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Instrumental Music
39
Instrumental Music
Larbert High School
Nat 5
Miss Dabjen
Instrumental Families
There are 4 instrument families you must know:
Instrument
of
the orchestra
Strings
Woodwind
Brass
Percussion
Woodwind
Instruments that require wood and wind to produce the sound.
I.e Reeds which can be found in the mouth piece
Woodwind
The Bassoon
The lowest woodwind instrument. It uses a double reed to produce the sound. It is usually found playing in an orchestra
Bassoon
Bassoon and Orchestra
Oboe
The oboe is the higher sounding double reed instrument. It has a raspier tone than that of a clarinet.
Oboe
Clarinet
The clarinet is a single reeded instrument similar in pitch to an Oboe but has a warmer tone.
Clarinet
The Flute
The Flute is a high sounding woodwind instrument. It has an airy sound.
Flute
The Piccolo
The Piccolo is a very high sounding flute. It sounds like a small chirping bird. It is like a very small flute.
Piccolo
Cringey song which will help you remember.
Saxophone
The saxophone is a woodwind instrument not traditionally found in an orchestra. It is usually used for pop and jazz music. It has a raspier tone than that of a clarinet or oboe.
Saxophone
Brass
Brass
Instruments made from metal with a mouthpiece.
The sound is made by vibrating the lips.
Unlike woodwind instruments all brass instruments use a valve system to play the notes.
The Tuba
The Tuba is the lowest and biggest
brass instrument.
Tuba
The Trombone
The Trombone is the second lowest sounding brass instrument. It has a slide valve which allows the player to play glissandos easily.
Trombone
Glissando
A continuous slide upwards or downwards between two notes.
This can be performed on many instruments but is very effective on a trombone.
All melodic instruments can play glissando too though!
The French Horn
The French Horn has a circular shape and is the second highest sounding brass instrument.
French Horn
The Trumpet
The trumpet is the highest sounding brass instrument. It can be used in classical music as well as jazz and pop music.
Trumpet
Strings
The family of instruments which have strings.
The sound is produced by bowing or plucking the strings.
Strings
Double Bass
The largest and lowest string instrument.
Double Bass
Cello
The Cello is the second lowest string instrument. It is larger than a violin and smaller than a double bass.
Cello
Viola
A string instrument which is slightly larger and lower than a violin.
Violin
Viola
Viola
Violin
The highest and smallest string instrument.
Violin
The Harp
The harp is usually found in an orchestra. Unlike the clarsach it is much bigger and has pedals that allow the players to change key easily.
Harp
Acoustic Guitar
The acoustic guitar is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking or strumming the strings with fingers, or using a plectrum. An acoustic guitar does not need electricity to produce the sound.
Guitars would not be found in an orchestra.
Guitar
Percussion
Percussion
Instruments that are played by striking, shaking or scraping
Percussion instruments can be put into two categories:
Tuned Percussion
Un-tuned percussion
Tuned Percussion
Tuned percussion is percussion instrument that can play a tune or different notes.
Tuned Percussion
Glockenspiel
A tuned percussion instrument with metal bars.
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
A tuned percussion instrument with wooden bars.
Xylophone
Timpani
A timpani is a large copper coloured drum. The pitches of each drum can be changed, either by hand or by a pedal.
Usually found in an orchestra
Timpani
Un-tuned Percussion
Percussion instruments which cannot play a tune and just produce sound.
Un-tuned Percussion
Cymbals
Cymbals can be crashed together or struck with a stick or beater.
Cymbals
Güiro
An untuned percussion instrument. It is made of hollowed out wood and scraped with a wooden stick.
Güiro
Bongo Drums
The drums are joined in pairs and are usually played with the hands.
Bongo Drums
Castanets
An untuned instrument popular in Spanish music.
Castanets
Tambourine
Keyboard instruments
Keyboard instruments
Keyboard instruments are not considered "orchestral instruments" however you still need to know how to identify them!
Piano
The sound is produced on a piano by hammers striking the strings inside it.
Piano
Organ ( Don't call it a church organ)
This is a keyboard instrument usually found in a church. It normally has more than one keyboard, foot pedals and pipes.
Organ
Harpsicord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is an early keyboard
instrument dating back to the
Baroque period.
This was invented before the piano was.
The strings inside the instrument are
plucked.
Arco
When a string instrument is played with a bow.
Playing Techniques
Pizzacato
When a string instrument is plucked.
Pizzacato
Con Sordino
Con sordino means muted. Using a device which changes the sound of an instrument. Brass instruments and string instruments can use mutes.
Con Sordino
Con Sordino
Violin mute
Bass line is a walking bass being played pizzicato
Flutter Tonguing
A method of playing a woodwind or brass instrument where the player rolls the letter r.
Flutter Tonguing
Rolls
Very fast repetition of a note on a percussion instrument.
Rolls
Distortion
An electronic effect used in rock music to colour the sound of an electric guitar.
Distortion
Textures
In music, texture is how the tempo, melodic, and harmonic materials are combined in a composition, thus determining the overall quality of the sound in a piece.
For example, a thick texture contains many 'layers' of instruments.
Textures
Homophonic
Homo - in Latin means the same.
Phonics - is to do with the sounds.
Sometimes called Homophony
Homophonic
Texture where you hear a melody with accompaniment, or, where all the parts play a similar rhythm at the same time.
The voices are singing in a mainly homophobic texture.
Hopefully this will help you remember!
Polyphonic
Poly- is latin for many, much or multi
Phonics - is to do with the sounds.
Sometimes Called Polyphony or Contrapuntal!
Polyphonic
A texture which consists of two or more independent melodic lines.
Structures and Forms
How the music is divided into sections
Structures
Binary Form
Two distinct sections.
The sections are usually set out as either
A:B or AA:BB
Binary
Ternary Form
Ternary form describes music with three distinct sections.
The sections are set out:-
A:B:A
The repeated A section may vary slightly from the original.
Ternary
Rondo Form
Rondo form describes music with a recurring main section.
The order of the section is shown below
A:B:A:C:A etc.
Rondo
Strophic
Music in verse form or verse/chorus form.
Strophic form is common in hymns and popular songs.
Rihanna sings the chorus and Eminem sings the verses.
Strophic
Theme and Variation
Where a simple melody is varied through musical means.
This may include changes in rhythm, tonality or tempo.
Theme and Variations
Coda
In music, a coda is a passage that brings a piece to an end.
Coda
Canon
Each part has the same melody entering one after the other. Canon is the same as round.
Canon
Episode
A passage which links two important ideas.
Episode
Melody and Harmony
A blanket term for a number of instrumental concepts.
These can all be used to answer question 8 under melody and harmony
Melody and Harmony
Scales
In music theory, a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by sound.
Each scale has a different overall sound to it:
Major Scale
Minor Scale
Pentatonic Scale
Whole tone scale
Chromatic scale
Contrary motion
Major Scale
Minor Scale
Pentatonic Scale
Pentatonic
Whole Tone Scale
a scale consisting entirely of intervals of a tone, with no semitones.
Whole Tone Scale
Sounds mysterious
Chromatic Scale
Notes which move by the interval of a semitone.
Chromatic
Contrary Motion
Two parts which move in opposite directions.
Contrary motion
Cadences
A cadence is a progression of (at least) two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music.
The cadence is how a piece of music ends.
There are two cadence you need to know:
Perfect Cadence
Imperfect Cadence
Perfect Cadence
A perfect cadence is a phrase that ends with chord V (5) to chord I (1).
It sounds finished!
Perfect Cadence
Stakeholder 3
Imperfect Cadence
The last chord at the end of a phrase is V.
It sounds unfinished
Imperfect Cadences
Modulation
Modulation
A change of key mid way through the music. It usually rises and creates a lifting feeling.
Boy bands in the 90s and 00s loved modulations!
Modulation at 2:50
Modulation at 2:42
There are 4 modulations in this song.