SACMUS NOTES - INSTRUMENTATION or TIMBRE

• what is the ENSEMBLE which is playing? e.g.: pop group, swing band, string quartet, symphony orchestra etc.

• what individual instruments are prominent within the ensemble?

• Do they use any special effects?

Ensembles: A string quartet is a standard grouping of two violins, viola and cello A Baroque orchestra will contain harpsichord continuo, strings, oboes, bassoons, trumpets etc. It will NEVER contain clarinets or saxophones. A symphony orchestra will contain a large string section (perhaps 24 first violins, 24 second violins, 12 violas, 16 cellos, 12 doublebasses, quadruple woodwind (i.e: 4 flutes, 4 clarinets, 4 oboes, 4 bassoons etc) brass, percussion section etc. A Brass Band will contain only brass instruments – i.e: no woodwind, no saxophones etc. A Military or Concert Band will contain the full range of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. A Big Band or Swing Band will be dominated by s saxophone sound, with lots of walking basses (usually on doublebass), muted brass sounds etc.

Special Effects include: Woodwind: flutter-tonguing Brass: brassing (belching sound) , muting (wahwah), hand-stopping (horn), glissando (slithering) (trombone) Strings: arco (bowed), pizzicato (plucked), spiccato (bouncing bow) , col legno (using the wood of the bow), harmonics (thin, wispy sounds) Percussion: clashed (cymbal) suspended cymbal (e.g.for a cymbal roll) drumroll, rimshot, Piano: una corda (soft pedal), octaves, thirds, sixths etc.

Some Historical clues: Harpsichord – seldom heard between 1770 and 1950, therefore almost certainly a sign of Renaissance or Baroque. Clarinet – invented in 1780s, made respectable by Mozart Trombone – ancient but made respectable by Beethoven who brought it into the orchestra for his Third (Eroica) Symphony. Saxophone – invented 1846 so missed the Classical Period altogether; seldom appears in “respectable” ensembles before Ravel’s Bolero (1928) Piano: - perfected in Classical Era although most people happily play Bach on it. Tone Colour: Monteverdi’s “Orfeo” of 1607 is the first piece to show any interest in instrumental TIMBRE or TONE-COLOUR. Look up ORCHESTRA at the foot of the page for more.