The Orchestra

The Orchestra

by Shawna Stewartson-Bennett

​Objectives

​Students should be able to:

•  List the different sections of the Orchestra

• Draw and label the sections of the Orchestra

• Identify and name the different instruments in each section

• Listen and identify specific instruments of the Orchestra

​The Orchestra

This week we will learn about the ORCHESTRA

An orchestra is a large group of musicians who play a variety of different instruments together. The instruments sit in special positions organised into a semi-circle with the conductor in the centre at the front.

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Draw

Draw yourself playing your instrument.

If you were a part of the orchestra what instrument would you like to play?

Open Ended

What are the four sections of the orchestra? Type your Answers in the space provided.

​The Orchestra

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  The orchestra is made of four families of instruments:

  •Strings

  •Brass

  •Woodwinds

  Percussion

​Sections of the Orchestra

​Sections of the Orchestra

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Draw

Try and draw the sections of the Orchestra. Use different colours for different sections.

​The String Section

​STRING instruments are instruments with strings on them. The String Family is named for the wire or nylon cords that are stretched over or attached to a hollow sound box. All string instruments except the harp have this hollow sound box.

Why isn’t the Guitar a part of the Orchestra?

​Why isn’t the Guitar a part of the Orchestra?

​Guitars are not included in orchestra due to many reasons. 

• First one, the tradition. That’s just the way it was, and it is today still. 

• Second, guitars don’t blend particularly well with the rest of the orchestra, due to sound characteristics.

• Thirdly, the Guitar is not a loud instrument especially when it’s compared to other orchestra instruments like the violin.

• Guitar is not sophisticated enough to be in the orchestra. If you look at the other instruments in the orchestra, you’ll feel that there’s a difference.

• And lastly, guitars are by its nature more of an individual instrument.

​The Brass Section

All brass instruments are made of long pieces of coiled tubes or brass or other metals. Their sound comes from the musician's lips as they make a buzzing  noise. The sound coming out of a brass  instrument can be changed when the player changes his lip tension.

​The Percussion Section

The percussion section has many different instruments in it. It is usually in the back of the orchestra. The percussion section is made up of instruments that use a hammer, or other device, to strike the instrument and make the sound. 

​The Woodwind Section

A woodwind is an instrument that you blow into or over. The squad of the woodwinds is made up of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and saxophones. They are called woodwinds, it's because they used to be made of wood, though saxophones are included because they have a reed. 

Multiple Choice

Why is the Saxophone a woodwind instrument and not a brass instrument?

• Because it used to be made of wood

• because it would be smaller than other woodwind instruments

• becasue it generates sound with a single reed

• Its cooler that way

​Why Is Saxophone Considered A Woodwind Musical Instrument?

​The saxophone is made of brass like most brass instruments, but instruments are not actually classified based on what they are made of but how sounds are produced using them. Brass instruments produce sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the lips of the player. Woodwind instruments, on the other hand, produce sound by splitting an exhaled air stream on a sharp edge, such as a reed or a fipple (reed in the case of the saxophone).

Multiple Choice

Which instrument is cloest to the Conductor?

• Brass

• Percussion

• Woodwind

• Strings

Multiple Choice

Which instrument is furthest from the Conductor?

• Brass

• Percussion

• Woodwind

• Strings

Multiple Choice

The family you hit, shake or scrape to play is called the ___________ family.

• Brass

• Percussion

• Woodwind

• Strings

Multiple Choice

The family that require you to play by buzzing your lips to make a sound as you blow into the instrument are called the _____ family?

• Brass

• Percussion

• Woodwind

• Strings