Terms, Signs And Instruments (Part 1)

Question 1

Four families of the orchestra

Answer 1

Strings, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion

Question 2

Strings

Answer 2

Instruments with strings that are played with a bow or plucked

Question 3

Woodwind

Answer 3

Instruments that are blown using a reed or a hole in a mouthpiece

Question 4

Brass

Answer 4

Instruments that are blown by vibrating the lips in a mouthpiece

Question 5

Percussion

Answer 5

Instruments that struck

Question 6

String instruments

Answer 6

Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Harp

Question 7

Woodwind instruments

Answer 7

Piccolo
Flute
Oboe
Cor anglais
Clarinet
Bassoon

Question 8

Brass instruments

Answer 8

Trumpet
Horn
Trombone
Tuba

Question 9

Percussion instruments

Answer 9

Timpani
Tubular Bells
Xylophone
Marimba
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Celesta
Side Drum
Bass Drum
Cymbals
Tambourine
Castanets
Tam-tam
Triangle

Question 10

Harp

Answer 10

Plays from music arranged on two staves, like piano music. The strings on the harp are plucked and pedals or levers are used to change the pitch of the strings

Question 11

Piccolo

Answer 11

A small type of flute. It uses treble clef and sounds an octave higher than its written notes

Question 12

Cor anglais

Answer 12

Also know as the English Horn, it is closely related to the oboe. It uses the treble and is a transposing instrument.

Question 13

Tubular Bells

Answer 13

Vertical metal bars struck with one or two small hammers

Question 14

Xylophone

Answer 14

Horizontal wooden bars arranged like a piano keyboard and usually struck with hard beaters

Question 15

Marimba

Answer 15

Like the xylophone, but larger with a more mellow sound - usually struck with soft beaters

Question 16

Glockenspiel

Answer 16

Horizontal metal bars arranged like a piano and struck by beaters

Question 17

Vibraphone

Answer 17

Similar to a glockenspiel, it produces a softer sound when the metal bars are struck. It contains a motor to add vibration to the sound

Question 18

Celesta

Answer 18

Looks like a piano, but contains metal bars rather than strings. It produces a bell-like sound

Question 19

Tambourine

Answer 19

Hit or shaken by the hand, with small cymbal-like discs around its outer edge. Sometimes it has a ‘skin’ or membrane.

Question 20

Castanets

Answer 20

Two small discs of wood hit together with the fingers. Originates from Spain

Question 21

Tam-tam

Answer 21

A large gong hit with a beater

Question 22

Triangle

Answer 22

Triangular metal instrument hit with a metal beater

Question 23

Instruments of definite pitch

Answer 23

Instruments that can play specific pitches (eg. C, D, etc.)

Question 24

Instruments of indefinite pitch

Answer 24

Instruments that make sounds that are not at specific pitch

Question 25

Definite pitch instruments

Answer 25

Timpani Tubular Bells Xylophone Marimba Glockenspiel Vibraphone Celesta

Question 26

Instruments of indefinite pitch

Answer 26

Tambourine Castanets Tam-tam Triangle

Question 27

Which instruments use reeds?

Answer 27

All Woodwind instruments, with the exception of the flute and piccolo

Question 28

Single reed

Answer 28

A very thin piece of wood that vibrates against the instrument’s mouthpiece, used by the clarinet

Question 29

Double reed

Answer 29

Two things pieces of wood, bound together, that vibrate against each other to create a sound, used by the oboe, cor anglais and bassoon

Question 30

Transposing instruments

Answer 30

Instruments that the sound they make is different from the notes written in their music

Question 31

Transposing instruments

Answer 31

Trumpet in B flat - major 2nd lower than written Clarinet in B flat - major 2nd lower than written Clarinet in A - minor 3rd lower than written Horn in F - perfect 5th lower than written Cor anglais in F - perfect 5th lower than written Piccolo - octave higher than written Double bass - octave lower than written

Question 32

Written pitch

Answer 32

Notes written in the music

Question 33

Sounding or concert pitch

Answer 33

Notes that are produced when they are played

Question 34

Order of range of voice types, highest to lowest

Answer 34

Soprano Mezzo-soprano Alto Tenor Baritone Bass

Question 35

Open score

Answer 35

When the SATB choral music is on four staves, with each part written on its own stave

Question 36

Short stave

Answer 36

When the SATB choral music is on two staves, where soprano and alto parts share a treble stave, and tenor and bass parts share a bass stave

Question 37

SATB

Answer 37

Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass