MUSC101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Brass Instrument, Double Bass, Unpitched Percussion Instrument
Document Summary
Four families of western instruments- strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. String are sounded by bowing and plucking. Woodwinds include flute, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone. Percussion include idiophones (triangles, cymbals) and membranophones (bass drum); some are pitched (chimes) while others are unpitched (tambourine) Keyboard instruments do not fit neatly into western classification system. All chordophones- include two types of instruments, those that are bowed and those that are plucked. 4 main members of the bowed string family- violin, viola, violoncello, and double bass (each with 4 strings) Tone is husky in low register, somber and penetrating in the high. Lowest of orchestral strings, plays bass part (foundation of harmony) Two popular plucked string instruments are harp and guitar. Related to the guitar are banjo ad mandolin. Produce sound with column of air vibrating within a pipe that has finger holes along length. Flute used often as melody instrument- its timbre stands out.
