"Percussion instrument A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater (including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles); struck, scraped or rubbed by hand; or struck against another similar instrument. The percussion family is believed to include the oldest musical instruments, following the human voice. The percussion section of an orchestra most commonly contains instruments such as timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle and tambourine. However, the section can also contain non-percussive instruments, such as whistles and sirens, or a blown conch shell. Percussive techniques can also be applied to"
"Tuba The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibration into a large mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the newer instruments in the modern orchestra and concert band. The tuba largely replaced the ophicleide. ""Tuba"" is Latin for 'trumpet'. In America, a person who plays the tuba is known as a tubaist or tubist. In the United Kingdom, a person who plays the tuba in an orchestra is known simply as a tuba player; in"
"String orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first and second violin players (each usually playing different parts), the viola, the cello, and usually, but not always, the double bass. String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 (4 first violins, 3 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and 1 bass = 12) and 21 musicians (6 first violins, 5 second violins,"
"Cura (instrument) The cura () is the smallest member of the bağlama family with the highest pitched sound. The member one size bigger than cura which gives a sound that is one octave lower than cura is the tambura. And the one with the deepest sound is the divan sazi whose sound is one octave lower compared to tambura. The smallest member of the baglama family, it is found in nearly every region of the country under a variety of names, including dede sazi, parmak cura, and üç telli cura. According to the instrument with which it is to be"
"Double bass The double bass, or simply the bass (and numerous other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. It is a standard member of the orchestra's string section, as well as the concert band, and is featured in concertos, solo and chamber music in Western classical music. The bass is used in a range of other genres, such as jazz, 1950s-style blues and rock and roll, rockabilly, psychobilly, traditional country music, bluegrass, tango and many types of folk music. The bass is a transposing instrument and is typically notated one octave higher"
"ensembles of six (sextet), seven (septet), or eight musicians (octet) are fairly common; use of latinate terms for larger groups is rare, except for the nonet (nine musicians). In most cases, a larger classical group is referred to as an orchestra of some type or a concert band. A small orchestra with fifteen to thirty members (violins, violas, four cellos, two or three double basses, and several woodwind or brass instruments) is called a chamber orchestra. A sinfonietta usually denotes a somewhat smaller orchestra (though still not a chamber orchestra). Larger orchestras are called symphony orchestras (see below) or philharmonic"
"Shorthand for orchestra instrumentation The shorthand for the orchestration of a classical symphony orchestra (and other similar ensembles), or Orchestra Instrumentation Numerical Notation, is used to outline which and how many instruments, especially wind instruments, are called for in a given piece of music. The shorthand is ordered in the same fashion as the parts of the individual instruments in the score, read from top to bottom. The orchestra is divided into four groups and specified as follows: If any soloists or a choir are called for, their parts are usually printed between the percussion/keyboards and the strings in the"
"Scherzo Furioso by William Blezard, Tasmanian Ants by Ian Keith Harris, Iberian Improvisations and Bailables by Leonard Salzedo, Variations on a Sicilian Shepherd Tune by Clive Strutt. Two concerti have been written featuring the piccolo oboe in addition to the other four members of the oboe family, these works being David Stock's ""Oborama"" and James Stephenson's ""Rituals and Dances,"" both written for Alex Klein. Piccolo oboe The piccolo oboe, also known as the piccoloboe and historically called an oboe musette (or just musette), is the smallest and highest pitched member of the oboe family. Pitched in E or F above"
"Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, which is similar to the Hinger grip, except the stick is cradled on the lower knuckle of the index finger. A standard set of timpani (sometimes called a console) consists of four drums: roughly , , , and in diameter. The range of this set is roughly D to A. A great majority of the orchestral repertoire can be played using these four drums. However, contemporary composers have written for extended ranges. Igor Stravinsky specifically writes for a ""piccolo timpano"" in ""The Rite of Spring"", tuned to B. A piccolo drum is typically in diameter and can"
"orchestra is basically a chamber orchestra (a form of which is sometimes also called a ""Mozart orchestra""), meaning that it has fewer musicians than a full-sized symphony orchestra (especially in the strings, since the number of woodwind, horn players and other musicians is less flexible), producing lighter, chamber-music-like sound. However, the number of musicians sometimes exceed this format: in its June 2012 concerts, for example, the orchestra played Ludwig van Beethoven's ""Egmont"" Overture and Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto and Second Symphony with 14 first violins, 12 second violins, 10 violas, 8 cellos and 5 double-basses (typical numbers in a symphony"
"and general orchestral repertoire, is the use of smaller orchestras as a cost-cutting measure; the grand Romantic-era orchestras with huge string sections, multiple harps, extra horns, and exotic percussion instruments were no longer feasible. As government and private patronage of the arts decreased throughout the 20th century, new works were often commissioned and performed with smaller budgets, very often resulting in chamber-sized works, and short, one-act operas. Many of Benjamin Britten's operas are scored for as few as 13 instrumentalists; Mark Adamo's two-act realization of ""Little Women"" is scored for 18 instrumentalists. Another feature of late 20th-century opera is the"
"calls it ""exilent"" (highest) in Latin, and ""kleine Flöte"" (small flute), ""klein Flötlein"" (small little flute), or ""gar klein"" (really small) in German. According to Praetorius, it is the smallest of eight sizes of recorder in a complete """"Accort"" oder Stimmwerk"" (set of all voices), and sounds a ""quintadecima"" (a fifteenth—that is, two octaves) higher than a cornett . Such a complete set includes a total of twenty-one instruments, including a pair of exilents, and two each of the two next larger sizes, ""Discantflöten"" in D and C. However, Praetorius recommends restricting recorder ensembles to the five deepest sizes, because"
"of ""All You Need Is Love"". Use of the instrument is now commonplace in many musical genres. Maurice André, Otto Sauter, Guy Touvron, Reinhold Friedrich, Adolf Scherbaum, Ludwig Güttler, Wynton Marsalis, and Håkan Hardenberger are some well-known piccolo trumpet players. Piccolo trumpet The smallest of the trumpet family is the piccolo trumpet, pitched one octave higher than the standard B trumpet. Most piccolo trumpets are built to play in either B or A, using a separate leadpipe for each key. The tubing in the B piccolo trumpet is one-half the length of that in a standard B trumpet. Piccolo trumpets"
"Piccolo oboe The piccolo oboe, also known as the piccoloboe and historically called an oboe musette (or just musette), is the smallest and highest pitched member of the oboe family. Pitched in E or F above the regular oboe (i.e. notated a minor third or perfect fourth lower than sounding), the piccolo oboe is a sopranino version of the oboe, comparable to the E clarinet. Piccolo oboes are produced by the French makers F. Lorée (pitched in F) and Marigaux (pitched in Eb), as well as the Italian firm Fratelli Patricola (pitched in E-flat). Lorée calls its instrument ""piccolo oboe"
"Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which mixes instruments from different families, including bowed string instruments such as violin, viola, cello, and double bass, as well as brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments, each grouped in sections. Other instruments such as the piano and celesta may sometimes appear in a fifth keyboard section or may stand alone, as may the concert harp and, for performances of some modern compositions, electronic instruments. A full-size orchestra may sometimes be called a ""symphony orchestra"" or ""philharmonic orchestra"". The actual number of musicians employed in a given"
"eight piccolos by Melvin Lauf, Jr. and ""Una piccolo sinfonia"" for nine piccolos by Matthew King are two more examples. Piccolo The piccolo (; Italian for ""small"", but named ""ottavino"" in Italy) is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The modern piccolo has most of the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written. This gave rise to the name ""ottavino"" (Italian for ""little octave""), which the instrument is called in the scores of Italian composers. It is also called"
"the smaller instrument. The bass is the largest recorder commonly met with. It is an F instrument, about three times the length of the descant/soprano. Like the tenor the lowest hole is controlled by keys. Specialist players may also employ smaller instruments: garklein (C) and sopranino (F). There are larger instruments: great bass (C), contrabass (F), subcontrabass (C) and octobass (F). Intermediate instruments in D, B-flat, G and E-flat exist but will not be found in elementary music. Today, high-quality recorders are made from a range of hardwoods. Plastic recorders are produced in large quantities. Plastics are cheaper and require"
"String section The string section is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses (or basses). It is the most numerous group in the typical Classical orchestra. In discussions of the instrumentation of a musical work, the phrase ""the strings"" or ""and strings"" is used to indicate a string section as just defined. An orchestra consisting solely of a string section is called a string orchestra. Smaller string sections are sometimes used in jazz, pop and rock music and in the pit orchestras of musical theatre."
"string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. The cello is used as a solo instrument, as well as in chamber music ensembles (e.g., string quartet), string orchestras, as a member of the string section of symphony orchestras, most modern Chinese orchestras, and some types of rock bands. Music for the cello is generally written in the bass clef, but both tenor clef and treble clef are used for higher-range parts, both in orchestral/chamber music parts and in solo cello works. A person who plays the cello is called a ""cellist"" or ""violoncellist"". In a small classical ensemble, such as a"
"many small brass ensembles will use the euphonium or bass trombone as the lowest voice). It is the principal bass instrument in concert bands, brass bands and military bands, and those ensembles generally have two to four tubas. It is also a solo instrument. Tubas are used in marching bands, drum and bugle corps and in many jazz bands (see below). In British style brass bands, two E and two B tubas are used and are referred to as ""basses"". Well known and influential parts for the tuba include: Concertos have been written for the tuba by many notable composers,"
"orchestras. A pops orchestra is an orchestra that mainly performs light classical music (often in abbreviated, simplified arrangements) and orchestral arrangements and medleys of popular jazz, music theater, or pop music songs. A string orchestra has only string instruments, i.e., violins, violas, cellos and double basses. A symphony orchestra is an ensemble usually comprising at least thirty musicians; the number of players is typically between fifty and ninety-five and may exceed one hundred. A symphony orchestra is divided into families of instruments. In the string family, there are sections of violins (I and II), violas, cellos (often eight), and basses"
"C. Correctly describing Praetorius's ""gar klein Flötlein"" as ""der höchsten Schnabelflötenart mit nur vier Grifflöchern"" (the highest type of fipple flute, with only four finger holes), Curt Sachs equated this instrument with the ""flauto alla vigesima seconda"" specified by Claudio Monteverdi in the 1607 score of his opera ""L'Orfeo"". Because Praetorius gives the sounding pitch of the instrument's lowest note as C in Plate IX of the supplement to ""Syntagma Musicum"" 2, Sachs associated the name with ""gar klein"" as used by organ builders to refer to the so-called ""one-foot"" or ""third-octave"" register . Today, Monteverdi's instrument is generally assumed"
"minor, and is the only composition in the set which modulates to another key. In this case, given its overt neoclassical nature, it modulates to A-flat major in some instances, only to return to F minor shortly after. In this case, color is not a preoccupation of Torke and it does not have an important role, as it did in the other movements. This is the longest composition in the set, taking approximately 15 minutes to perform. It is scored for an orchestra which consists of a flute, two oboes, a clarinet in B-flat, two bassoons, three horns in F,"
"Verdi, and Wagner for example. Commonly pairs of anvils tuned a third apart are used. In practice modern orchestras commonly substitute a steel bar or other suitable steel structure that is easier to tune than an actual anvil, although a visibly convincing anvil-shaped prop may be shown as desired. In ""Das Rheingold"" Wagner scored for nine little, six mid-sized, and three large anvils, but orchestras seldom can afford instrumentation on such a scale. Anvil An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another"
"at least one instrument capable of playing chords, such as a piano, guitar, Hammond organ or vibraphone; most will usually have more than one of these. The standard rhythm section is piano, bass, and drums, augmented by guitar at times in small combos and regularly in large ones. Some large swing era orchestras also employed an additional piano, accordion, and banjo. The horn section consists of a woodwind section and a brass section, which play the melody and main accompaniment. The standard small combo usually limits itself to one trumpet and one saxophone at times augmented by a second saxophone"
"Violin The violin, also known informally as a fiddle, is a wooden string instrument in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and highest-pitched instrument in the family in regular use. Smaller violin-type instruments are known, including the violino piccolo and the kit violin, but these are virtually unused. The violin typically has four strings tuned in perfect fifths, and is most commonly played by drawing a bow across its strings, though it can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers (pizzicato) and by striking the strings with the wooden"
"Pit orchestra A pit orchestra is a type of orchestra that accompanies performers in musicals, operas, ballets, and other shows involving music. The terms was also used for orchestras accompanying silent movies when more than a piano was used. In performances of operas and ballets, the pit orchestra is typically similar in size to a symphony orchestra, though it may contain smaller string and brass sections, depending upon the piece. Such orchestras may vary in size from approximately 30 musicians (early Baroque and Classical opera) to as many as 90–100 musicians (Wagnerian opera). However, because of financial, space, and volume"
"Baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone or ""bari sax"" is one of the largest members of the saxophone family, only being smaller than the bass, contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use. The baritone saxophone uses a mouthpiece, reed, and ligature in order to produce sound. It is larger than the tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, which are the other commonly found members of the family. The baritone saxophone is commonly used in classical music such as concert band, chamber music, military bands, jazz (such as big bands and jazz combos). It also is occasionally employed"
"Sopranissimo saxophone The sopranissimo or soprillo saxophone is the smallest member of the saxophone family. It is pitched in B, one octave above the soprano saxophone. Because of the difficulties in building such a small instrument—the soprillo is long, with the mouthpiece—it is only recently that a true sopranissimo saxophone has been produced. The keywork only extends to a written E (sounding D), rather than F, F, or sometimes G, like most saxophones; and the upper octave key has to be placed on the mouthpiece. The extremely small mouthpiece requires a small and focused embouchure, making the soprillo difficult to"
"soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass, and subcontrabass instruments (although he never built the last). Since the late 20th century, however, a B piccolo, or sopranissimo saxophone (called soprillo, and tuned a fifth above the sopranino) and a B subcontrabass instrument (called tubax, also made in C) have been developed by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim, although they are, technically, not true saxophones. Thus, the E sopranino, originally the smallest size of saxophone, can now be considered the second smallest. The most notable use of the sopranino is in the orchestral work ""Boléro"" by Maurice Ravel. Although Ravel called"
"this size of recorder as the lowest member of the ""four-foot"" consort, in which the instruments sound an octave higher than the corresponding human voices. Praetorius calls the next-lower instrument (bottom note B) a ""bass"", and the instrument an octave lower than the basset (with bottom note F) a ""Großbaß"", or ""large bass"" (; ). The bass is usually the lowest instrument of the recorder consort, but it may be used as an alto in ""eight-foot"" register in the so-called ""great consort"" or ""grand jeux"", in which case two larger sizes of bass recorder take the lower parts and a"
"electric motor. The pipe organ is the largest musical instrument. These instruments vary greatly in size, ranging from a cubic yard to a height reaching five floors, and are built in churches, synagogues, concert halls, and homes. Small organs are called ""positive"" (easily placed in different locations) or ""portative"" (small enough to carry while playing). The pipes are divided into ranks and controlled by the use of hand stops and combination pistons. Although the keyboard is not expressive as on a piano and does not affect dynamics (it is binary; pressing a key only turns the sound on or off),"
"Piccolo The piccolo (; Italian for ""small"", but named ""ottavino"" in Italy) is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The modern piccolo has most of the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written. This gave rise to the name ""ottavino"" (Italian for ""little octave""), which the instrument is called in the scores of Italian composers. It is also called ""flauto piccolo"" or ""flautino"", Vivaldi making use of the latter term. Piccolos are now mainly manufactured in the key of"