Instruments of the Orchestra

FLUTES & PICCOLOS

The highest, clearest sounding instruments in the woodwind family, the flutes and piccolos are seated in the middle of the stage, directly in front of the conductor.

HORNS

The heroic sound of the horns is instantly recognizable. The bell (or opening) of the horn faces away from the audience, and they are usually seated toward the back of the stage. OBOES & ENGLISH HORNS

The oboe and its larger sibling the english horn are seated next to the flutes. The oboe is the first thing you hear when the full symphony tunes at the beginning of a concert.

TRUMPETS

Brilliant and brassy, the trumpets power over the orchestra. They are usually seated toward the rear or side of the orchestra, facing the conductor. CLARINETS

Clarinets come in a variety of sizes, from the small and highpitched E-flat, to the middle range B-flat, all the way down to the Bass Clarinet. They sit behind the flutes in the middle of the stage. BASSOONS

The bass instrument of the woodwind family, the reedy, almost growling nature of the bassoon is very recognizable. They sit next to the clarinets and behind the oboes.

TROMBONES

Trombones are the only family of brass instruments that use a slide to change pitch instead of valves. Like the trumpets, they are usually seated behind the rest of the orchestra. TUBA

The tuba is the largest and deepest brass instrument. The bell faces upward toward the ceiling. You can usually spot the tuba near the trombones and low stringed instruments.

TIMPANI & PERCUSSION

Percussion is anything that you can strike or shake to make sound. The timpani (also called kettle drums) has been in the symphony for centuries. They are usually located behind or to the side of the rest of the orchestra. Other percussion instruments have slowly joined over the years as composers look for more colorful sounds. HARP

Although not always a part of the symphony, the harp adds beautiful, sweeping colors to the orchestral sound. The harp is usually seated near (or even in) the violin sections.

VIOLINS

The highest instruments in the strings family, the violins are the largest group on stage. They are typically divided into first and second violins and are seated immediately to the conductor's left. VIOLAS

The violas are slightly larger and deeper sounding than the violins. They sit in the middle of the stage in front of the flutes or to the conductor's immediate right. CELLOS

The cellos have an enormous range, sometimes playing the bass line and sometimes the high melody. Like the violas, the cello section is usually seated to the conductor's right. BASSES

The largest and lowest instrument in the string family, the basses are so big that musicians typically stand to play them. They are usually positioned behind the cellos and near the tuba.