Brainlag Plus
Brainlag PlusInstruments and voices
The four families of the orchestra and how each instrument makes its sound, the clefs they read, which percussion plays definite pitches, transposing instruments, ranges, directions for players, and the six voice types.
The four families
| Family | Instruments | How they sound |
|---|---|---|
| Strings | violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp | a bow drawn across the strings, or plucking them (the harp is plucked) |
| Woodwind | piccolo, flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bassoon | flute and piccolo: blowing across a hole; clarinet: a single reed; oboe, cor anglais and bassoon: a double reed |
| Brass | trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba | the player's lips buzzing into a mouthpiece |
| Percussion | timpani, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, castanets, tam-tam, xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, vibraphone, celesta, tubular bells | struck, shaken or clashed |
The piano is a keyboard instrument: its keys work hammers that strike strings.
The rest of this lesson and its 6 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 7, free to read.
- 6 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards