The Four Families of the Orchestra

In the picture

1. 1Strings: a bowed or plucked string vibrates
2. 2Woodwinds: air vibrates inside a tube, set off by a reed or by blowing across an edge
3. 3Brass: the player’s buzzing lips make the air in the metal tube vibrate
4. 4Percussion: the instrument vibrates when it is struck, shaken or scraped

Examples

• Plucking a stretched rubber band makes it buzz like a tiny string
• Blowing across the top of an empty bottle makes a hoot like a flute

Quiz: The Four Families of the Orchestra (Age 11)

1. 1

   How does a brass instrument, like a trumpet, make its sound?

   • The metal tube vibrates when the player strikes it
   • A thin reed vibrates when the player blows into the instrument
   • The player’s buzzing lips make the air in the metal tube vibrate
2. 2

   A violin and a trumpet play exactly the same note. Why do they still sound different?

   • Because each instrument has its own timbre, or tone colour
   • Because the trumpet is always louder than the violin
   • Because only the trumpet’s sound comes from something vibrating
3. 3

   What do all four families of the orchestra need in order to make a sound?

   • Air has to be blown into the instrument
   • Something has to vibrate
   • The instrument has to be hit by the player

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.