The Orchestra

An orhestra is a large group of musicians who play together. It is made of 4 families; brass, strings, woodwind and percussion

When an orchestra is playing in a large conncert hall, the strings will normally sitt at the front, with the woodwind sitting behind. the larger instruments, the brass and percussion, will sit towards the back of the orchestra. 

Someone is needed to make sure that the musicicians play in tim with each other. The concuctor does this. 

he uses a stick called a baton to beat time and he uses his hands to show when to play loud or quietly.

More than half the orchestra is Strings. They are Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double basses and the Harp. 

Using the fingers one one hand the musician presses down on the strings (there are 4 of these) and with the other hand a bow is used to stroke the strings. sometimes the String musician will pluck the strings with fingers.this is called pizzicato.

the harp is always plucked with fingers. 

the instruments are piccolos, flutes, oboes clarinetes and bassoons. The are called woodwind because they use to be made of wood but they are now made of metal.

they are a long tube with holes cut into it. you play by blowing across a mouth eice while covering some of the holes with your fingers. Oboes and Bassoons are different because you blow onto a reed.

the 4 main instruments are trumpets, trombones, tubas and french horns.

the instruments are made fo metal tubes bent into particular shapes. you play by buzzing into a mouth peice and pressing on valves. 

the trombone is different because it has no valves and insted you have a slide to slide up and down the tube.

the are many instruments. here are a few:

• snare drum
• symbols
• timpani
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone

noise is made by being hit, skaken or scraped