![]() ![]() The woodwind family, as a whole, brings a lot of colour to orchestral music. Played by blowing into the mouthpiece and fingering different notes on the instruments’ bodies, woodwinds are famous for playing beautiful solo lines and important supporting roles. Oboe, clarinet and bassoon are other similar instruments usually found in an orchestral setting. Woodwinds: This section consists of instruments that look and play like flutes, including the flute itself. They’ll make you cry, cheer up or crawl up eerily on your skin with high notes. No matter the size, these similarly-shaped instruments form the melodrama of an orchestral piece. They are the foundation of the string section and incredibly important. Think of these two instruments as adding richness and depth to a composition. While the cellos can be used to play both harmony and melody, basses stick to playing harmonies most of the time. Cello and bass need to rest on the floor in order to be played. The same goes for the biggest contender, the bass (or the double bass). The cello (also called the violoncello) is much bigger than the above two instruments and produces a rich, deep sound. They can free the second violins (if any) to contribute to the melody. Unlike violins, violas are mostly used to play the harmony. Both instruments rest under the chin in order to be played. Next is the viola, slightly bigger than violin and with a slightly deeper tone. In orchestral music, the first violins play most of the melodies while the second violins alternate between melody and harmony, supporting the first violins. It also numbers the most, with usually two sections of violins (the first and the second violins). The smallest in the family is the violin, which has the highest-pitched sound. This family comprises four instruments: violin, viola, cello and bass. These are wood instruments with hollow chambers and taut strings, which vibrate when played using a bow or when plucked. Strings: The string family of instruments is the most widely-used in an orchestra. What’s the role of these sections, you ask? Read along: Sometimes, a fifth section is also added-keyboards. These sections are: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Based on the construction and method of being played, each instrument is classified into one of four groups-called sections-which further form the rows you see in an orchestral performance. These orchestral instruments are not arranged haphazardly. Originating from Europe and developing over several centuries, the modern western orchestra lends a lot to its history, in terms of structure, composition and instrument use. As mentioned earlier, an orchestra is an ensemble of various instruments-all working together. ![]()
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