The origins of the oboe date back to the 1200's, when the shawm was invented. The shawm, a one-piece instrument made of boxwood, used a double reed made of cane. Its sound was louder and more shrill than the modern oboe, but its tone was very similar. Shawms came in various sizes and were the main reed instruments in medieval bands.
The oboe emerged in the French courts around 1650. Its name came from the French word hautbois (pronounced oat-bwa) which means "high wood." By the 1700's the oboe was an accepted member of the orchestra. Throughout the century, keys were added so that more notes could be played. Since 1825, the oboe has remained basically unchanged. The oboe family has four members. The oboe is the highest instrument. Next, pitched in A, is oboe d'amore which Johann Sebastian Bach used in many pieces. The English horn, pitched even lower in F, has a haunting mellow tone. Many oboists today also play English horn. The baritone oboe had a short history, as it was replaced by the bassoon in performing groups. Today, oboes are played in bands, orchestras, and smaller woodwind ensembles. Oboes are usually made of rosewood or African Blackwood (also known as grenadilla), but can also be made of ebonite, plastic, or even metal. The oboe is often featured as a solo instrument in Bands and Orchestras.
The early history of the Flute is largely unknown, but most historians agree that it is one of the oldest musical instruments and that it originated somewhere in Central Asia. Members of the early Flute family were held either forward or to the side. The first evidence of a transverse Flute (held to the side) is found in art work dating back to 200 B.C. The Flute eventually found its way to Germany, where its use became common by the 12th century. Its most popular usage during that time was for military music.
Flutes had only tone holes, without keys, until the late 1600's, when the Baroque Flute was invented. It was Made of wood, and had seven tone holes and one key for the little finger. It was built in three sections instead of one piece. This helped intonation because the space between the sections could be adjusted. With these improvements, the Flute became a regular member of the orchestra and rapidly increased in popularity.
In 1847, Theobald Boehm, a German flautist and goldsmith, completely redesigned the Flute. The redesign consisted of two main steps. First, each hole was placed so that each note would have the same tone quality. Second, a key system was added. The Boehm system improved intonation, made the tone of the Flute louder, and made notes easier to play. The Flute has remained basically unchanged to the present day.
Today, Flutes are played in bands, orchestras, woodwind quintets, chamber ensembles, and Jazz bands. Flutes are usually made of silver or silver alloy, but can also be made of gold or even platinum. Other types of Flutes include the piccolo, alto Flute, Bass Flute, and contrabass Flute.
The history of the modern clarinet dates back to the 1600's, when the chalumeau (pronounced "shall - yu - mo") was a popular instrument in Europe. The chalumeau had two keys and a single reed. Its range was low and limited. In memory of the chalumeau, the low range on the clarinet of today is called the chalumeau register.
Around 1700, a German instrument maker named Denner invented the clarinet by improving the chalumeau. By 1750 it had 5 keys and soon became part of the orchestra. Keys kept being added so that more notes could be played.
Soon there were several varieties of clarinet: the Eb Sopranino Clarinet, Bb Soprano, Eb Alto Clarinet, and the Bb Bass Clarinet.
In 1844, two French musicians named Buffet and Klose applied the Boehm flute key system to the clarinet. This consisted of 2 steps. First, they placed each hole so that each note would have the same tone quality. Then, they made a key system to cover all of the holes. It was a success, and the Boehm system clarinet became popular around the world.
Today, clarinets are played in bands, orchestras, dance bands, and woodwind ensembles. It is often featured as a solo instrument. Clarinets are usually made of African Blackwood (also called grenadilla), but can also be made of ebonite, plastic, or metal.
The first bass clarinet was built in the 1770's. However, composers used it very little until the 1830's. It was around this time that Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, improved the bass clarinet. Further improvements came a decade later, when two French musicians named Buffet and Klose applied the Boehm flute key system to clarinets.
The clarinet family includes clarinets built in many different keys and sizes. Each uses basically the same fingerings, allowing clarinet players to transfer from instrument to instrument with ease.
Bass clarinets are played in bands, orchestras, and wood- wind ensembles. They are usually made of African Blackwood (also called grenadilla), but can also be made ebonite or plastic.
Double reed instruments have existed since ancient times. The origin of the Bassoon itself dates back at least 500 years, where there was in use a one-piece instrument with a double reed made of cane. One name for this instrument was the dulcian, which came from the Latin word meaning "soft and sweet." The English version was called the curtal.
During the reign of Louis the XIV (1643-1715), French instrument makers constructed a new curtal made of four separate pieces/ similar to Bassoon. Its use rapidly spread throughout western Europe. Throughout the 1 700's keys were added so that more notes could be played.
In the 1820's, Carl Almenrader redesigned the Bassoon, and through a partnership with Adam Heckel, developed the German Bassoon. It is this Bassoon, with minor changes and improvements, that is played today in the United States, most of Europe, and elsewhere around the world. A French Bassoon also exists, and is played mostly in France and some parts of Canada.
Today, Bassoons are played in bands, orchestras, woodwind quintets, and other small ensembles. Bassoons are usually made of maple, rosewood, ebonite, or plastic.
The saxophone was invented in 1841 by a Belgian clarinetist named Adolphe Sax. After settling in Paris, Sax patented his new invention in 1846. The instrument soon became popular across all of France. Many American musicians visiting Europe took a liking to the saxophone, and it soon found a home in America, where it has remained popular ever since. Adolphe Sax actually created 14 different sizes of saxophones, seven for orchestra pitched in C and F, and seven for band, pitched in Bb and Eb. The only saxophones still in common use today are the Eb Alto Saxophone, the Bb Tenor Saxophone, and the Eb Baritone Saxophone.
Although saxophones are built in different keys and sizes, each uses the same fingerings, allowing saxophone players to transfer from instrument to instrument with ease.
The saxophone was invented to be a bridge between the woodwind and brass sections, and to boost the sound of the woodwind section in military bands. The instrument's combination of metal body and wooden reed allows it to blend equally well with brass or woodwind instruments. However, the saxophone is classified as a member of the woodwind family because of its flute-like key system and use of a reed.
Today Alto, Tenor, & Baritone saxophones are played in concert and marching bands, jazz ensembles, small chamber groups, and occasionally in orchestras. They are often featured as solo instruments. The Bb Soprano Saxophone is also used occasionally, especially in jazz and small ensemble music. A few orchestra pieces even call for the C Tenor Saxophone.
The cornet's history begins with the post horn of the late 1500's. The post horn was a short instrument used to signal the approach of the mail wagon. Over time, the instrument was lengthened and it was used to play fanfare-like calls.
The addition of valves to the post horn in 1828 formed the modern valve cornet. The mellow sound of the cornet was instantly popular and many brilliant cornet solos were written from 1850 to 1900. The cornet was popular in jazz bands until 1920, when the trumpet replaced it.
Today, cornets are played primarily in school, community, and military bands. The cornet often plays the same music as the trumpet, although sometimes there is a separate cornet part.
The Trumpet is one of the oldest instruments. It was first used for signaling in ancient China(2000 BC), Egypt(1500 BC), and Scandinavia(1000 BC). The Trumpet was long and had no valves. By Roman times, the trumpet was also played at military and civilian ceremonies.
The first musical use of the trumpet was in the late 1300's, when it acquired the folded shape similar to today's trumpet. In the 1500's, Nuremberg, Germany became the center of trumpet making. It was during that time that the first music for trumpets was written.
In the late 1700's, the trumpet became a regular member of the orchestra. Crooks (short pieces of tubing) were invented and were used to lengthen or shorten the Trumpet so it could be used to play more notes. In 1815, the valve was invented which made the crooks unnecessary. Now, the trumpet could play any note of the scale by using the valves.
Trumpets and Cornets are typically made of brass or other metal, usually silver-plated or lacquered. Today, Trumpets are played in bands, orchestras, jazz bands, brass ensembles, and popular music.
The 'horn' comes from a long tradition of instruments first used in ancient China (2000 BC), Egypt (1500 BC), and Scandinavia (1000 BC) These instruments were used for signaling and ceremony. However, because they had no valves, only a few notes could be played. By Roman times and for centuries thereafter, valveless "natural" horns were common at military and civilian events.
In the 1600's the natural horn was used in the royal mounted hunt. The instrument was coiled and fit over the arm of the player who rode with the hunt, playing fanfares and horn calls.
The horn became a regular member of the orchestra during the 1 700's. Early in the century, a horn pitched in F was made in Vienna. This instrument had five detachable pieces of tubing called crooks. Crooks lengthened or shortened the horn so it could be played in the best key for the music. By employing crooks and using the right hand in the bell to stop certain notes, a skilled musician could play any note of the scale.
The invention of valves in 1815 made the awkward crooks obsolete. Two types of valves were developed: rotary (revolving cylinder) valves, and piston (up and down) valves. The French made smaller bored horns with piston valves, while the Germans created larger bored horns with rotary valves. It is the German version that is referred to in America as a French horn. In 1898, a German named Fritz Kruspe introduced the double horn. The double horn combines the single F and single Bb horns into one instrument. It is widely accepted and played by virtually all professional players today.
French horns are typically made of brass or other metal, usually silver-plated or lacquered. Besides orchestras, they are played in bands, woodwind quintets, and brass ensembles.
The Trombone is unique because it is the only modern instrument that uses a slide. The Trombone's ancestor is the tromba, a long trumpet of the Middle Ages. In Italian, the word Trombone means large tromba. An English ancestor of the Trombone was the sackbut, a type of slide instrument.
The Trombone of today is basically the same as it was when it appeared in 1450. By 1500, Nuremberg, Germany was the center of Trombone making. Since the Trombone was the only brass instrument of the time that could play any note of the scale, composers gradually found it to be a very useful instrument.
At first, the Trombone was played primarily in town concert bands and used in church to accompany singing. By the1 700's the Trombones were added to military bands. Mozart and other great classical composers wrote for the Trombone in operas and sacred works. Finally, by 1850, Trombones were regular members of the symphony orchestra. Parts were written for alto, tenor, and Bass Trombone. The addition of the valve attachment to the Trombone in the early 1 900's allowed the lower notes to be played more easily.
Today, Trombones are played in bands, orchestras, jazz bands, brass ensembles, and popular music groups.
BARITONE HORN & EUPHONIUM HISTORY
The Baritone comes from a long tradition of trumpet-like instruments first used in the ancient world for signaling and ceremony. Only a few notes could be played on these instruments made of conch shells, animal horns, and hollowed branches. By Roman times, and for centuries thereafter, brass trumpets and horns were common at military and civilian events.
The first baritones appeared in the late 1830's, just a few years after the invention of valved brass instruments. By 1850, Baritones were used extensively in military and school bands. They were often featured as solo instruments.
Baritones used during the American Civil War had bells which pointed backwards over the player's left shoulder. Since the band marched at the head of the army, this was necessary to allow the other soldiers to hear the music. After the Civil War, marching military bands gave way to concert bands, and baritones with bells pointing upward or frontward became standard.
The Baritone is very similar to the Euphonium. The Euphonium is larger bored and is related to the Flugelhorn. The baritone is more closely related to the cornet. Baritones usually have three valves, while Euphoniums often have four or even five.
Baritones and Euphoniums are typically made of brass or other metal, usually silver-plated or lacquered. They are played mostly in bands, and occasionally in orchestras.
The Tuba comes from a long tradition of trumpet-like instruments first used in the ancient world for signaling and ceremony. Only a few notes could be played on these instruments made of conch shells, animal horns, and hollowed branches. By Roman times and for centuries thereafter, brass instruments were common at military and civilian events.
The first direct ancestor of the Tuba was the serpent, a large wooden tube covered with black leather. Invented in the late 1500's, this low, mellow sounding instrument was shaped like a snake. It had six finger holes which the player could cover and uncover to create different notes.
While brass instruments had existed for centuries, they remained valveless until 1815. Following the invention of valves, the tuba was developed to complete the choir of brass instruments in military bands. Also called the bass-tuba, it was patented in Berlin, Germany in 1835.
Manufacturers made tubas in many different shapes and sizes. One of the most successful was an over-the-shoulder model used in the United States during the Civil War. Near the end of the 19th century, the Sousaphone was developed, named in honor of the great bandleader, John Philip Sousa. This circular instrument with a forward-facing bell could be carried on the shoulder, making it especially popular for use in marching bands.
Today, Tubas are played in concert and marching bands, orchestras, and brass ensembles. Tubas are typically made of brass or other metal, usually silver-plated or lacquered. Instead of metal, some sousaphones are also made of fiberglass or plastic.
The Sousaphone is the circular instrument akin to this instrument, used primarily for marching bands. Further information may be found here: http://www.jwpepper.com/history/sousa.html
In Europe, the violin can be traced back to the 9th century, with its origin possibly in Asia. Not less than 450 years were required to bring it to its present form, representative of the experience acquired throughout the centuries by the makers of stringed instruments.
Three families of instruments appeared before 1500: the viola da gamba (viol held on or between the playerÕs knees), the lira DA braccio (played with a bow) and the viola DA braccio (held against the shoulder). It is from the viola DA braccio that the VIOLIN evolved.
The viola DA braccio resulted from reducing the number of strings of the vielle to three or four, adopting the pegbox and the lateral pegs of the rebec as well as the tuning in fifths, which is most convenient for small arm instruments as it allows the use of four fingers, thus increasing both the range and the maneuverability. It should be noted that the ribs are much lower than in the viola DA gamba, and the cut-out becomes increasingly marked. As for the two sound holes, which at the beginning were C or crescent-shaped, they soon adopted the form of an Ä as in the modern Violin.
The violin emerged in its definitive form between 1520 and 1550 in northern Italy with Milan as its centre (cf. map). The first violin makers in the area included, from Brescia, Giovan Giacomo Dalla Corna (ca. 1484-1530) and Zanetto de Michelis DA Montechiaro (ca. 1488-1562) who made lutes, lyres and other similar instruments. It should be noted, however, that the instruments of these violin makers were not all violins that had reached the final phase of their evolution.
The Electric Bass was developed in the United States by Leo Fender, and first sold in 1951. Although this came after the development of the Electric six-string guitar, there were few guidelines for using electricity with regular instruments. Fender was both skilled and lucky that his idea worked.
Before Fender's invention, the Bass instrument most commonly used in jazz and dance bands was the Acoustic Double Bass (the large, wooden Bass instrument of the orchestra). However, with the rise of the Electric Guitar, musicians needed a Bass instrument that could produce louder sounds than the double Bass. They also wanted an instrument that was smaller and more portable, and easier to play with precision.
The new instrument, Fender's Electric Bass, took its shape and basic design from the Electric guitar, but kept the range and function of the double Bass. Its popularity was firmly established right from the start. Many designs and devices have been applied to the original Electric Bass. Innovative circuitry and body construction, and unique neck and body shapes have become signatures of various manufacturers.
Today, Electric Basses are played in jazz ensembles, rock bands, and concert bands.
BELLS
The Bells have metal bars and are played with brass metal, hard plastic,
rubber, or wood mallets.
RANGE: 2- 21/2 octaves [In general, 1 octave above middle C]
XYLOPHONE
The Xylophone has wooden or synthetic(Kelon) bars. It usually has a resonating
tube under each bar. The Xylophone is played with rubber, plastic, wood,
or yarn mallets.
RANGE: 3 - 31/2 octaves [In general, 1 octave below middle C]
VIBRAPHONE
The Vibraphone( also called Vibes or Vibraharp) has metal
bars and a resonating tube under each bar. It also has a damper pedal
to control the ringing of the bars, and a motor-rotated disk or fan in
each resonator which can be used to create a pulsating, vibrato effect.
The Vibraphone is usually played with rubber or yarn mallets.
RANGE: 3 - 3 1/2 octaves [In general, 1 octave below middle C]
MARIMBA
The Marimba has wooden bars and a resonating tube under each bar. It
is played with soft or medium yarn or rubber mallets.
RANGE: 4 - 5 octaves [In general, 1 -1 1/2 octaves below middle
C]
CHIMES
The Chimes (also called Tubular Bells) are long hanging metal tubes,
usually supported on a frame. Most sets of Chimes are played with rawhide,
wood, plastic, or hard rubber hammers.
RANGE: 2 octaves [In general, the lowest note is middle C]