Instrumentation

Instrumentation: The instruments that are used in a piece of music. Sometimes also called timbre.

Strings

Instruments that create sound by bowing or plucking strings. Orchestral string instruments are the violin, viola, cello, double bass and harp. Other string instruments include the guitar, harpsichord and lute.

Woodwind

Instruments that create sound by blowing down a wooden tube or using a reed in the mouthpiece. Orchestral woodwind instruments are the flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon. Other woodwind instruments include the saxophone and bagpipes.

Brass

Instruments that create sound by blowing air through a brass mouthpiece. Orchestral brass instruments are the trumpet, trombone, tuba and French horn. Other brass instruments include the euphonium, sousaphone and cornet.

Percussion

Instruments that produce sound by hitting a surface. There are a huge number of percussion instruments, the most common of which include the timpani, drumkit, piano, xylophone and glockenspiel.

Electronic

Instruments that use electric current to produce sound, such as the synthesizer or the theremin. Most electronic instruments also require some kind of amplification or sound system to support them.

Vocal

The four main types of voice: soprano and alto are female voices and tenor and bass are male voices. The mid-range female voice is called mezzo-soprano and the mid-range male voice is called baritone.

QEGS Music Department