Instrumental Glossary

Commonly Heard Instruments/Instrumental Combinations:

In music there are many commonly heard combinations of instruments, which are regularly used. One example of this would be a standard pop/rock band consisting of guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Another example would be a string quartet which is two violins, a viola and a cello. Another one would be a brass quintet of two trumpets, a trombone, a french horn and a tuba. An orchestra is a large example of this.

Brass:

A wind instrument usually made of brass or another metal. Notes are adjusted with valves or slides which adjust the length of tubes in the instrument. Brass instruments include trumpets, trombones and tubas.

Percussion:

A group of instruments played by striking, shaking or scraping with hands or other implements like sticks. They are mainly used for rhythmic purposes but can be tuned to create melodies. Percussion instruments include bells, xylophones, drum kits, cymbals and gongs

Strings:

A group of instruments which make sounds through string vibrations, usually by plucking strumming or bowing. Includes violins, violas, guitars, double basses.

Woodwind-

Wind instruments that are not normally made of wood, and don’t include instruments from the brass family. They are normally used in orchestras, and make sound by vibrations in a reed through blowing.

Keyboards:

Instruments which make their sound by triggering something else with keys laid out on a board e.g. Piano, Organ, Keyboard

Acoustic and Electronic

Acoustic refers to instruments that do not use electricity or electronics to create or change their sound (acoustic guitar, violin, saxophone) while electronic refers to instruments which use electricity e.g. electric piano, electric guitar

Samples:

Are sections of a recording which are taken out and used in a different recording. Samples are often short sections which are cut out and looped or triggered in another piece to add effect.

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