Download An orchestra may be arranged differently, depending on the music

Note: An orchestra may be arranged differently, depending on the music being played and the number of musicians playing each instrument.
Instruments in an Orchestra*
Stringed Instruments
Brass Instruments
Violin: A wooden instrument with four
Horn (French Horn): An instrument
strings that makes music when played with a
bow. The bow is pulled across the strings with
the right hand, while the strings are pressed
down with the left hand to create different
notes. A full-size violin is about 14 inches
long. Smaller instruments are made for
children learning to play the instrument.
Violinists normally sit to the left of the
conductor in an orchestra.
made of several feet of brass tubing that is
coiled around and terminates in a large flared
bell. A player blows air into a mouthpiece
and can make different notes by pressing the
three valves on the tubing, which routes the
air through the tubes in different ways. Horn
players usually sit directly behind the
woodwind instruments in an orchestra.
Cello: A four-stringed wooden instrument
that plays deeper notes than a violin. It is
about four feet tall and is usually played
sitting down. A bow is pulled across the
strings, and different notes are produced by
depressing the strings with the left hand.
Smaller instruments are made for learners
so that the notes are easier to reach with the
left hand. Cellists normally sit to the right
of the conductor in an orchestra.
Trumpet: Made of a brass tube that is
bent in an oval shape and flares to a bell at
the front. The player blows air into a
mouthpiece and presses down the three
valves to create different notes. The
trumpet plays the highest notes of all the
instruments in the brass family. Trumpet
players usually sit behind the horns and in
front of the percussion instruments in an
orchestra.
Double Bass (Contrabass): The largest
four-stringed instrument can be played
standing up or sitting on a tall stool. It plays
deeper, lower notes than a cello. Bass players
are normally located in the back row, behind
the cellists, in an orchestra.
Woodwind Instruments
Trombone: Similar to a trumpet; made
of brass and curved into an oval shape
with a bell flare on the front-facing end.
A player blows air through a mouthpiece
to create sound. The notes are changed by
moving a slide in and out. The slide is
part of the tubular brass that makes up the
instrument. Trombone players usually sit
next to the trumpet players and behind the
horn players in an orchestra.
Percussion Instruments
Flute: A slender metal tube played by blowing
across a hole at one end and pressing keys and
blocking holes along the instrument with the
fingers to make different pitches. A flute is high
pitched, with the same range of tones as a
violin. Flutes can also be made out of wood.
Flute players sit near the violins at the front of
the woodwind section in an orchestra.
Cymbals: Thin, round pieces of metal
that can be hit together or tapped with a
drumstick. The center of the cymbal has a
slight bell shape with a handle on the top
for the player to hold. The percussion
section is located in the back row behind
the brass section of an orchestra.
Bassoon: An instrument with many holes
and keys. The mouthpiece has a double reed
and is connected to the rest of the
instrument by a curved metal tube. The
player blows through the mouthpiece and
presses keys and blocks holes to produce a
variety of tones. The instrument is too
heavy to hold up without a shoulder strap or
floor spike. Bassoon players sit in the
middle of the orchestra, behind the flute
players and in front of the brass section.
Kettledrum: A large metal bowl, usually
made out of copper or brass, with a parchment
stretched across the top that can be tightened or
loosened (with a foot pedal) to create different
pitches when hit with a drumstick. A set of
kettledrums (also known as timpani) is usually
played by one person. The percussion section is
located in the back row behind the brass section
of an orchestra.
*Not all orchestral instruments are shown.
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