In middle school, there is much greater variety of instruments to available to play than what is offered in elementary school. In order for a band to be successful and sound its best, all of the musical parts need to be covered (just like a sports team that has to have someone playing every position). Explore the different instruments that are a part of the concert band.
The U.S. Army Field Band put together a great video that introduces the instruments of the band. This isn't the most entertaining video out there but it is a great place to start!
The U.S. Army Field Band put together a great video that introduces the instruments of the band. This isn't the most entertaining video out there but it is a great place to start!
Woodwind Instruments
The woodwind family of instruments are all either made of wood or are descended from instruments that were originally made of wood. Some instruments that can be made of wood are often made of plastic for student version to be less expensive, lighter and easier to care for.
The woodwind family of instruments are all either made of wood or are descended from instruments that were originally made of wood. Some instruments that can be made of wood are often made of plastic for student version to be less expensive, lighter and easier to care for.
Flute
Flutes are one of the oldest types of instruments and have been around in some form for centuries. Originally, they were made out of wood and in a few European orchestras, some flute players still play a wooden flute although now, most flutes are metal. Unlike other woodwind instruments, the sound is made by blowing over the embouchure hole rather than the player putting a mouthpiece or reed in the mouth. Flutes are commonly used in concert bands, marching bands and orchestras. They are sometimes used in jazz bands as well. It is one of the highest pitched instruments in the band. Although not commonly seen in middle schools, there are a variety of different sizes of flutes such as the smaller higher pitched piccolo, and the larger, lower pitched alto flute and bass flute. There are even flute choirs that can include instruments as big as the subcontrabass flute!
Oboe
The oboe is a type of double reed instrument. From a distance it looks a lot like a clarinet but it is somewhat different in sound and how it is played. Unlike the clarinet or saxophone (which are single reed isntruments), there is no mouthpiece. Instead, the double reed is made of two reeds bound together with wire that the player blows directly into. Student model oboes are usually made of plastic or resin while professional instruments are made of wood (often the same type of grenadilla wood that clarinets are made of). It is commonly used in concert bands and orchestras. Another type of oboe that is seen in professional bands and orchestras but rarely in high schools is the English Horn which is a lower pitched type of oboe with a smoother, mellower sound.
Bassoon
The bassoon is the largest of the double reed instruments used in bands or orchestras. It's double reed is similar to that of the oboe but shorter and wider. The bassoon has one of the widest ranges of any band instrument. It plays in the tenor range and can play the same notes as the tenor saxophone, trombone and euphonium but also go down in the bass range used by the tuba. The instrument is usually supported using a seat strap that the player sits on (although occasionally a neck strap similar to that used by saxophone players can be used). Professional bassoons are made of wood such as maple. Student bassoons are usually made of plastic and also are modified slightly so that they can be played by students with smaller hands. Bassoons are commonly used in concert bands and in orchestras.
Clarinets
Clarinets come in many different sizes but the B-flat clarinet is the most common in schools. It is a single reed instrument and is commonly made of grenadilla wood although many student model instruments are made of plastic. It is one of the highest pitched instruments in the woodwind section and is often the largest section of instruments in a concert band, being used in the band the way violins are used in the orchestra. The clarinet is used in concert bands, marching bands, orchestras and sometimes in jazz bands.
The bass clarinet looks in some ways like a cross between a B-flat clarinet and a saxophone. The fingerings are exactly the same as the B-flat clarinet and is written the same way but sounds an octave lower. It usually takes clarinet players less than an hour to learn to play the bass clarinet because it is so similar. Because it is larger, it is held up either by the player wearing a neckstrap similar to that of a saxophone, or by supporting it with a peg attached to the bottom similar to the endpin of a cello or bass. The bass clarinet is used in concert bands and orchestras. Sometimes it is seen in marching bands and occasionally in jazz bands (usually when the tenor or baritone saxophone player switches to bass clarinet for a soft piece of music).
Saxophones
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The Saxophone family of instruments contains many different sizes but the three most common saxophones are the alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. The alto is the smallest and highest pitched saxophone that is usually seen in school bands starting in elementary school. The tenor is the next largest with a lower playing range similar to the range of a trombone. The baritone saxophone is the largest and lowest pitched and plays in a range similar to the tuba. All saxophones have the same fingering pattern and the music is written the same way (even though the instruments sound in different ranges) so a musician who plays one saxophone can easily play the others. There are a lot of different sizes that are rarely seen or used besides the ones used in band. Saxophones are single reed instruments (like the clarinet) and have a similar mouthpiece to the clarinet. Because of this, they are classified as woodwind instruments even though they are actually made of brass. Saxophone players use a neckstrap to support the weight of the instrument (although baritone saxophone players often use a shoulder harness because it's more comfortable with the heavier instrument). It is common for clarinet players to learn saxophone as well because the fingering patterns are similar (not exactly the same but very close). All three are common in concert bands, marching bands and jazz bands. The alto saxophone is occasionally used in orchestras as a solo instrument. The tenor saxophone can be as well but even more rarely.
Brass Instruments
Like the name suggests, brass instruments are all made of brass. Some may be silver plated but are still brass underneath. All brass instruments produce sound the same way, by "buzzing" the lips into a cup type mouthpiece. Although there might be slight variations in the shape of the mouthpieces, they are all basically the same thing. Except for the trombone, all brass instruments use a system of valves to change notes (along with changes to how the player buzzes the notes). Trumpets have 3 valves. French horns, euphoniums and tubas can have 3 valves or often 4 valves. The fingering pattern on all brass instruments are similar.
Like the name suggests, brass instruments are all made of brass. Some may be silver plated but are still brass underneath. All brass instruments produce sound the same way, by "buzzing" the lips into a cup type mouthpiece. Although there might be slight variations in the shape of the mouthpieces, they are all basically the same thing. Except for the trombone, all brass instruments use a system of valves to change notes (along with changes to how the player buzzes the notes). Trumpets have 3 valves. French horns, euphoniums and tubas can have 3 valves or often 4 valves. The fingering pattern on all brass instruments are similar.
Trumpet
Trumpets are the smallest and highest pitched brass instruments. They have been around in some form for thousands of years, although the modern valve trumpet has only been around for a few hundred years. The B-flat trumpet is the instrument used in concert bands, jazz bands and marching bands. It is also used in orchestras but there are also a greater variety of trumpets such as C trumpets, piccolo trumpets, and rotary trumpets used in orchestral music.
French Horn
The French horn is based on earlier hunting horns but the tubing was curled up to make it easier to carry since its tubing is more than 22 feet long! The French horn isn't actually French, it is German (just like French fries aren't French!). Horns with 3 valves are called single horns. Most horns used are called double horns. They have 4 valves but unlike other 4 valve instruments where the extra valve activates an additional tube, the 4th valve on a double horn activates a complete set of extra tubes on each of the three other valves. The horn has two complete sets of tubing, one in F and one in B-flat and for this reason, it is called a double horn. Horns are common in concert bands and orchestras, brass quintets and also as the only brass instrument in a woodwind quintet. Although not usually a part of the jazz band, The Stan Kenton jazz band made use of a whole section of horns to create a unique sound. The horn has become one of the most common instruments to hear in film music, especially for heroic or epic themes.
Trombone
The trombone is unique among all of the brass instruments in that it is the only common brass instrument that does not have valves. Most trombones have a slide that when moved, shortens or lengthens the instrument. There are 7 slide positions that correspond to the 7 fingerings on the valved brass instruments. The trombone descended from an older instrument called the sackbut. Trombones can have a beautiful, sweet sound but also can be one of the most powerful sounding instruments in the band or orchestra. Some of the most famous classical and film music take advantage of the powerful sound of the trombone. Trombones can produce some sound effects unlike other instruments. The adult voices in the Charlie Brown/Peanuts cartoons were produced using a trombone with a plunger mute. Trombones can also produce a sound called a glissando by moving the slide while holding a note (rather than in between notes). The most common trombone is the tenor trombone (usually referred to simply as the trombone) but the bass trombone is also common in high school, college and professional bands and orchestras (usually only one player on bass trombone). The bass trombone can play lower then the tenor trombone by using one or two valves in addition to the slide.
Euphonium
The euphonium is one the most recently developed brass instruments, dating back to around 1840. Some people in the United States call the instrument a "baritone" but that is incorrect since the baritone is actually a different instrument (here is an article showing the differences). It is basically a smaller, higher pitched version of a tuba. In orchestra music, it is often referred to as the tenor tuba. Euphoniums can have 3 or 4 valves. The mouthpiece is the same as the trombone and the instrument plays in exactly the same range as the trombone. It is one of the most versatile instruments in the band because it can play many different types of parts. It is often used to double the trumpet melody an octave lower, to play with the woodwinds (especially with the clarinets when they play in their lower register), to double the french horns, to double the trombones, or to play with the tubas but an octave higher. It is a popular instrument for band composers to write solos for because of it's smooth sound and it's ability to play faster, more technical parts than a trombone can play.
Tuba
The tuba is the largest brass instrument and the lowest pitched. The name tuba is actually the latin word meaning "trumpet"! The full name off the instrument was originally the basstuba, meaning bass trumpet but it was shortened over time to just the name tuba. It is played by buzzing the lips like all brass instruments but it sounds lower in pitch and takes more air. Although it is quite a bit bigger and heavier, it is one of the few brass instruments that the player doesn't have to hold up. It rests on the legs, the chair or a tuba stand depending on the height of the player. There are also different sized tubas. Most middle school students start on a 3/4 sized tuba and move on to a full sized instrument when they are tall enough. Professional tuba players usually play a 4/4 (full sized) tuba although they may play a 5/4 or 6/4 sized tuba (which really isn't that much bigger in overall size). Tubas can have 3 or 4 valves. The most common tuba in school bands is the B-flat tuba but college and professional players can play tubas in C, F or E-flat. Tubas are used in concert bands, orchestras, brass ensembles and occasionally jazz bands. A specialized type of tuba called a sousaphone is used for marching bands and New Orleans brass bands because it is much easier to carry. Because tubas aren't always easy to transport (imagine riding a skateboard home from school with one!!!), at Los Cerritos, the tuba players are loaned an instrument to keep at home and a separate one to use at school.
Percussion Instruments
Percussion instruments include the widest variety of instruments in the middle school band. Percussionists play mallet instruments (bells, vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, chimes), drums (snare drum, bass drum, concert toms, timpani), cymbals and gongs, shakers and other instruments that are struck, shaken or scraped. A percussionist might play 4 or 5 different instruments in one concert and sometimes just in one piece of music.
Percussion instruments include the widest variety of instruments in the middle school band. Percussionists play mallet instruments (bells, vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, chimes), drums (snare drum, bass drum, concert toms, timpani), cymbals and gongs, shakers and other instruments that are struck, shaken or scraped. A percussionist might play 4 or 5 different instruments in one concert and sometimes just in one piece of music.
Mallet Percussion
Mallet percussion (also called keyboard percussion) have a key layout that is the same as a piano. Even the chimes which are vertical have the same key layout. Bells and xylophone can be played with hard rubber or plastic mallets. Bells, chimes and vibraphone all have metal keys. The vibraphone and chimes also have a pedal that works the same way as the sustain pedal on a piano. Xylophone and marimba can have wooden keys but are something made of a synthetic material that looks like wood. Marimba and vibraphone are usually played with yarn covered mallets. Chime mallets look like small hammers. In elementary bands, bells are common but in middle schools and high schools, all of the keyboard instruments are used. All of these instruments are used in the concert band and also in marching bands (although students don't march with them, they are placed in front of the field in what is commonly called the "pit"). The vibraphone also is common in jazz bands.
Timpani
Timpani drums are one of the most important concert drums in a band or orchestra. They can play very soft or extremely loud and are the only drum in the concert band that can play notes of different pitches. They play very low, in the same range as a tuba or string bass. Timpani usually are played in sets of at least two drums although most bands or orchestras have four drums. The smallest drum plays a higher range of notes and the largest drum plays lower notes. Timpani have a pedal that allows each drum's pitch to be changed. Timpani music will specify exactly which notes are to be played with the player tuning the drum before the music begins. More advanced music will require that player to change the pitch of the drums during the music. Most modern timpani have tuning gauges that when preset prior to a rehearsal or performance allow the player to quickly set the drum to the correct note, but the gauges only get the drum close. The timpani player can often be seen putting their ear to the drum and tapping lightly so they can hear and check the note without anyone else hearing (and disrupting the performance) Timpani music is written on a bass clef staff like the tuba, string bass or the left hand of the piano,
Snare Drum
The snare drum is one of the most common drums to see in concert bands, orchestras, jazz and rock bands. It is played with wooden sticks and can do anything from keeping a simple beat to playing extremely intricate music. A concert snare drum tends to have different types of snares on the bottom than the ones used on a drum set snare and usually has lighter, thinner drum heads for soft, delicate playing. Los Cerritos owns several different types of snare drums including the Pearl Symphonic Snare Drum pictured here. Snare drums used for drumset for rock or jazz usually have wire snares on the bottom and a thicker drum heads. Marching snare drums are much deeper, usually about 12 inches deep for a modern snare drum. Old fashioned snare drums using calf skin heads and ropes to tighten the drum heads were used for centuries in military marching bands. Modern marching drums use the same metal tuning rods as a concert snare drum, are usually around 10 inches deep and often use a drum head made of Kevlar (like a bullet proof vest) so that they can play loud, very articulate and also so the heads can be durable.
Bass Drum
The concert bass drum is the largest and lowest pitched drum. They range in size from 28 inches to 36 inches in diameter. It doesn't produce a clear note like the timpani but can provide anything from a powerful musical accent to a soft rumble. It is usually played with a large single mallet but can sometimes be played with two mallets for rolls or fast rhythms. Concert bass drums are used in concert bands, orchestras and in marching bands (in the "pit" on the front sideline).
Cymbals
There are many different kinds of instruments that make up the cymbal family. All are made of metal and make sound by being struck either with a stick or mallet, or against each other (like a pair of crash cymbals). Most cymbals are made of bronze spun in a lathe to flatten them out. Many are then hammered into the final shape. Although cymbals do not produce a definite note like a mallet percussion instrument or brass or woodwind instrument, the shape of the cymbal can determine whether it sounds higher or lower in pitch. Cymbals have been around since at the 7th century. One of the manufacturers of cymbals, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies anywhere in the world and is the oldest musical instrument maker in the world, having been founded in 1623. Zildjian is 153 years older than the United States!
The suspended cymbal is a cymbal that is literally suspended on a stand. They usually range from 16 to 20 inches in diameter. The cymbal pictured here is an 18 inch Zildjian Classic Orchestral suspended cymbal owned by Los Cerritos Middle School. It is usually played with yarn covered marimba mallets to produce rolls and crashes but can also be played with drum sticks. These are often thinner cymbals than those found on a drum set so they can produce soft, shimmering roll sounds but also can be played quite loudly.
Crash cymbals (also called piatti, which is Italian for plates), are a pair of cymbals that are played by hitting them ("crashing" them) together. They are held by a leather strap with one cymbal in each hand. They typically range in size from 16 inches to 20 inches (some orchestras can sometimes use 22 inch cymbals). Within each size, cymbals can be different weights. French tone cymbals are the lightest and have the most delicate sound. They are good for soft playing or repeated quick crashes such as might be played in a march. Viennese tone cymbals (such as those shown on the left) are medium weight and good for general playing. German tone cymbals are the heaviest and are great for loud powerful playing. There are many other variations.
Gongs and Tam-Tams
Gongs and Tam-Tams are related to cymbals. They are hammered or spun metal. There are many different types and sizes of gongs. Technically a Tam-Tam is a type of gong that doesn't produce a specific note, whereas the term "gong" refers to an instrument that produces an actual pitch. Many times when music in band is written for gong, it is usually actually referring to a tam-tam. At most schools (including Los Cerritos) the instrument in the band room is actually a tam-tam. They are usually between 26 inches and 32 inches although there are as big as 80 inches! Gongs can be played very softly to create a deep shimmering effect or a huge crash. They are usually played with a large mallet that looks a bit like a bass drum mallet, but they can also be scraped with a key, coin or triangle beater. They can be bowed with string bass bow for an eerie effect. They can even be played with a rubber "superball" attached to a stick. The superball causes the gong to vibrate as it is scraped across the surface.