TIMBRE: INSTRUMENTS

CLASSIFICATION
There are two methods to classify musical instruments.

 ________________: it groups instruments as they are

grouped in a Western
orchestra: string, ______and percussion. This method can
be difficult or confusing to apply to the many non-orchestral
instruments.

 Universal or Hornbostel-Sachs _______________: it groups

instruments according to how their sounds are
produced: _________, aerophones, membranophones, idio
phones and __________. This method can be used to classify
any instrument.

STRING
The sound is produced by the vibration of one or more strings. The
pitch of sound depends on the ________, 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:

 ___________ 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.
- Violin: it's the ___________and the one with the highest
pitch of the family.
- Viola: it's a little bigger and lower than the ______.
- Violoncello: it's ________ and lower. It is leaned on the floor
with an endpin and played sitting down.
- Double _______: it's the biggest and the lowest. The
performer has to stand up

 Plucked string: string instruments in which the sound is

produced when the strings ________ because they are
plucked with the fingers or with a pick / plectrum.
 - Harp: it has _________. All Do strings are red and
all Fa strings are blue in order to easily locate the notes.
- Guitar: it has __________and a neck with frets (little cross
bars) which indicate semitone distances.

 Struck string: string instruments in which the sound is produced

when the ______ vibrate because they are hit with small
hammers activated by a keyboard.
- _________: it has 88 keys which cover more than seven
octaves. It has the widest range of notes of any instrument.

wind

The sound is produced by the vibration of an air column inside a

tube. We divide ____________ into 2 groups:

 Woodwind: ____________ 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 ___________. The longer the tube, the lower the
sound and vice versa. They have three types of mouthpiece:

1. Fipple: the sound is produced by the vibration of the air

blown against an edge. E.g. recorder, ____________.
2. __________: the sound is produced by the vibration of
one cane as air is blown between the cane and
the mouthpiece. E.g. clarinet, saxophone.
3. Double reed: the sound is produced by the vibration of
two canes as air is blown between both canes.
E.g. _________________.

Brass: wind instruments which are usually _________ 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 ________________ 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.
E.g. trumpet, ___________, trombone and tuba.

PERCUSSION
These instruments produce sound __________, shaken or clattered
against each other.
According to traditional classification, we divide these instruments
into 2 groups:

 ____________or tuned percussion: percussion instruments

in which we can play notes and melodies.
E.g. timpani, marimba, vibraphone, tubular bells,
glockenspiel, celesta, ____________, etc.
 Unpitched or untuned percussion: percussion
instruments in which we can't play notes and melodies.
E.g. __________, snare drum, cymbals, tambourine,
triangle, castanets, _________, whip, ratchet, gong, etc.

According to universal classification, we divide these instruments

into 2 groups:

 ___________: percussion instruments that produce sound

when a membrane or skin vibrates. E.g. timpani, bass drum.
 Idiophones: __________that produce sound when the
instrument itself vibrates. E.g. _________, castanets.