The symphony orchestra performs academic music. It consists of a large group of musicians. There are several main groups of instruments in the orchestra - strings, winds and percussion.
Strings
The strings are assigned the role of carriers of the melodic principle. This group is represented by violins, violas, cellos, double basses. Musicians who play strings make up about 2/3 of the band.
The most virtuoso instrument in this group is the violin. She is distinguished by a gentle singing timbre, due to which she often plays the main melody. The viola is similar in appearance to a violin, but has a larger size and a muffled sound. The cello has a lower, softer and velvety sound, while the contrabass is the lowest and most humming of the strings.
Wind instruments
These tools can be divided into wood and copper. The former include flutes, oboes, bassoons and clarinets. Often they are given independent parties. The flute has a ringing and at the same time cold sound. In the oboe, it is more melodious, warm and full-bodied. The clarinet is distinguished by a variety of timbres, and the bassoon has a thick, light hoarseness. Woodwinds are distinguished by rich shades, great strength and compactness of sound. They are widely used in lyric episodes.
Brass instruments include trumpets, trombones, French horns and tubas. They allow bringing bright colors and power into the orchestra's sound, enriching its dynamic capabilities. In addition, this group acts as a bass support. The trumpet has a rather sonorous sound. It is perfectly audible even among other instruments. The French horn has a softer timbre. With its help, you can convey a sad or solemn character. In addition to trumpets, trombones help to emphasize the drama of a piece of music. Trumpets have the lowest timbre in the brass group.
Drums
The rhythmic function in the orchestra is performed by drums. With their help, an excellent sound-noise background is created, which brings a special flavor to the sound and gives expressiveness. Percussion drums are divided into two types: noise and pitched. The first group includes the big and snare drums, tomtoms, maracas, rattles, castanets, the second - the xylophone, bells, timpani, cymbals, triangle.
In addition to the basic ones, there are instruments that many composers sometimes include in the orchestra. These are piano, organ, saxophone and others. Especially often, preference is given to the harp, which is distinguished by a delicate transparent timbre. With its help, the work takes on a magical flavor.
