Library > Arts & Entertainment > Music > Musical Instruments

Energy In The Air: Sounds From The Orchestra

1999
On this site, you can explore the unique sounds of the symphony orchestra created by the brass, string, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Over 20 instruments are defined and pictured, and their special locations in the orchestra are identified. The note range of each instrument can be compared with that of the others. A short history of each instrument in included as well. Outstanding music by famous composers featuring each instrument is listed and many of them have links so that you can hear an example of each particular instrument. In the "Sound Is Energy" section the principle of acoustic energy and how instruments make sound is explored. Several instruments can be listened to individually and an image of their unique sound wave is shown. These instruments each play the same composition, so the individual parts can be compared. Finally we combine all of the instruments to demonstrate the way an ensemble is united in playing a piece. Simply classroom activities are presented to explain by hands-on experimentation the scientific principles on which vibrations produce pitch that creates the unique sounds of the four instrument groups. Several educational games are available; including testing the user's ability to visually identify instruments, unscrambling the letter of instrument names, and trivia quizzes using information learned on the site. Links are provided to instrument societies for young musicians taking lessons; and our bibliography lists resources for further study.