ensemble Concertmaster/Concertmistress – the principal player of the violin section; this player leads the string sections during string rehearsals. They are also in charge tuning the orchestra and they make sure everyone can play their part

The String Family All stringed instruments have strings The sound is created by plucking, bowing, or strumming the strings. The fiction on the string creates vibrations which becomes sound. Violin – highest pitched instrument Viola – deeper sound than the violin but still high Cello – low pitched instrument that play in three different clefs (has a lot of range) Double Bass – lowest pitched instrument Harp – multi-stringed instrument plucked to give it sound

The Woodwind Family All woodwind instruments are not made out of wood has a reed or uses air vibration to create the sound Piccolo – highest pitched instrument Flute – an octave lower; high pitched instrument Oboe – has a double reed; pressure against both reeds create the sound Bassoon – has a double reed; low pitches instrument Clarinet – has a single reed; uses the reed to produce a sound

The Brass Family Brass instruments are made of brass parts Have to buzz into a mouthpiece to create a sound and must push down valves or use a slide Trumpet – highest pitched instrument Horn in F (French Horn) – has wide range and plays in two clefs Trombone – has a slide instead of valves; low pitched instrument Tuba – lowest pitched instrument

The Percussion Family Percussion instruments are made of different materials Must be struck, shook, or scraped by a mallet, hammer, or hand The list of percussion instruments are timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, snare drum, cowbell, xylophone, castanets, tamtam, and whip (slap stick).

Orchestra Seating Chart