Flute
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The flute is a woodwind instrument that has been around for a long time. You make a sound by blowing air across a lip plate with a hole, much like blowing across a glass or plastic bottle. Keys are pressed in different combinations to create different pitches. Flutes are one of the highest pitched instruments in the band, and they often play the melody.
Listen to the flute!
Listen to the flute!
Oboe
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The oboe is a woodwind instrument. It is unique because it uses a double reed to make sound. The oboe has keys and holes to be covered in order to produce the different pitches. Like the flute, it often plays the melody and is a high pitched instrument.
Listen to the oboe!
Listen to the oboe!
Clarinet
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The clarinet is a woodwind instrument that uses a reed to produce a sound. Holes and keys are pressed in order to create the different pitches. Clarinets can produce very low sounds and very high sounds. In the band setting, clarinets often play both melody and harmony.
Listen to the clarinet!
Listen to the clarinet!
Alto Saxophone
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The alto saxophone is also a part of the woodwind family. Like the clarinet, it uses a reed to produce the sound. When different keys are pressed in combination, the pitches are produced. In the band, saxophones play both melody, harmony, and are used to blend sound with other instruments.
Listen to the saxophone!
Listen to the saxophone!
Trumpet (or Cornet)
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The trumpet is a member of the brass family. It has been around since ancient times and can be traced back to Egypt, Africa, and Greece. Sound is created by buzzing your lips on a mouthpiece. Different pitches are created through different combinations on three valves and through air. Trumpets are the highest sounding brass instrument. What is a cornet? A cornet is shorter and more conically shaped, but it sounds the same as a trumpet.
Listen to the Trumpet!
Listen to the Trumpet!
Horn
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The French Horn is a member of the brass family and can be traced back to 16th century hunting horns. Today, the horn's sound is produced by buzzing the lips on a mouth piece and playing rotary valves (these are different than trumpet valves). There are single horns pitched in F with three rotary valves and double horns that can play in F and Bb keys and have three valves and a thumb key. Most elementary students start on a single F horn. Horns can play both high and low notes. The horn provides an important middle voice in the band, blend well with all instruments, and can play both melody and harmony.
Listen to the horn!
Listen to the horn!
Trombone
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The trombone is a member of the brass family and has been known to exist since the 15th century. The sound is produced by buzzing the lips on a mouthpiece. Unlike the other instruments that have keys and holes to press in combinations, the trombone has a slide that changes the length of the tubing that the air passes through to create new pitches. Trombones play melody and harmony parts in the band and are considered "low brass" instruments.
Listen to the trombone!
Listen to the trombone!
Baritone (Euphonium)
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The baritone is a part of the low brass family and its origins can be traced back to ancient Rome where it was used in military and ceremonial functions. The baritone is played by buzzing on a mouthpiece and pressing different combinations of three or four valves to create different pitches. The Euphonium is a more conical shaped than the cylindrical tubing of the baritone, but both read the same parts and create the same pitches. In band, baritones often play the harmony, sometimes a melody, and blend well with the other instruments. Music can be read in either bass clef or treble clef.
Listen to the Baritone!
Listen to the Baritone!
Tuba
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The tuba is a member of the low brass family and was actually an ancestor to the trumpet. Tubas can have three to five valves and are large instruments. Sound is produced by buzzing the lips on a mouthpiece and pressing valves in different combinations to produce pitches. In band, tubas provide the foundation of the sound and often play bass lines, blend with other instruments. Some music will provide a melody or harmony for the tuba to play.
Listen to the Tuba!
Listen to the Tuba!
Percussion
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Percussion instruments are in a group all by themselves. They have been around since prehistoric times. Most modern percussion instruments are connected to military groups. Common band instruments that we use at our schools include snare drum, bass drum, timpani, xylophone, triangle, claves, tambourine, maracas, slide whistle, and cymbals. In fourth grade, our percussionists will have the chance to start playing on the xylophone. The picture to the right is the bell kit that percussionists will need to rent. It includes a set of bells, stand, carrying case, drum practice pad, drum sticks, mallets, and a stand to put on the bell set.