Unit 8 – Instruments of the Orchestra
The following two activities guide the children to be aware of unique characteristics of an instrument in relation to the other instruments in the same section.
Activity 1 – Characteristics of Instruments
The first activity focuses on the strings, woodwind and brass sections of the orchestra. The teacher gives in-depth information about the characteristics of each instrument and their family, including pitch of the instruments.
The String family
To name the string instruments found in the standard orchestra.
How is sound produced?
What are the similarities / differences?
Which instrument can play the highest notes?
Which instrument can play the deepest notes?
Can you name other string instruments?
The Woodwind family
To name the woodwind instruments found in the standard orchestra.
How is sound produced?
Which instruments use a double reed?
Which instruments use a single reed?
Which instrument has no reed at all?
Which instrument can play the highest notes?
Which instrument can play the deepest notes?
Can you name other woodwind instruments?
The Brass family
To name the brass instruments found in the standard orchestra.
How is sound produced?
Which instrument uses a slide instead of valves?
Which instrument can play the highest notes?
Which instrument can play the deepest notes?
Can you name other brass instruments?
Activity 2 – Tuned or Not Tuned
The second activity focuses on the percussion family. The children learn to identify instruments of definite pitch and instruments of indefinite pitch.
Percussion includes any instrument that makes a sound when it is hit, shaken, or scraped. There are many instruments in this family. Some of the instruments are very simple, such as the claves. Others are more sophisticated like a wind machine. This section also includes keyboard instruments like the piano and celesta. Percussion instruments keep the rhythm, make special sounds and add excitement to the music. Some percussion instruments are tuned and can sound different notes, like
the xylophone, timpani or piano, and some are not tuned and cannot play tunes, like the bass drum, cymbals or castanets.
In this activity the children are asked to classify the percussion instruments accordingly: tuned or not tuned. The teacher can show them the actual instrument under investigation one by one. Otherwise, a short video clip can be presented.