All About Band Instruments
Flute
A high-pitched wind instrument consisting of a long, slender tube, played by blowing across a hole near one end: by fingering the holes and keys along its length, the player can produce various tones.
Clarinet
A woodwind instrument with a single reed, a cylindrical tube with a moderately flared bell, and keys; played by blowing into the top of the tube through a special mouthpiece with the reed.
Oboe
A woodwind instrument with two reeds, made of a conical tube with keys; it has a brilliant penetrating tone and is a higher-pitched instrument, with a distinctive bright sound.
Bassoon
A double-reed woodwind instrument having a long U-shaped conical tube connected to the mouthpiece by a thin metal tube that has the two bound reeds attached; pressing the keys and blowing into the reed produces the typically low, rich sound.
Alto Saxophone
One of a group of single-reed woodwind instruments characterized by a conical metal tube and finger keys; played by blowing into a mouthpiece with the reed attached and pressing keys with your fingers.
Tenor Saxophone
Lower in pitch but in the same family as alto, the tenor is a single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical metal tube and finger keys; played by blowing into a mouthpiece with the reed attached and pressing the keys with your fingers.
Trumpet
A wind instrument made of a brass tube formed into a long loop, with a cup-shaped mouthpiece and a flared bell; played by “buzzing” into the mouthpiece and pressing three buttons which are each attached to valves on the instrument.
F Horn
A circular valved brass instrument having a conical bore, a funnel-shaped mouthpiece, and a wide, flared bell at one end; similar to trumpet, but lower in pitch — you “buzz” into the mouthpiece and press levers attached to valves to play the notes.
Trombone
A brass instrument consisting of a long cylindrical metal tube with two turns and a long, movable slide (sometimes with valves); played by “buzzing” into a mouthpiece and moving the slide to change the pitch of the sound.
Baritone/Euphonium
The second lowest instrument of the brass family — a large metal tube coiled into an oval, with a bell that faces up or out; popular in military bands, played by “buzzing” into the mouthpiece and pressing buttons/levers that are attached to valves, producing the sound.
Tuba
A large low-pitched brass wind instrument with valves and a broad bell typically facing upward; “buzzing” into the cup-shaped mouthpiece and pressing the buttons attached to the valves produces the sound(s) that make music.
Drums
A musical percussion instrument often consisting of a metal or wooden round frame with a “head” stretched over one or both ends; usually played by beating on the top head with a pair of matched sticks.
Mallet Percussion
Bells are one type of mallet or melodic percussion, comprised of bars arranged in size order which are hit with a matched pair of sticks with heads (mallets), creating the varied pitched sounds; includes bells, marimba, xylophone and more.
All About band instruments
There are three instrument families of band instruments:
All About band instruments
WOODWINDS
WOODWINDS: Instruments in the woodwind family used to all be made of wood, hence the name, but now they can be made of wood, metal, plastic or some combination of materials. They are all tubes with an opening at one end and a mouthpiece, usually with a reed attached, at the other end.
All About band instruments
BRASS
BRASS: Brass instruments are essentially very long pipes that widen at their ends into a bell-like shape. The pipes have been curved and twisted into different shapes to make them easier to hold and play. Instruments in the brass family produce their sound when the player “buzzes” her or his lips while blowing air through the mouthpiece.
All About band instruments
PERCUSSION
PERCUSSION: The percussion section provides a variety of rhythms, textures and tone colors to an ensemble. Instruments in the percussion family make sound in one of three ways, by striking, shaking, or scraping. Percussion instruments can also be tuned (marimba/bells) or untuned (snare drum/cymbals).
WOODWINDS
BRASS and
PERCUSSION
WOODWINDS:
Flute
Clarinet
E-fl Sop Clar | Alto Clar | Bass Clar
Oboe
Bassoon
Saxophone
Soprano | Alto | Tenor | Bari
BRASS:
Trumpet
Cornet
French Horn
Trombone
Bass Trombone
Baritone | Euphonium
Tuba
PERCUSSION:
Snare Drum
Tenor Drum
Bass Drum
Bells | Xylophone | Marimba
Tambourine | Cymbals | Chimes
Bongos | Djembe | Maracas
Shakers | Afuche | Vibraslap & more!