Brass
The brass section of the orchestra includes metal instruments where the sound is produced by forcing air through a cup-shaped or conical mouthpiece. The brass section usually consists of trumpets, trombones and tuba and French horns.'
Trumpet
The trumpet has a long remoter ancestry. The modern trumpet, a standard member of the brass section of the orchestra, differs from its predecessors in its use of three valves, by which the length of the tube can be changed to produce the notes of the harmonic series from different fundamentals. Baroque trumpeters came to specialise in the use of the upper or clarino register of the valveless natural trumpet, a register in which adjacent notes were possible. Experiments during the 18th century led to the short-lived keyed trumpet, which could play adjacent notes in the lower register as well. This was used by Haydn in his 1796 Trumpet Concerto. The valve trumpet came into relatively common use in the second quarter of the 19th century. Trumpets are built in various keys, although the B flat and C trumpets are now most often found.
Cornet
The cornet is a valved brass instrument, resembling a trumpet but with a wider bore. It was used in the second quarter of the 19th century before the full development of the valved trumpet, but is now principally found in brass bands.
Summary: A popular instrument and fairly easy to produce a sound in the early stages,. Opportunities to play in brass ensembles, orchestras, jazz groups, marching bands, pop bands and brass bands (cornet). As with all brass instruments, it is recommended that new learners have their second teeth in place before starting. Trumpets and cornets are similar in playing technique and many more advanced players use both instruments depending on the type of music group they are with.
Horn
The horn takes its name from the horn of an animal, the original form of this wind instrument in ancient times. The instrument was long associated with hunting and as a means of military signalling. The instrument now generally known as the French horn developed in France in its familiar helical form, but in one form or another the horn had come to be a frequent instrument in music for the church, the theatre and the chamber by the early 18th century. The natural horn was able to play the notes of the harmonic series, modified by the use of the right hand in the bell of the instrument, and in different keys by the use of different crooks that changed the length of the tube and hence the length of the air column. The valve horn was developed in the first quarter of the 19th century, its two and later three valves making variations possible in the length of tube and hence in the pitch of the fundamental and harmonic series stemming from it, but the natural horn continued in use at the same time. The double horn was developed in the late 19th century and is now in common use. Concertos for the French horn include the four concertos by Mozart. In the classical orchestra the two horns played a largely sustaining part. The modern orchestra normally has four French horns. The hunting associations of the horn led to its evocative use in Romantic music, as in Weber's opera Der Freischütz, and in the same composer's opera Oberon, in which the horn has a magic rôle to play.
Summary: The horn has a wonderful repertoire and stunning solos in the orchestra. There is a shortage of horn players so you will be in demand! Whilst there are fewer opportunities in different styles of music, there is a wonderful repertoire for the french horn both as a solo instrument and as part of a brass ensemble, an orchestra or concert band. As with all brass instruments, it is recommended that new learners have their second teeth in place before starting. This is quite a tricky brass instrument to master so many students move on to it after having learnt the fundamental techniques from other brass instruments.
Trombone
The trombone made its first appearance in the middle of the 15th century. It is a brass instrument with a cup-shaped mouthpiece and a slide that enables the player to shorten or lengthen the tube and hence the notes of a particular harmonic series. The early trombone was known in English as a sackbut. The instrument had ceremonial associations and in the later 18th century was only occasionally used in the orchestra, notably by Mozart in his masonic opera The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflte) and in his Requiem Mass. With Beethoven the trombone becames an accepted if not indispensable part of the orchestra.
Summary: A popular instrument and fairly easy to produce a sound in the early stages. However, students are normally a little older when learning this instrument due to the need for arm length in operating the slide. There are plenty of opportunities to play in brass ensembles, marching bands, orchestras, jazz groups, pop bands and brass bands. As with all brass instruments, it is recommended that new learners have their second teeth in place before starting. There are two sorts of trombones, the tenor and bass trombone. The playing techniques are similar in both, and many more advanced players use both instruments depending on the type of music group they are with
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" (eu means "well" or "good" and phonos means "of sound", so "of good sound"). The euphonium is a valved instrument; nearly all current models are piston valved, though rotary valved models do exist.
A person who plays the euphonium is sometimes called a euphoniumist, euphophonist, or a euphonist, while British players often colloquially refer to themselves as euphists. Similarly, the instrument itself is often referred to as eupho or euph.
Summary: Euphoniums are part of the Tuba family. Whilst there are fewer opportunities in different styles of music, there is a wonderful repertoire for the euphonium both as a solo instrument and as part of a marching band, an orchestra, concert band or brass band. As with all brass instruments, it is recommended that new learners have their second teeth in place before starting.
Summary: Euphoniums are part of the Tuba family. Whilst there are fewer opportunities in different styles of music, there is a wonderful repertoire for the euphonium both as a solo instrument and as part of a marching band, an orchestra, concert band or brass band. As with all brass instruments, it is recommended that new learners have their second teeth in place before starting.
Tuba
The tuba provides the bass of the orchestral brass section, with varying numbers of valves to allow the shortening and lengthening of the tube. It was developed in the second quarter of the 19th century.
Summary: Tubas are the largest of the Tuba family. There is a wideWhilst there are fewer opportunities in different styles of music, there is a shortage of tuba players so you will always be in demand. There is quite a repertoire of music the tuba both as a solo instrument and as part of a marching band, brass ensemble, orchestra, concert band or brass band. In brass bands there are two types of tuba the Eb and Bb tuba (the Bb tuba being the largest). As with all brass instruments, it is recommended that new learners have their second teeth in place before starting. The main consideration for this instrument is its sheer size, so students tend to be older enabling them to hold the instrument correctly. Many students of the tuba start on euphonium at an earlier age and then transfer across.
Summary: Tubas are the largest of the Tuba family. There is a wideWhilst there are fewer opportunities in different styles of music, there is a shortage of tuba players so you will always be in demand. There is quite a repertoire of music the tuba both as a solo instrument and as part of a marching band, brass ensemble, orchestra, concert band or brass band. In brass bands there are two types of tuba the Eb and Bb tuba (the Bb tuba being the largest). As with all brass instruments, it is recommended that new learners have their second teeth in place before starting. The main consideration for this instrument is its sheer size, so students tend to be older enabling them to hold the instrument correctly. Many students of the tuba start on euphonium at an earlier age and then transfer across.
Woodwind
The woodwind section of the modern orchestra includes flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons and related instruments, although flutes are generally no longer made of wood. These instruments are all aerophones, blowing instruments, the sound produced by blowing across an aperture in the case of the flute, by the vibration of a single reed in the case of the clarinet and by the vibration of double reeds in the case of the oboe and the bassoon.
Flute
The word flute may indicate a variety of wind instruments without reeds. The modern orchestra makes use of transverse flutes, augmented as necessary by a smaller transverse flute known as a piccolo and very occasionally by a larger instrument, the alto or bass flute, pitched a fourth lower. The straight flute is known in English as a recorder (= French: flûte à bec; German: Blockflöte; Italian: flauto dolce) but was not used in the orchestra after the later Baroque period.
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is a wide range of music written for the instrument and opportunities to play as a soloist and in woodwind ensembles, orchestras, concert bands and sometimes in folk and jazz groups. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. Students of the flute also regularly take up the piccolo as an additional similar instrument.
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is a wide range of music written for the instrument and opportunities to play as a soloist and in woodwind ensembles, orchestras, concert bands and sometimes in folk and jazz groups. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. Students of the flute also regularly take up the piccolo as an additional similar instrument.
English horn/Oboe
The English horn is more generally known in England as the cor anglais. It is the tenor oboe.
Summary: Wide range of music written for the instrument as a soloist and with woodwind ensembles, orchestras and concert bands, although no real opportunities in folk, jazz or pop groups. Whilst this is one of the hardest woodwind instruments to master, the many beautiful solos for oboe in the orchestral repertoire make the effort very worthwhile. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys.
Summary: Wide range of music written for the instrument as a soloist and with woodwind ensembles, orchestras and concert bands, although no real opportunities in folk, jazz or pop groups. Whilst this is one of the hardest woodwind instruments to master, the many beautiful solos for oboe in the orchestral repertoire make the effort very worthwhile. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys.
Clarinet
A clarinet is a woodwind instrument with a single reed, as opposed to the oboe, which has a double reed. The clarinet was developed from the year 1800 onwards from the earlier chalumeau, which played notes only in the lower register. The new instrument added notes in the higher register. Clarinets are built in different keys, most commonly in B flat and in A.
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is a wide range of music written for the instrument both as a soloist and with woodwind ensembles, marching bands, orchestras and concert/wind bands.
There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. Students of the clarinet also regularly take up the saxophone as an additional similar instrument which enables them to also play in folk, jazz and pop groups.
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is a wide range of music written for the instrument both as a soloist and with woodwind ensembles, marching bands, orchestras and concert/wind bands.
There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. Students of the clarinet also regularly take up the saxophone as an additional similar instrument which enables them to also play in folk, jazz and pop groups.
Bassoon
The bassoon is a double-reed wind instrument (= German: Fagott; Italian: fagotto). It is the bass of the woodwind section in the modern orchestra, which can be augmented by the use of a double bassoon of lower range.
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. However, 'mini-bassoons' are available for younger/smaller students Whilst there are few opportunities in jazz, folk and pop groups, there is a wide range of music written for the instrument both as a soloist and with woodwind ensembles, orchestras and concert/wind bands. There is a shortage of bassoonists, so you will be very much in demand!
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. However, 'mini-bassoons' are available for younger/smaller students Whilst there are few opportunities in jazz, folk and pop groups, there is a wide range of music written for the instrument both as a soloist and with woodwind ensembles, orchestras and concert/wind bands. There is a shortage of bassoonists, so you will be very much in demand!
Baritone
The word 'baritone' describes a type of male voice of middle range. The word is also used to specify pitched and valved brass instruments of lowish register and as an adjective to distinguish the rare lowest member of the oboe family, also known as a bass oboe, sounding an octave (eight notes) lower than the normal oboe.
Saxophone
The saxophone, a single-reed instrument, was invented in the middle of the 19th century by Adolphe Sax. It is used widely in jazz, and has never been a permanent member of the symphony orchestra. Notable use is made of the saxophone by Ravel in his Bolro and in his orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and other composers have used the instrument for special effects.
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. This is particularly relevant when selecting whether you learn Alto, Tenor or Baritone saxophone (ranging from small to large in size). The Saxophone has a wide repertoire especially in Jazz and concert/wind bands. Playing opportunities also exist in orchestras occasionally, together with saxophone ensembles and wind ensembles.
Summary: Relatively easy to play in the early stages and initial playing development is quite fast once the blowing technique has been mastered correctly. There is no real restriction on when this instrument can be learnt, except for the physical arm length requirements to reach all the keys. This is particularly relevant when selecting whether you learn Alto, Tenor or Baritone saxophone (ranging from small to large in size). The Saxophone has a wide repertoire especially in Jazz and concert/wind bands. Playing opportunities also exist in orchestras occasionally, together with saxophone ensembles and wind ensembles.
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions. The alto and tenor are the most common types of saxophone.
The alto saxophone is an E♭ transposing instrument and reads the treble clef. A written C-natural sounds as the concert E♭ a major sixth lower.
The range of the alto saxophone is from concert D♭3 (the D♭ below middle C—see Scientific pitch notation) to concert A♭5 (or A5 on altos with a high F♯ key). As with most types of saxophones, the standard written range is B♭3 to F6 (or F♯6). Above that, the altissimo register begins at F♯ and extends upwards. The saxophone's altissimo register is more difficult to control than that of other woodwinds and is usually only expected from advanced players.
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B♭, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble clef, sounding an octave and a major second lower than the written pitch. Modern tenor saxophones which have a high F# key have a range from A♭2 to E5 (concert) and are therefore pitched one octave below the soprano saxophone. People who play the tenor saxophone are known as "tenor saxophonists", or more commonly "tenor sax players".
The tenor saxophone uses a slightly larger mouthpiece, reed, and ligature than the alto and soprano saxophones. It is easily distinguished from these instruments by the bend in its neck, or its crook, near the mouthpiece.
The tenor saxophone is used in many different types of ensembles, including concert bands, big band jazz ensembles, small jazz ensembles, and marching bands. It is occasionally included in pieces written for symphony orchestra and for chamber ensembles; three examples of this are Ravel's Boléro, Prokofiev's suite from Lieutenant Kijé,and Webern's Quartet for violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone, and piano. In concert bands, the tenor plays mostly a supporting role, sometimes sharing parts with the euphonium, horn and trombone. In jazz ensembles, the tenor plays a more prominent role, often sharing parts or harmonies with the alto saxophone.
Baritone Saxophone
The baritone saxophone is one of the largest members of the saxophone family. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use. The tenor, alto, and the soprano saxophone are the other commonly found members of the family.
It is a transposing instrument in the key of E♭, pitched an octave plus a major sixth lower than written. It is one octave lower than the alto saxophone. Modern baritones with a low A key and high F# key have a range from C2 to A4. Adolphe Sax also produced a baritone saxophone in F intended for orchestral use, but these fell into disuse. As with all saxophones, music is written in treble clef.
The baritone saxophone is the only member of the saxophone family which commonly has a "low A" key (sounding concert C). Much less commonly, altos and basses have been manufactured with low A keys. Benedikt Eppelsheim now makes a contrabass saxophone with one.
Summary: Playing orchestral percussion instruments is as diverse as one can imagine. There are an infinite number of instruments (a percussion instrument being anything that is struck) and percussion instruments feature in virtually all styles of music. There is also a wide variety of music written for the solo percussionist and many works for percussion ensemble. However, consideration must be given to the problems of practise and transportation. To overcome the obvious size issues, practise pads can be used to develop stick technique.
Cymbals
Cymbals (= Italian: piatti, German: Becken, French: cymbales) are pairs of round metal plates, generally made of an alloy of tin and copper, which may be struck together. A single cymbal may be suspended and struck with a hard or soft stick. The instrument is of ancient origin, but its more modern use occurs first principally in the later 18th century, as part of the Turkish music used, for example, by Mozart in The Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entfhrung aus dem Serail). It found much fuller and more varied use in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Drum
The form of drum generally found in the orchestra is the kettledrum or, in incorrect Italian, timpani, since the Italian singular timpano seldom appears in English usage. Other smaller and larger drums may also be used, including the snare-drum, a smaller instrument with a vibrating strip that can be switched on or off, and the bass drum. Timpani are tunable, nowadays usually by means of pedals that loosen or tighten the drum-skin.
Side-drum
The side-drum or snare drum is military in origin. It is a small drum, played with two wooden sticks, with a band of gut strings or wires that can be stretched across the under-surface of the drum to add a rattling effect when it is struck.
Glockenspiel
The glockenspiel is a percussion instrument similar in form to the xylophone, but with metal rather than wooden bars for the notes. The instrument appeared only gradually in the concert-hall and opera-house and is found in Handel's oratorio Saul and elsewhere. Mozart made famous use of the glockenspiel in The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte), where it is a magic instrument for the comic bird-catcher Papageno. It is now a recognised if sparingly used instrument in the percussion section of the modern orchestra.
Tubular bells
Tubular bells, tuned metal tubes suspended from a vertical frame, are used in the percussion section of the modern orchestra for special effects, making their earlier appearance primarily in opera.
Tambourine
The tambourine is a small single-headed hand-drum with jingles in its wooden frame. It is an instrument of some antiquity, but first found an occasional place in the symphony orchestra only in the 19th century, when it came to be used for exotic effects, as in the Capriccio espagnol and Sheherazade of Rimsky-Korsakov, where it gives a touch of the Spanish and the Middle Eastern respectively.
Timpani
Timpani, kettledrums, unlike most other drums, have a definite pitch, tuned nowadays by pedals, but in earlier times by taps that served the same purpose, tightening or slackening the skin to produce higher or lower notes. In the later 18th century pairs of timpani were generally used in conjunction with pairs of trumpets, both instruments being of military origin. Beethoven made novel use of the timpani, as in his Violin Concerto, where they play an important part. Other composers made still greater use of the timpani, most eccentrically Berlioz, who calls for sixteen timpani and ten players in his Grande Messe des morts (Requiem).
Xylophone
The xylophone, a percussion instrument with sets of horizontally arranged wooden bars to be struck by wooden sticks is used by composers from the 19th century onwards for special effects, as in the Danse macabre of Saint-Sans, with its dancing skeletons, and in Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly.
Coda
A coda (Italian: tail) is the ending of a piece of music. This may be very short, but in a composition on a large scale may be extended. The diminutive codetta may be used to indicate the closing part of a section of a composition.
