TIMBRE: INSTRUMENTS
CLASSIFICATION
Timbre is the quality of sound that allows us to identify the object that produces the sound (different voices and instruments). It depends on the shape of the object, the material from which it is made and the way the sound is made. The result is a complex wave composed of a fundamental frequency and its harmonics.
Timbre can be described in terms of density (light, dense, diffuse), temperature (warm, hot, burning, cold), texture (rough, soft, hard, wooly) and weight (heavy, light, oppressive, volatile).
There are two methods to classify musical instruments.
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Traditional classification: it groups instruments as they are
grouped in a Western orchestra: string, wind and percussion.
This method can be difficult or confusing to apply to the many
non-orchestral instruments. -
Universal or Hornbostel-Sachs classification: it groups
instruments according to how their sounds are produced:
chordophones, aerophones, membranophones, idiophones
and electrophones. This method can be used to classify any
instrument.
The sound is produced by the vibration of one or more strings. The pitch of sound depends on the length, thickness and tension of the string. The longer, thicker and looser the string the lower the sound, and vice versa.
We divide these instruments into three groups:
Bowed string
String instruments in which the sound is produced when the strings vibrate because they are rubbed with a bow. All of them have 4 strings and a very similar shape.
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Violin: it's the smallest and the one with the highest pitch of the family. It's played resting on the shoulder.
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Viola: it's a little bigger and lower than the violin. It's played resting on the shoulder.
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Violoncello: it's bigger and lower. It's played sitting down and in between the players knees, with an end pin stuck in the floor for balance.
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Double bass: it's the biggest and the lowest. It's played by either sitting on a stool or standing, with an end pin stuck in the floor for balance.
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Plucked string
String instruments in which the sound is produced when the strings vibrate because they are pulled and released with the fingers or with a pick / plectrum.
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Harp: it has 47 strings. All Do strings are red and all Fa strings are blue in order to easily locate the notes.
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Guitar: it has 6 strings and a neck with frets (little cross bars) which indicate semitone distances.
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Struck string
String instruments in which the sound is produced when the strings vibrate because they are hit with small hammers activated by a keyboard.
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Piano: it has 88 keys which cover more than seven octaves. It has the widest range of notes of any instrument.
The sound is produced by the vibration of an air column inside a tube.
We divide these instruments into two groups:
Woodwind
Wind instruments which used to be made of wood and they produce sound by blowing into the mouthpiece. The pitch of sound depends on the length of the tube that can be changed by opening or closing holes. The longer the tube, the lower the sound and vice versa. They have three types of mouthpiece:
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Fipple: the sound is produced by the vibration of the air blown against an edge.
E.g. recorder, transverse flute. -
Single reed: the sound is produced by the vibration of one cane as air is blown between the cane and the mouthpiece.
E.g. clarinet, saxophone. -
Double reed: the sound is produced by the vibration of two canes as air is blown between both canes.
E.g. oboe, bassoon.
​Brass
Wind instruments which are usually made of metal and they produce sound by buzzing the lips against the mouthpiece. They have a cup mouthpiece and a rolled tube which ends into a bell-like shape. The pitch of sound depends on the tension of the lips and on the length of the tube that can be changed by means of valves or slides. The looser the lips and the longer the tube, the lower the sound and vice versa.
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Trumpet: it has 3 valves and it's the smallest and highest brass instrument.
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French horn: it has 3 valves and it's the second smallest brass instrument. It's the only “left-handed” instrument.
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Trombone: it's the only brass instrument that uses a slide instead of valves to change pitch.
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Tuba: it has 4 valves and it's the biggest and lowest brass instrument.
These instruments produce sound when hit, shaken or clattered against each other.
According to traditional classification, we divide these instruments into 2 groups:
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Pitched or tuned percussion: percussion instruments in which we can play notes and melodies.
E.g. timpani, marimba, vibraphone, tubular bells, glockenspiel, celesta, glass harmonica, etc. -
Unpitched or untuned percussion: percussion instruments in which we can't play notes and melodies.
E.g. bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, castanets, claves, whip, ratchet, gong, etc.
According to universal classification, we divide these instruments into 2 groups:
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Membranophones: percussion instruments that produce sound when a membrane or skin vibrates.
E.g. timpani, bass drum. -
Idiophones: percussion instruments that produce sound when the instrument itself vibrates.
E.g. marimba, castanets.
We divide these instruments into two groups:
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Electromechanical instruments: electrophones in which the sound is generated mechanically and amplified electronically. These are conventional instruments that incorporate a pickup or a contact microphone to amplify the sound. E.g. electric guitar, electric bass, electric violin, electric cello, etc.
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Electronic instruments: electrophones in which the sound is
generated and amplified electronically. They produce sound by
means of oscillators which generate alternating electric current.
They incorporate devices to modify sound parameters and
achieve a wide variety of timbres, registers and effects.
E.g. theremin, ondes martenot, synthesizer, electronic drum,
reactable, etc.
Types of instrumental groups or ensembles according to the number of members:
Small ensembles: they are also known as chamber ensembles in reference to the rooms or halls where this music used to be performed. Conductors are rarely needed in small groups, therefore the performers are laid out so that they can see and hear each other. Certain combinations of instruments work particularly well together:
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String quartet: classical ensemble made up of two violins, viola and cello.
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Rondalla: traditional Spanish ensemble made up of plucked string instruments and some percussion.
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Wind quintet: classical ensemble made up of transverse flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and French horn.
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Rock band: popular music ensemble usually made up of a combination of electric guitars (lead, rhythm and bass), drums, keyboard and vocals. Sometimes it includes other instruments such as saxophone, brass, harmonica, violin or extra percussion.
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Large ensembles: Conductors are needed in big groups to give visual cues for the performers to follow and play unified because players can't hear one another.
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Symphony or philharmonic orchestra: classical ensemble made up of string, woodwind, brass and percussion sections. Strings sit at the front next to the conductor, woodwind sit in the center, brass sit right behind them and percussion section is placed at the back. The seating plan is based on dynamics: quieter instruments are placed at the front while louder instruments go behind.
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Big band: jazz ensemble with a melody section (saxophones,
trumpets, trombones) and a rhythm section (drums, guitar, piano). -
Wind band: ensemble made up of wind, percussion and rarely
string. They are usually marching bands which play traditional
music during parades, marches or other celebrations.
Valencia has a long tradition of bands, every town and village
has its own.
ACTIVITIES
1. Listen to The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Britten and indicate which instrument family plays each variation.
The theme is performed by the whole orchestra, then each instrument
family of the orchestra plays a variation and it ends going back to the
initial theme with the whole orchestra.
2. What’s the name of these objects? What instruments use them? Do you know what its function is?
3. What is a luthier?
4. Write the name of the instruments of the orchestra associated with each number and the name of the instrument family associated with each color.
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