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A group of percussion and a group of plucked and keyboard instruments in a symphony orchestra. Types of orchestras performing instrumental and symphonic music What 4 groups does an orchestra consist of

Welcome to a brief overview of the musical instruments of the symphony orchestra.

If you are just starting to get acquainted with classical music, then perhaps you still do not know what musical instruments the members of the symphony orchestra play. This article will help you. Descriptions, images and sound samples of the main musical instruments of the orchestra will introduce you to the huge variety of sounds produced by the orchestra.

Foreword

The musical symphonic fairy tale "Peter and the Wolf" was written in 1936 for the new Moscow Central Children's Theater (now the Russian Academic Youth Theatre). This is a story about the pioneer Petya, who shows courage and ingenuity, saves his friends and captures a wolf. From the moment of its creation to the present day, the piece has enjoyed unflagging worldwide popularity among both the younger generation and experienced lovers of classical music. This piece will help us to identify different instruments, as each character in it is represented by a certain instrument and a separate motif: for example, Petya - string instruments (mainly violins), Bird - flute in high register, Duck - oboe, Grandfather - bassoon, Cat - clarinet, Wolf - horn. After familiarizing yourself with the presented instruments, listen to this piece again and try to remember how each instrument sounds.

Sergei Prokofiev: "Peter and the Wolf"

Bow string instruments.

All bowed stringed instruments consist of vibrating strings stretched over a resonating wooden body (deck). To extract the sound, a horsehair bow is used, clamping the strings in different positions on the fretboard, sounds of different heights are obtained. The bowed string instrument family is the largest of the , grouped into a huge section with musicians playing the same line of music.

A 4-string bowed instrument, the highest sounding in its family and the most important in the orchestra. The violin has such a combination of beauty and expressiveness of sound as, perhaps, no other instrument. But violinists often have a reputation for being nervous and scandalous.

Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

Alt - in appearance, a copy of the violin, only slightly larger, which is why it sounds in a lower register and is a little more difficult to play than the violin. Traditionally, the viola plays a supporting role in the orchestra. Violists are often the target of jokes and anecdotes in the musical environment. There were three sons in the family - two are smart, and the third is a violist ... P.S. Some consider the viola to be an improved version of the violin.

Robert Schumann "Fairy Tales for viola and piano"

Cello- a large violin, which is played while sitting, holding the instrument between the knees and resting it with a spire on the floor. The cello has a rich low sound, wide expressive abilities and a detailed technique of performance. The performing qualities of the cello won the hearts of a huge number of fans.

Dmitri Shostakovich Sonata for cello and piano

double bass- the lowest in sound and the largest in size (up to 2 meters) among the family of bowed stringed instruments. Double bassists must stand or sit on a high chair to reach the top of the instrument. The double bass has a thick, hoarse and somewhat muffled timbre and is the bass foundation of the entire orchestra.

Dmitri Shostakovich Sonata for cello and piano (see cello)

Woodwind instruments.

A large family of various instruments, not necessarily made of wood. Sound is generated by the vibration of air passing through the instrument. Pressing the keys shortens/lengthens the air column and changes the pitch. Each instrument usually has its own solo line, although it can be performed by several musicians.

The main instruments of the woodwind family.

- modern flutes are very rarely made of wood, more often of metal (including precious metals), sometimes of plastic and glass. The flute is held horizontally. The flute is one of the highest sounding instruments in the orchestra. The most virtuosic and technically agile instrument in the wind family, thanks to these virtues, she is often entrusted with an orchestral solo.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Flute Concerto No. 1

Oboe- a melodic instrument with a lower range than a flute. The shape is slightly conical, the oboe has a melodious, but somewhat nasal timbre, and even sharp in the upper register. It is mainly used as an orchestral solo instrument. Since oboists must twist their faces while playing, they are sometimes perceived as abnormal people.

Vincenzo Bellini Concerto for oboe and orchestra

Clarinet- There are several sizes, depending on the required sound height. The clarinet uses only one reed (reed), rather than the double reed of a flute or bassoon. The clarinet has a wide range, warm, soft timbre and provides the performer with a wide range of expressive possibilities.
Test yourself: Karl stole corals from Clara, and Clara stole the clarinet from Karl.

Carl Maria von Weber Clarinet Concerto No. 1

The lowest sounding of the woodwinds, it is used both for the bass line and as an alternative melody instrument. An orchestra usually has three or four bassoons. Due to its size, the bassoon is harder to play than other instruments of this family.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Bassoon Concerto

Brass wind instruments.

The loudest group of instruments in a symphony orchestra, the principle of extracting sounds is the same as that of woodwind instruments - "press and blow". Each instrument plays its own solo line - there is a lot of material. At different epochs of its history, the symphony orchestra changed groups of instruments in its composition, a certain decline in interest in wind instruments occurred in the era of romanticism, in the 20th century new performing possibilities of brass instruments opened up and their repertoire expanded significantly.

Horn (horn)- originally derived from the hunting horn, the French horn can be soft and expressive or harsh and creaky. Typically, an orchestra uses between 2 and 8 horns, depending on the piece.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade

An instrument with a high clear sound, very suitable for fanfare. Like the clarinet, the trumpet comes in a variety of sizes, each with its own timbre. Distinguished by great technical mobility, the trumpet brilliantly fulfills its role in the orchestra, it is possible to play a wide, bright timbre and a long length of melodic phrases on it.

Joseph Haydn Trumpet Concerto

Plays more of a bass line than a melodic one. It differs from other brass instruments in the presence of a special movable U-shaped tube - backstage, moving which back and forth the musician changes the sound of the instrument.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Trombone Concerto

Percussion musical instruments.

The oldest and most numerous among the groups of musical instruments. Often the drums are affectionately called the "kitchen" of the orchestra, and the performers are called the "jack of all trades". The musicians deal with percussion instruments quite "hard": they beat them with sticks, hit each other, shake them - and all this in order to set the rhythm of the orchestra, as well as to give color and originality to the music. Sometimes a car horn or a device that imitates wind noise (eolyphon) is added to the drums. Consider only two percussion instruments:

- a hemispherical metal body covered with a leather membrane, the timpani can sound very loud or, conversely, soft, like a distant roll of thunder, sticks with heads made of different materials are used to extract different sounds: wood, felt, leather. The orchestra usually has two to five timpani, it is very interesting to watch the timpani play.

Johann Sabastian Bach Toccata and Fugue

Cymbals (paired)- convex round metal discs of different sizes and with an indefinite pitch. As noted, a symphony can last ninety minutes, and you only have to hit the cymbals once, imagine what responsibility for the exact result.

A symphony orchestra is a fairly large group of musicians who perform various musical works. As a rule, the repertoire includes music of the Western European tradition. What is the composition of a symphony orchestra? How is it different from other musical groups? More on this later.

Composition of the symphony orchestra by groups

Four categories of musical performers are involved in the modern collective. Where should one begin to consider the composition of a symphony orchestra? The instruments played by musicians are distinguished by their diversity, dynamic properties, rhythmic and sound features.

The foundation of the band is considered to be musicians playing the strings. Their number is about 2/3 of the total number of performers. The symphony orchestra includes double bassists, cellists, violinists, and violists. As a rule, strings act as the main carriers of the melodic beginning.

The next group is woodwinds. These include bassoons, clarinets, oboes, flutes. Each instrument has its own part. In comparison with bowed instruments, woodwinds do not have such a breadth and variety in performance techniques. However, they have more power, brightness of shades with a compact sound.

The symphony orchestra also includes brass instruments. These include trumpets, trombones, tubas, horns. Thanks to their presence, the performance of musical pieces becomes more powerful, as they act as a rhythmic and bass support.

Strings

The violin is considered the highest sounding. This instrument is characterized by rich technical and expressive possibilities. The violin is often entrusted with difficult and fast passages, various trills, melodic and wide jumps, tremolo.

Another is alt. The method of playing it is similar to violin. It is generally accepted that the viola is somewhat inferior to the violin in terms of brightness and brilliance of timbre. But at the same time, this instrument perfectly conveys music of a dreamy-romantic, elegiac character.

The cello is twice as large as the viola, but its bow is shorter than the viola and violin ones. This tool belongs to the category of "foot": it is installed between the knees, resting on the floor with a metal spire.

The double bass is much larger in size - you have to play it sitting on a high stool or standing. This instrument is great for playing fairly fast passages. The double bass forms the foundation for the sound of the strings, performing the parts of the bass voice. Quite often he is part of a jazz orchestra.

Woodwinds

The flute is one of the most ancient instruments in the world. The first mention of it can be found in the scrolls of Egypt, Rome, Greece. Of all the woodwind flutes, it is considered the most mobile instrument, and in its virtuosity it far surpasses the rest.

The oboe is considered no less ancient. This instrument is unique in that, due to the peculiarities of its design, it does not lose its settings. Therefore, all other "participants" are configured according to it.

Another fairly popular instrument is the clarinet. Only he has access to a fairly flexible change in the strength of the sound. Due to this and other properties, the clarinet is considered one of the most expressive "voices" that make up the brass band.

Drums. general information

Considering the composition of the symphony orchestra by groups, percussion instruments should be noted. Their function is rhythmic. At the same time, they form a rich sound-noise background, decorate and complement the palette of melodies with various effects. According to the nature of the sound, percussion instruments can be divided into two types. The first includes those that have a certain timpani, bells, xylophone and others. The second type includes instruments that lack accurate sound pitch. These, in particular, include cymbals, drums, a tambourine, a triangle.

Description

Quite ancient, like some of the instruments described above, is the timpani. They were quite common in many countries: Greece, Africa, among the Scythians. Unlike other leather instruments, timpani have a certain pitch.

Cymbals are large round metal plates. In the center they are slightly convex - in this place the straps are fixed so that the performer can hold them in his hands. They are played standing up - this is how sound spreads best in the air. A symphony orchestra usually includes one pair of cymbals.

The xylophone is a fairly original device. Wooden blocks of different sizes are used as a sounding body. It should be said that the xylophone is often part of the Russian folk orchestra. The sound that wooden blocks make is sharp, clicking, "dry". Sometimes they evoke a gloomy mood, creating grotesque, bizarre images. An orchestra whose composition may include not only a xylophone, most often performs in a special storyline - usually in fairy tales or epic episodes.

Brass

The trumpet was the very first to enter the opera orchestra. Her timbre is not characterized by lyricism. As a general rule, trumpets are considered exclusively fanfare instruments.

The most poetic in the "collective" is the French horn. In the low register, its timbre is somewhat gloomy, and in the upper register it is quite tense.

The saxophone occupies in some way an intermediate position between woodwinds and brass. The power of its sound is much higher than that of the clarinet. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the saxophone has become one of the main "voices" that make up jazz ensembles.

Tuba refers to "bass". It is able to cover the lowest part of the range of the copper group.

Single tools. Harp

The main composition of the symphony orchestra is described above. Instruments can be introduced additionally. For example, the harp. This instrument is considered one of the oldest in the musical history of mankind. It came from a bow with a stretched bowstring, which sounded quite melodious when fired. The harp belongs to Beauty and its appearance is superior to all other "participants".

The harp has rather peculiar virtuosic abilities. On it, passages from arpeggios, wide chords, glissandos, and harmonics are excellent. The role of the harp is not so much emotional as colorful to a certain extent. The instrument often accompanies others. In addition, the harp is given spectacular solos.

piano

The sound source of this instrument is metal strings. Wooden hammers, covered with felt, begin to knock on them when you press the keys with your fingers. The result is a different sound. The piano gained wide popularity as a solo instrument. But in some cases, he can also act as an "ordinary participant." Some composers use the piano as a decorative element, bringing new colors and sonority to the sound of the entire orchestra.

Organ

This wind was known in the most distant antiquity. At that time, air was blown with bellows by hand. Subsequently, the design of the instrument was improved. In ancient Europe, the organ was used in church services. This is a gigantic instrument with a wide variety of timbres. The range of the organ is greater than that of all the instruments in the orchestra put together. The design provides for furs that pump air, a system of pipes of various sizes and devices, keyboards - foot and several manual ones.

Pipes of the same timbre in one set are called "register". Large cathedral organs have about a hundred registers. The coloring of sounds in some of them resembles the sound of a flute, oboe, clarinet, cello and other orchestral instruments. The more diverse and "richer" the registers, the more opportunities the performer has. The art of playing the organ is based on the ability to skillfully "register", that is, the use of all technical potential.

When using the organ in the latest music, theatrical in particular, the composers pursued primarily a sound-representative goal, especially in those moments where it was necessary to reproduce the church atmosphere. So, for example, Liszt in "The Battle of the Huns" (a symphonic poem) contrasted the Christian world with the barbarians using the organ.

Orchestra - a large group of musical instruments performing works specially designed for this composition.

Depending on the composition, orchestras have different, expressive, timbre and dynamic capabilities and have different names:

  • symphony orchestra (large and small),
  • chamber, orchestra of folk instruments,
  • wind,
  • pop,
  • jazz.

In a modern symphony orchestra, instruments are divided into the following groups:

I. String-bowed: violins, violas, cellos, double basses.
II. Woodwinds: flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons.
III. Brass: horns, trumpets, trombones, tubas.
IV. Drums:

A) noise: castanets, rattles, maracas, scourge, tom-toms, drums (large and small). Their parts are recorded on one musical line – "thread".
b) with a certain pitch: timpani, cymbals, triangle, bell, xylophone, vibraphone, celesta.

V. Keyboards: piano, organ, harpsichord, clavichord.
VI. Extension group: harp.

The full sound of the orchestra is called “ tutti " - ("All").

Conductor - (from French - “manage, manage”) manages a team of musicians - performers, he owns the artistic interpretation of the work.

On the console in front of the conductor lies - score (complete musical notation of all parts of orchestral instruments).

The instrument parts of each group are recorded one below the other, starting with the highest sounding instruments and ending with the lowest.

An arrangement of orchestral music for a piano performer is called clavier .

Characteristics of the groups of the symphony orchestra

I. String-bowed

These are instruments similar in appearance and coloring of sound (timbre). In addition, their sound is extracted with a bow. Hence the name. The most virtuoso and expressive instrument of this group is violin . It sounds like a singer's voice. It has a gentle, singing timbre. The violin is usually entrusted with the main melody of the work. The orchestra has I and II violins. They play different parts.
Alto it looks like a violin, but it is not much larger in size and has a more muffled, matte sound /
Cello can be called a "big violin". This instrument is not on the shoulder, like a violin or viola, but rests on a stand that touches the floor. The cello sound is low, but at the same time soft, velvety, noble.
The largest instrument in this group is double bass . They play it while sitting, because it is taller than a person. This instrument is rarely used as a soloist. His sound is the lowest, humming in this group.
The string-bow group in the orchestra is the leader in the orchestra. It has enormous timbre and technical capabilities.

II. Woodwinds

Wood is used to make wooden tools. They are called wind instruments because they produce sound by blowing air into the instrument.
Flute (from Italian means “wind, breath”). The sound of the flute is transparent, sonorous, cold.
It has a melodious, rich, warm, but somewhat nasal sound oboe.
Has a variety of timbres clarinet. This quality allows him to perform dramatic, lyrical, scherzo paintings.
Performs the bass part bassoon - an instrument with a thick, slightly hoarse timbre.
The lowest bassoon has a name contrabassoon .
The group of woodwind instruments is widely used for sketching pictures of nature, lyrical episodes.

III. Brass

For the manufacture of copper-wind instruments, copper metals (copper, brass, etc.) are used.
The whole group of brass instruments sounds powerfully and solemnly, brilliantly and brightly in the orchestra.
Has a clear "voice" pipe . The loud sound of the trumpet is heard even when the whole orchestra is playing. Often the trumpet has a solo part.
French horn (“forest horn”) can be used in pastoral music.
At the moment of the highest tension in a piece of music, especially of a dramatic nature, along with pipes, they play trombones.
The lowest brass instrument in the orchestra - tuba. It is often played in combination with other instruments.

The task of percussion instruments- enhance the sonority of the orchestra, make it more colorful, show the expressiveness and variety of rhythm.

This is a large, colorful and diverse group, which is united by a common way of extracting sound - a blow. That is, by their nature they are not melodic. Their main purpose is to emphasize the rhythm, enhance the overall sonority of the orchestra and complement, decorate it with various effects. Only the timpani are a permanent member of the orchestra. Starting from the 19th century, the shock group began to replenish rapidly. Bass and snare drums, cymbals and triangles, and then tambourine, tom-tom, bells and bells, xylophone and celesta, vibraphone. But these instruments were used only sporadically.

A characteristic feature of a number of instruments is the presence of white and black keys, which are collectively called a keyboard or, for an organ, a manual.
Main keyboard instruments: organ (relatives - portable , positive ), clavichord (related - spinet in Italy and virginal in England), harpsichord, piano (varieties - piano And piano ).
According to the sound source, keyboard instruments are divided into two groups. The first group includes instruments with strings, the second group includes organ-type instruments. Instead of strings, they have pipes of various shapes.
piano This is an instrument in which both loud (forte) and quiet (piano) sounds were extracted with the help of hammers. Hence the name of the instrument.
Timbre harpsichord - silvery, the sound is not loud, of the same strength.
Organ - the largest musical instrument. They play it, like the piano, by pressing the keys. The entire front part of the organ was decorated in the old days with fine artistic carvings. Behind him are thousands of pipes of various shapes, each with its own distinct timbre. Consequently, the organ emits both the highest and lowest sounds that the human ear can only catch.

VI. A frequent member of the symphony orchestra is string-plucked tool - harp , which is a gilded frame with stretched strings. The harp has a gentle, transparent timbre. Its sound creates a magical flavor.

Timbre characteristics of instruments

Types of orchestras

Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments

The composition of such an orchestra includes the main groups:

  • String plucked:
    • domra, balalaika, gusli
  • Brass:
    • flute, zhaleyka, Vladimir horns
  • Pneumatic reed:
    • bayans, harmonicas
    • tambourines and drums
  • Additional tools:
    • flute, oboe and their varieties

Orchestra of Belarusian Folk Instruments

Approximate composition:

  • Stringed instruments:
    • harp, violin, basset
  • Wind instruments:
    • Svirel, zhaleyka, duda, pipe, horn
    • drums and cymbals
  • Accordion - (or multi-timbre, ready-to-select button accordion) is a reed, pneumatic (“air”) keyboard instrument. It got its name from the name of the draene - the Russian legendary singer - storyteller Bayan. This instrument has buttons on both sides, on which the performer plays a melody from the right moan, and accompaniment from the left.
    Bayans are the most widespread in modern concert performance. Having special switches of timbre registers in the left keyboard, which make it possible to change the timbre of the instrument, change the color of the sound.
    There are also electronic button accordions, which have unlimited sound power and a very large number of timbre colors.
  • Balalaika - a relative of the lute, mandolin, guitar. Musical symbol of the Russian people. It is a stringed plucked instrument. She has a wooden triangular body and a long neck, on which the strings are pulled. The sound is extracted by striking all the strings with the index finger or by plucking. There are several types of balalaikas: piccolo, prima, second, viola, bass and double bass.
  • Harmonic (accordion, accordion) - a wind musical instrument that has become widespread in many countries.
    It is equipped with furs and a keypad. A characteristic feature of the instrument: the ability to change the pitch due to a change in the tension of the movement of the bellows.
    Another type of harmonica is accordion . On one side of the accordion there are keys, like a piano, they play a melody, on the other - several rows of buttons for accompaniment. When you press several of them, a whole chord sounds. Hence the name accordion.
  • Domra - a bit like a balalaika, only its body is oval, pear-shaped, and the strings are tuned in fourths.
  • Cymbals - a stringed percussion instrument, is a low box in the shape of a trapezoid or a wooden frame, over which strings are stretched. The instrument is played with sticks or hammers. The gentle sound of cymbals in timbre resembles the sound of a harp.
  • Guitar - one of the few musical instruments on which the sound is prepared and extracted with the fingers.
  • Gusli - an old Russian stringed plucked instrument.

Brass band

A brass band is a group of musicians who play various wind and percussion instruments.
According to their composition, the instruments of a modern brass band are divided into small brass orchestra, small mixed, medium mixed and large mixed.
The basis of the small copper orchestra is made up of: cornets, altos, tenors, baritones, basses.
With the addition of woodwinds (flutes, oboes, clarinets, saxophones, bassoons), as well as trumpets, horns, trombones and percussion instruments to this group, small mixed, medium, large mixed compositions are formed.

Variety Orchestra

The composition of this orchestra includes traditional groups of instruments of a symphony orchestra - woodwinds - horns and strings (violin, viola, cello).

Jazz orchestra (jazz band)

This orchestra includes trumpets, clarinets, trombones and a “rhythm section” (banjo, guitar, double bass, drums and piano).

Materials used in the work:

1. Z.Osovitskaya, A.Kazarinova In the world of music. First year of study. M., “Music”, 1996.
2. M. Shonikova Musical Literature. Rostov-on-Don, 2003.
3. Ya.Ostrovskaya, L.Frolova Musical literature in definitions and musical examples. SPb., 2004.
4. M.F. musical kingdom. Minsk, 2002.

Annex 2. Musical instruments of the symphony orchestra

The basis of the symphony orchestra is made up of stringed musical instruments. Sometimes this group is also called a string-bow group, since the sound is extracted by a bow, with which the performer leads along the strings. All the instruments of the string group - violin, viola, cello and double bass - have such wonderful qualities as sound extension, softness and evenness of timbre. The violin "sings" in a high voice, the double bass in the lowest, while the viola and cello touch the listeners with their voices in the middle registers.

AND . Strings

Throughout the world, the violin is considered the queen of music, because it is the most common bowed instrument. Italy became famous for the best violins. Outstanding masters Dmatі, Guarneri, Stradivari worked here. They passed on the secrets of making this musical instrument to their families from generation to generation.

The violin has an elegant body. On the upper deck there are cutouts - efs, which are called so for their resemblance to the Latin letter f. A neck with a curl at the end is attached to the body. Inside the case, on two legs, there is a stand through which four strings (mi, la, re and sol) are stretched. During the performance, the violinist changes the pitch by pressing the string to the fretboard with the fingers of his left hand, holding a bow in his right hand, which leads along the strings.

Many different works have been written for the violin by outstanding composers: A. Vivaldi, L. van Beethoven, P. Tchaikovsky, N. Pokorikom and others. The glory of an unsurpassed virtuoso was won by the Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini.

Viola is a stringed bowed musical instrument of the same device as the violin, but larger in size. Through this, the viola has a lower register, and the sound is more saturated, velvety. There are usually 10 violas in a large symphony orchestra.

CELLO is a string-bowed musical instrument of the bass register. It has significantly larger sizes from violin and viola (total height - up to 1.5 m). The sound of the cello is juicy and thick, like a male baritone. Singing melodies most clearly reveal the noble timbre of the cello.

Unlike the violin and viola, which are held horizontally on the shoulder, the cello is held vertically. In ancient times, this instrument was placed on a chair, while the musician had to play while standing. Subsequently, when a metal spire was invented that rests on the floor, cellists began to perform pieces while sitting, which was much more convenient.

For the cello, as an independent instrument, many works have been written, in particular, the well-known suites by J.-S. Bach, variations by P. Tchaikovsky, concertos for orchestra by A. Dvorak, D. Shostakovich and others.

DOUBLE BASIS - the largest instrument of the string-bow group with a low sound. Double bassists play standing up with a bow or pizzicato (striking the strings with their fingers). This bowed string instrument is used in various genres, in particular, in many types of folk and academic music, in jazz, blues, rock and roll.

HARP - plucked string instrument The concert harp, which can be seen in the composition of a large symphony orchestra, is of considerable size. 47 strings of different thicknesses and lengths stretched on a triangular wooden frame 1 m high. With the help of 7 pedals, the performer (harpist or harpist) changes the pitch.

The harp has been known on the territory of Ukraine since ancient times. On one of the frescoes of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, you can see this musical instrument.

The significance of the harp in the orchestra lies primarily in the brightness of its sound. She often accompanies other instruments of the orchestra, sometimes she is "trusted" with solo parts. There are many such in the ballets of P. Tchaikovsky, operas by M. Rimsky-Korsakov and G. Wagner, symphonic works by G. Berlioz and f. List. The harp concerto was written by the Ukrainian composer A. Kos-Anatolsky.

II. Woodwinds

FLUTE - one of the oldest instruments, as well as the common name of some wind instruments. In a symphony orchestra, a transverse flute is usually used, sometimes a piccolo flute. The performer - flutist or flutist - holds the instrument horizontally. The nature of the flute sound is quite high, elegant, melodic, poetic, but somewhat cold, flutes are now made of silver-zinc alloy, less often - from precious metal (silver, gold and platinum), even more rarely - from wood or glass.

The oboe is a woodwind instrument, which is a straight conical tube made of ebony or touk wood (about 60 cm). Has 25 holes, 22-24 of which are closed with valves

Sometimes the oboe is used as a solo instrument. A symphony orchestra usually has two or three oboes. One of the first concert pieces for oboe was created by f. Couperin ("Royal Concerts"). Concertos and pieces for oboe were written by A. Vivaldi, G.-f. Handel, J. Haydn, W. -A. Mozart, C. Saint-Saens and others.

Clarinet is an instrument made of noble wood, such as black. It has a wide range, warm and soft timbre. The body of the instrument is a cylindrical tube (about 66 cm), while the oboe has a conical body. The clarinet is used in a wide variety of musical genres and compositions: as a solo instrument, in chamber ensembles, symphony and brass bands, folk music, on the stage and in jazz. In chamber music, the clarinet was used by V. -A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, f. Schubert, N. Glinka.

Bassoon - an instrument made mainly of maple. It has the largest range in its woodwind family (over 3 octaves). When disassembled, the bassoon resembles a bundle of firewood, for which it got its name. There are holes (about 25-30) on the body of the instrument, which the musician opens and closes to change the pitch. Only 5-6 holes are controlled by fingers, for the rest they use a complex valve mechanism.

Usually 2 bassoons are used in a symphony orchestra, they basically duplicate cellos and double basses. Thanks to the bassoon, the melodic line acquires density and coherence. When playing in a high register, mournful intonations often sound.

Composers of the past centuries (I. Haydn, W.-A. Mozart) often provided bassoons with solo parts in symphonies. Several concertos have been written for two bassoons and orchestra.

III. Brass

PIPE - an instrument with significant technical mobility, brightly and rapidly performs staccato (intermittent sounds). It is a long, curved tube that narrows slightly at the mouthpiece and widens near the bell. The basic principle of playing the trumpet is to obtain harmonic sounds by changing the position of the lips and changing the length of the air column in the instrument using the valve mechanism (they are pressed with the right hand).

Trumpet concertos were written by S. Vasilenko, J.-S. Bach, J. Haydn, J. Brahms, By. Bartok, etc.

French Horn - an instrument in the form of a twisted copper tube of a square-shaped shape (in C m), which ends with a wide bell on one side, and a mouthpiece on the other. Among brass brass, it is distinguished by its softness of timbre. The sound can be muffled with the help of a mute (special device).

Trombone - an instrument consisting of a double-curved cylindrical pipe (total length of about 3 m, diameter from 1.5 cm), which ends with a bell. A mouthpiece is installed on the upper part of the pipe, through which the trombonist blows air. The middle part - the wings - is sliding, with its help the musician increases the volume of vibrating air and, accordingly, reduces the sound of the instrument.

TUBA is a rare wind instrument, the lowest in sound. The first tubas were used in military bands, then in a symphony orchestra. The first significant symphonic work where the tuba is used is the "Fantastic Symphony" by G. Berlioz. In a symphony orchestra, only one tuba is used, in a wind orchestra - two. Tuba performers usually play sitting, hanging it on suspenders.

Quite a few original solo works have been written for tuba, a significant part of the repertoire consists of alterations.

IV. Drums

Timpani - an instrument with a certain frequency of sound, which is of Asian origin.

Timpani are a system of two or more copper cauldrons, the open side of which is covered with leather. The main tone of the instrument is determined by the size of the body (varies from 30 to 84 cm). A higher tone is obtained with smaller instrument sizes. Sticks for playing the timpani are wooden, reed or metal, and the tips are made of leather, wood and other materials. Thanks to this, the timpani player can receive various timbres and sound effects.

In a symphony orchestra, as a rule, instruments of three sizes are used - large, medium and small timpani.

GREAT AND SMALL DRUMS The bass drum (bass drum) is the largest percussion instrument of a very low and often strong indefinite pitch. It looks like a metal or wooden cylinder, covered with leather on both sides (diameter about 1 m). It is played with a wooden stick with a soft tip. A special technique of playing - tremolo, is achieved by quickly playing with two sticks. This creates effects ranging from a distant rumble to a powerful rumble.

A snare drum, or simply a drum, is an instrument with two leather membranes stretched over a low cylinder. Strings are stretched along the lower membrane (in concert - 4-10 strings), which give the sound a dry, rocky tone.

The drum is played with two wooden sticks. A characteristic technique of the game is drumming (rapid alternation of beats with sticks). The symphony orchestra was introduced in the 19th century; used in military scenes.

TRIANGLE - a tool in the form of a steel rod bent into a triangle (8-10 mm in diameter), which is freely suspended and struck with a metal stick. The sound of a triangle is of indefinite height, sonorous, brilliant and at the same time gentle.

On the triangle, you can perform both individual rhythmic beats and tremolo. Initially, the triangle was used mainly in military music, later - in symphonic music.

CASTANETS - an instrument without visas of a high pitch in the form of two plates-shells, connected at the top with a rope. Plates have traditionally been made from hardwood, although more recently glass-plastic has been used for this.

Castanets are most often associated with the image of Spanish music, especially with the flamenco style. Therefore, this instrument is often used in classical music to create a "Spanish flavor" (for example, in the opera "Carmen" by Jean Bizet, "Spanish Capriccio" by Rimsky-Korsakov and others).

Cymbals - an instrument with an indefinite pitch in the form of two discs made of a special alloy (copper, brass, bronze). Plates have been known since ancient Egypt, India, China. In a symphony orchestra, paired cymbals are played by striking one another with an oncoming sliding motion. Distinguish between an open blow, in which the cymbals continue to sound freely, and a closed one, when the performer presses the edges of the cymbals to his shoulders.

A tambourine is an instrument with an indefinite pitch, common among many peoples of the world. It looks like a wooden hoop, on one side stretched with leather. On the opposite side, strings or wires are pulled, on which bells are hung. Metal rattles are mounted in special openings, which in shape resemble drum cymbals, only in miniature. Sometimes there are buboes without rattles. The main task in the orchestra is to keep the pace and give a certain flavor to the music. Playing techniques: palm strikes on the hoop or skin, tremolo. Used mainly in dances and marching marches.

ORCHESTRATAL BELLS - an instrument that is a set of 12-18 cylindrical metal tubes (diameter 25-38 mm, suspended in a special frame (height 2 m). They strike the tubes with a katalalka, the head of which is covered with leather.

In an orchestra, the instrument is most often used to imitate bell ringing.

BELLS - an instrument that has a certain pitch and consists of a number of metal plates loosely mounted on bars in two rows. The arrangement of the records on them is similar to the arrangement of white and black piano keys. They play with the help of special metal hammers or a keyboard mechanism or wooden sticks.

TAM-TAM - an ancient instrument with an indefinite pitch of oriental origin. He joined the symphony orchestra at the end of the 19th century. It looks like a forged metal disk made of copper alloy. The diameter of a large tam-tam reaches 100-120 cm, it is 8-10 cm thick.

The tool is hung on a thick string or straps to the hooks of a stable wooden or metal frame. They play it with a wooden katalalka (sometimes for special effects - with sticks from a snare drum or a triangle). The tam-tama sound is low, juicy, deep, with a wide sound wave, which rises after the impact and then gradually subsides.

V. Keyboards

ORGAN - keyboard and wind instrument, usually located in Catholic churches, concert halls, music schools.

Organ sound is created by forcing air into pipes of various diameters, lengths, materials (metal or wood). The organ is controlled from the game table, the control panel, which contains the game mechanisms (keys, pedal), mechanisms for switching on and excluding registers. The organ is played with the participation of both hands and feet of the organist, with or without the help of an assistant. The organist has at his disposal one or more manuals (keyboards for the hands) and a pedal (keyboard for the feet).

The organ is used not only as a solo and ensemble instrument, because it goes well with other timbres, with an orchestra, a choir. Many famous composers of different times wrote works for the organ. The unsurpassed genius of organ music was J.-S. Bach.

The harpsichord is an ancient keyboard string-plucked musical instrument. Its metal strings are latched with a feather or leather plectrum. There are two types of harpsichords: large wing-shaped (vertical or horizontal) and smaller - square, rectangular or pentagonal. Instruments of the first type are usually called the harpsichord, and the second - the spinet.

Yielding to the piano in dynamics, the harpsichord had its advantages - it goes well with other instruments and voices, which is important in chamber ensembles.

PIANO (PIANO, ROYAL) is a keyboard-percussion instrument common in the world. A grand piano has a frame with strings and a resonant soundboard arranged horizontally, while a piano has a vertical one. As a result, the grand piano has a wing-like shape, it is more bulky than the piano. However, the sound of the grand piano is more voluminous, fuller, noisier than that of the piano. As a rule, modern grand pianos have three pedals, they are designed to change the volume, timbre or lengthen the sound (in the piano - usually two pedals).

The repertoire of pianists is very diverse in genres and styles. "The soul of the piano" was f. Chopin, an outstanding virtuoso pianist - f. Sheet.

It consists of six groups of instruments, such as: bowed strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, keyboards and additional. Up to 110 musicians play in a large symphony orchestra, and up to 50 in a small one. The orchestra is led by a conductor, artistic interpretation of the musical.

Bowed string instruments form the basis of a symphony orchestra. They are the carriers of the melodic beginning of a musical work. The instruments of this group are similar in appearance and timbre, and the sound is extracted with a bow. The expressive sound of the violin is central in the group and throughout the orchestra. The viola differs from the violin by a slightly larger size and a more muffled, matte sound. The cello follows the contours of the violin in appearance, but it is much larger than it. The cello is not held on the shoulder, like the previous two instruments, but rests on a stand. This instrument has a low, but velvety and noble sound. The double bass exceeds in size not only all the above instruments of the group, but also the height of a person, therefore they play it while sitting. The sound of the double bass is low and buzzing.

The groups of woodwind instruments are: a sonorous flute, an oboe with a rich warm sound, a clarinet with a diverse timbre, a bassoon with a hoarse sound and a bassoon with the lowest timbre of the contrabassoon group. This group got its name due to the material from which they are made, wood, and the method of extracting sound, blowing air.

For the manufacture of instruments of the group of copper-wind instruments, metals with a high content of copper are used. Their introduction is characterized by a powerful, solemn, bright sound. The sonorous "voice" of the trumpet often plays the solo part. The horn is traditionally used in pastoral music. During the climax of the piece, the trombone plays its part. The tuba has the lowest sound.

Percussion instruments are united by a way of extracting sound - a blow. But in terms of sound they are all different. Their main task is to emphasize the rhythm, enhance the sound of the orchestra, add expressiveness. In the orchestra you can find such percussion instruments: timpani, large and snare drums, tambourine, cymbals and triangles, bells, xylophone.

The keyboard group is characterized by the presence of white and black keys for each instrument. Among them are: organ, clavichord, harpsichord, piano. Often they are alone in the orchestra.

To perform certain works, the orchestra includes a string-plucked instrument with a delicate, transparent timbre - a harp. It adds a touch of magic to a piece of music.