WINDS INSTRUMENTS

The tuba
It is the largest of the brass instruments and its predecessors are the serpent and the ophicleide.
It is one of the most recently added instruments to the modern symphonic orchestra.
appeared in 1835 with Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz, replacing the ophicleide of
18th century. The first time the modern tuba was used in a symphony orchestra was in "The
"Ring of the Nibelung" by Richard Wagner. It reinforces strings and woodwinds or how
instrument for solos.

The flute
It is believed that the flute is the oldest musical instrument due to its simplicity. It can be found in
all cultures, hence the surprising number of types of flutes that exist. The most classic ones
they are made of wood or metal, but there are various materials: bone, glass, ivory, plastics, or resins
industrial. Its construction is of extreme simplicity. A medium-sized tube with several
orifices that close or open to produce certain sounds with cadence and rhythm.

The trumpet
The sound of the trumpet is powerful. This brass instrument belongs to the group of metals.
and is a fundamental part of orchestras, whether it be a symphonic, chamber, salsa, jazz or in a
group of mariachis. As for their origin, it dates back to ancient times. The Hebrews attributed
its creation to Moses. It is a metal tube that bends in a spiral shape and ends in a
Expansion called bell. It has several valves that produce the tonalities of the notes.
The trombone
The trombone, a brass wind instrument, is characterized by the classification of sounds that
It emits to the pulsar the valves, as each piston changes the note or key according to the tuning. This
instrument from the 19th century and was used in large symphonic orchestras. Its sound is
It manifests through the vibrations of air projected in the nozzle, the movable tube extends the distance.
that the air must travel to produce the tone. The body of this instrument is made of brass.

The clarinet
This wind instrument occupies the woodwind section in the orchestra, alongside the
flutes, oboes, horns and bassoons. The body is made of wood, traditionally ebony. Its sound is
rich in nuances, very versatile and can produce any sound no matter how extreme it is. Its timbre is
due to the cylindrical geometry of their body. Various composers have written significant works.
for the clarinet and has played a significant role in jazz. There are several types, depending on their register: the
sopranino, soprano, alto, bass and double bass.

STRING INSTRUMENTS
The guitar
It is a plucked string instrument, since to produce its sound one must use the
fingers or a nail, straw or feather, according to the model. It has the shape of an eight, a mast with 17 frets.
or divisions, and since around 1870, the Spanish guitar builder Antonio de
Torres established its current measurements, with six strings. The origin of the guitar is lost in the
history and is believed to originate from Asia. It later passed to the Roman Empire, and from there to the
current affairs.
The harp
There are vestiges of musical instruments like the harp in Babylon, Egypt, and other civilizations.
ancient. It is a series of strings attached to a frame and a resonance box, that
they accompany the folk music of many cultures and even classical music concerts. To
American continent arrived with the Spanish conquest, where apart from Venezuela, there have been
firmly maintained in the traditional manifestations of countries like Colombia, Mexico and
Paraguay.

The violin
It is a bowed string instrument that is placed between the chin and the collarbone to play it.
It is also the one that produces the highest sound. It was created in the 16th century, simultaneously with
the viola da gamba. The first four-string violin, dated 1555, is attributed to the master
Andrea Amati. About this instrument, Yehudi Menuhin said: "The violin for me is a living being.
"that has a voice, which depends nonetheless on the way you make it sing."

The balalaika
It is a string instrument, traditional of Russian folklore, characterized by its shape.
triangular and simply having three strings. Originally, it was played solo to accompany
songs and dances, but now they are increasingly seen as part of the orchestras that perform.
modern arrangements of folkloric pieces. There are six sizes ranging from piccolos to
double bass, depending on the depth of the sound they emit and are made from wood of
fir or pine.
 The electric guitar
It was born in the mid-1930s in response to the limitations presented by the acoustic guitar,
product of new musical styles (Blues, Jazz), which emerged especially in the United States.
The first one to hit the market was the Rickenbacker brand. Its main feature is the
to convert the vibrations of its strings into electrical signals, which has allowed it to compete with
other instruments in rock group performances and stand out for their sound power.

The mandolin
It appeared in the late 16th century in Italy, where the 'mandola' emerged. The term 'mandolin' is cited.
for the first time in 1563, in reference to a smaller variant. In the 17th century,
composers like Antonio Vivaldi and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart include it in their works. Their
variants include the Italian mandolin, used for classical music; the folk one, very common in the
Brazilian and Irish music, and the bluegrass genre, which is very popular in the United States.

The electric bass

This modern instrument, the electric bass, is only 60 years old, but the traditional one, the
double bass, comes from the 16th century, and its ancestor, the viola, is even older, as it dates back to
15th century. In fact, the double bass is a fairly close relative of the viola, and even in its
Initially, it had six strings, although the traditional one has four. Along with the percussion, the bass.
Electric serves as the foundation for any band, regardless of its genre. It marks the rhythmic time.
It belongs to popular music.

The cello
It is a string musical instrument played with a bow, larger than the viola and smaller than
the double bass and with an intermediate register between both. The performer, who is seated, places it
between her legs to touch it. It is the double bass of the family of chordophones, that is to say, of the
musical instruments that produce sound by vibrating strings. It emerged in the first half
from the 16th century. One of its great modern exponents was the Azerbaijani, Mstislav Rostropovich.

PERFORMANCE INSTRUMENTS
The drum
If there is an instrument that has accompanied humanity, practically since its origins, it is
the drum. Technically it is called a 'membranophone', meaning it consists of at least one
membrane (made of leather, fabric, plastic, paper, thin wood) and a base that is generally
circular. The sound is produced by striking that membrane, either with the hand or with a stick or
stick. The base of the drum can be made of wood, metal, plastic, fiberglass, bamboo, and in
In some cases, it is also struck, which offers timbral contrasts.

The battery
Complex instrument of the orchestra due to the variety of percussion elements. Although
usually the same parts are used, others capable of producing can be incorporated
musical sounds. The basic or classic drum set is made up of drums that are almost always from
wood, timbales, cymbals, bass drum, snare, toms, brushes and the pedals to control the
different instruments. They are also usual companions like bells, tambourines, curtains,
bongos, conga, and Chinese box.

The tapara maracas

The maraca is considered an idiophone instrument due to its total vibration and lack of
of additional tension. The maraca is made from the dry fruit of the totumo, into which are introduced
dry seeds. They are selected according to the size of the tapara. The maraca was
used since pre-Columbian times in America, and the indigenous people played a single one. In music
popular danceable Latinas, generally found in pairs, hence the term in plural
maracas
The tambourine
It is a membranophone percussion instrument belonging to the group of frame drums.
It is made up of one or two composite rings, one centimeter or less in thickness, equipped with
brass, iron or tempered steel rattles, whose opening is covered by edges with very leather
Lisa and stretched (parchment). The tambourine originated in Mesopotamia, the Middle East, India, Greece.
and Rome. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it made its way in America through operas and theatrical productions.

The castanets
Wooden percussion instrument, popularized by that name in Spain. Those knowledgeable about it
the subject indicates that it was born more than three thousand years ago in Turkish and Phoenician civilizations.
Dancer Tatiana Reyna explains that in the world of flamenco they are known as 'palillos'.
There are sea shells, carved from ebony, grenadilla or rosewood, and those made from fiber.
a mixture of sawdust that does not break easily, preventing tragedies behind the scenes. The gypsy
who does not have money to buy them, dispenses with them and opts to snap his fingers.

The leather maracas

A salsa orchestra is never without maracas, which although they are still an instrument
idiophone, that is to say, it produces sound by its own vibration, its sound is completely different from that of its
sisters, those of the llanera music. They are totally handcrafted and their size determines the
Tonal quality. The larger ones sound deeper and the smaller ones produce higher tones.
The one who introduced them to the orchestra was the Venezuelan percussionist known as "Pan con queso."
 The triangle
The first time the triangle sounded was in Egypt. This small instrument is made up of
a cylindrical steel bar, bent into the shape of an equilateral or isosceles triangle, open at one end
vertex. It is supported by an animal fiber cord and is touched with a metal rod to achieve
certain effects. Wagner used it in the 'Waltz of the Apprentices'. Its weak appearance does not prevent that
its sound can be above the orchestra. It underscores both joy and drama.

The rattle
For music to have a seat and complement, there are occasions when it is needed.
timbre complements. These can be achieved with idiophone instruments, such as the
rattle. It looks like a toy, but it is also used to produce sound effects in both works
symphonic as in popular pieces. It consists of an axis whose toothed end strikes a reed.
of wood when spinning it. The speed of the spin will determine the rhythm and, consequently, the effect.
required

The drawer
It is known as the flamenco box, although Peru claims its birth and places it at the beginning of
19th century. Forbidden the diabolical drums, the black slaves found that those boxes
the wooden ones they used to carry loads produced a percussive sound that was adjusting
to the extent of their expressive needs. Spain and flamenco arrived much later, in
1977, at the hand of Paco de Lucía.
The bell
When in the heat of the dance and the fierce salsa is boiling, the dancers' steps
they move thanks to a 'tititoc' that rings in the background of the instrumentation: it is the cowbell -
identical to that used by cows-, a metal idiophone that the percussionist plays and alternates its use with
the congas or with the bongo, or well, with the timbales. It is characteristic of Afro-Caribbean culture.

The xylophone
This percussion instrument consists of a series of wooden plates, suspended over
a resonating box and arranged in the form of a keyboard, following the order of the notes of the
musical scale. It is played by striking the bars with two rods whose rounded tips are
they are covered with felt or rubber. Its origin is located in Indonesia, from there it spread to the rest of Asia and
Africa, from where it was taken by slaves to South America. Europe got to know it during the
16th century.

The vibraphone
Percussion instrument similar to the xylophone, but with aluminum bars instead of wood.
They hit rhythmically with heads made of thread, wool, or nylon. It owes its name to the
mechanism of tubes and discs that provides the vibrato. The first vibraphone was marketed in
USA in 1921. The original steel design was modified in 1927 to make the sound more
smooth. Jazz popularized it as an instrument.