Instruments (Tone Colour) - Student Workbook

Instruments
Name:
Class:
Page intentionally left blank for ease of reading.
Contents
4
Name that sound
30
The Drum kit
Orchestral families
31
Song Analysis
What is tone colour?
32
Song Analysis
Tone colour
33
Methods of sound production
Instruments of the orchestra
34
Name these instruments
10
The violin family
37
Mood
11
The percussion family
39
Peter and the wolf
12
The woodwind family
42
Instrument identification
14
The brass family
44
Instruments of the world
16
Describing tone colour
45
How does sound start?
17
Synonyms
48
Find-a-word
18
Adjectives
50
Find-a-word
19
Antonyms
52
Crossword
20
Mood
54
The instrument alphabet
21
Orchestral timbre
55
Definitions
23
Soundscapes
25
Instrument categories
26
Hornbostel-Sachs - Instrument
categories
27
Guitar
Name that sound
Listen to the following aural examples. List the sound and write a brief description of how that sound is made.
Sound
Description
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
4 - Instruments
Copyright S. Forrester - 2012
String:
Woodwind:
Brass:
What instruments do you find in an orchestra? Complete the different categories below.
Orchestral families
Percussion
What is tone colour?

Tone colour is the aspect
of sound that allows us to
identify the sound source.
(NSW, music syllabus). What
does this mean? To gain a

better understanding of the
definition for tone colour
define each of the circled
words. Once you understand their meaning find a

synonym for each word and
rewrite the sentence.
What is a synonym? Synonyms are words with identical or similar meanings.
Tone colour is the aspect of sound that

allows us to identify the sound source.
In music what would the sound sources be?
Write your sentence below.
6 - Instruments
Tone colour
Tone colour is the concept of music associated with describing sounds and mood in music.
One of the six concepts of music, tone colour is

an essential element in creating mood.
Tone colour is the aspect
The elements of tone colour
of sound that allows us to
For example, when you
hear the sound of a familiar
How sound starts
voice you are identifying the
Sound
tone colour of that persons
voice. Tone colour is the aspect of sound that is unique
Number of instruments and role
Combinations of instruments to create mood
to an instrument, voice or
object. Even when two difCombining sound sources
ferent instruments play the
same pitch they can be
identified separately via
the unique tone colour that
each instrument produces.
When we talk about tone
colour we refer to the quality of sound. This is deterSound sources
mined by several factors; the
material of the instrument
Performing media
The way sound is produced
or voice, the techniques
employed in producing the
sound, the layers of sound
Describing
and the effects the sound
has on the music.
A synonym for the term
Remember: Timbre is another word for tone colour
tone colour is timbre (tamber).
Tone Colour
Techniques
Questions
1.
What is it that allows us to recognise the difference between peoples voices?
2.
What are the factors that determine the quality of sound?
3.
List five types of material that instruments are built from?
4.
What is a synonym?
5.
What is a synonym for the term tone colour?
6.
Referring to the diagram above, what are the six elements of tone colour?
Galettis, H. 2009. Musical concepts : music 1 aural skills preliminary and HSC course. 1st ed. Jacandra Plus.
Instruments - 7
Instruments of the orchestra
Orchestras have four sections: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. The classical orchestra consisted of the following instruments:
Strings: 1st Violins

2nd Violins
Violas
Cellos
French horns
Double basses
Woodwinds:
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets
2 Bassoons
2nd violins
Brass:
2 French horns

2 Trumpets
Percussions:
2 Timpani
This diagram demonstrates the layout of a classical orchestra
1st violins
8 - Instruments
Timpani
Flutes
Clarinets Bassoons
Oboes
Trumpets
Violas
Cellos
Conductor
Double basses
Instruments - 9
The violin family
The violin family of musical instruments was developed in Italy,

in the 16th century. The standard
modern violin family consists of
the violin, viola, cello, and double
bass. The playing ranges of the
instruments in the violin family
overlap each other, but the tone
quality and physical size of each
distinguishes them from one another. Both the violin and the viola
are played held under the jaw.
The viola is the larger of the two
instruments. The cello is played
sitting down with the instrument
between the knees. The double
bass is played standing or sitting
on a stool and is the largest
All instruments are typically played using a bow. A bow
is a piece of wood that is strung
typically with horse hair. This is
scraped against the strings to
produce sound. Alternatively
these instruments can be played
pizzicato; meaning to be played
with the fingers. The double bass
is commonly played this way in
jazz music.
Questions
1. How many different instruments form the string section of an orchestra?
2. List the instruments of the
string family in order of
size.
3. Do the ranges of the
instruments of the string
family overlap?
4. How is the violin and viola
played?
5. How is the cello held
when played?
6. What are the two methods
that are used to create
sound on the instruments
10 - Instruments
of the string family?

7. What does pizzicato
mean?
8. What is a bow made
from?
9. In what style of music
other than classical may
you see a double bass?
Doublebass
Cello
Viola
Violin
String instruments of the orchestra
The percussion family

A percussion instrument
is a musical instrument that
is sounds when struck or
scraped by a beater (including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles),
struck, scraped or rubbed
by hand, or struck against
another similar instrument.
Percussion instruments are
most commonly divided into
two classes: Pitched percussion instruments; these produce notes with an identifiable pitch, and unpitched
percussion instruments;
these instruments produce
sounds without an identifiable pitch.
Percussion instruments are
found in the majority of music ensembles, including the
orchestra. Since the Classical period (1750 - 1820) at
least one pair of timpani
has been included. In the
late 18th and 19th centuries,
other percussion instruments
were added to the percussion section of the orchestra.
The use of percussion instruments became more frequent in 20th century music.
Questions
1. What is a percussion instrument?
2. Percussion instruments
are often divided into two
categories, what are the
two categories?
3. Are percussion instruments commonly found
in ensembles?
4. In what period of music
did the timpani become
part of the orchestra?
Xylophone
Cymbals
Conga
Tambourine
Timpani
Gong
Bongo drums
Bass drum
Instruments - 11
The woodwind family

A woodwind instrument
is a musical instrument that
produces sound when the
player blows air against a
sharp edge or through a
reed. This makes the air within the instruments resonator
vibrate. Many of these instruments are made of wood,
however, these instruments
can be made from other
materials, including a variety
metals and plastic.
Subcategories:
Flutes produce sound
when air is blown across an
sharp edge. Flute type instruments fall into two sub-families: open flutes and closed
flutes.
1) The open flute family. Instruments of the open
flute family are instruments
where the players lips form
a stream of air that directly
flows across the sharp edge
of the instruments mouth
piece. Transverse flutes
and end-blown flutes are
members of the open flute
family. Ancient flutes were
made from tubular sections
of plants, such as grasses,
reeds, and hollowed-out
tree branches. Later, flutes
were made of metals; including, tin, copper and bronze.
Modern concert flutes are
usually made of high-grade
metal alloys, often containing nickel, silver, copper,
and/or gold.
2) The closed flute family. Instruments of the closed
flute family have a channel
to form and direct the air
stream over an edge. This
family includes devices such
as whistles and the musical
recorder family.
Reed instruments. Single-
12 - Instruments
reed instruments use a reed;

a thin-cut piece of cane or
plastic that is held against
the aperture of a mouthpiece with a ligature. When
air is forced between the
reed and the mouthpiece,
the reed vibrates, creating
sound. Single reed instruments include the clarinet
and saxophone families.
Double-reed instruments,
use two precisely cut, small
pieces of cane joined together at the base. The finished, bound reed is inserted
Piccolo
into the top of the instrument

and vibrates as air is forced
between the two pieces.
There are two sub-families:
Exposed double-reed instruments, where the reed goes
between the players lips.
This family includes the oboe,
cor anglais (also called English horn) and bassoon.
Capped double-reed
instruments, where the player
blows through a hole in a
cap that covers the reed.
This family includes the crumhorn and the cornamuse.
Flute
Clarinet
Bagpipes can have a

single or double reed. These
are functionally the same as
capped reed instruments as
the reeds are not in contact
with a players lips.
Free reed woodwind
instruments are instruments
that produce sound as air
flows past a vibrating reed in
a frame. Air pressure is typically generated by a players breath (e.g. harmonica)
or with bellows (e.g. accordion).
Questions
1. What does a woodwind
player do to create sound
Oboe
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
on a woodwind instrument?
Are woodwind instruments exclusively made
from wood?
What materials can
woodwind instruments be
made from?
In the past, what materials
have flutes been made
from?
What are modern flutes
made from?
Woodwind instruments
have two sub-groupings,
Saxophone
what are they?

7. What is a reed?
8. How do reed instruments
make sound?
9. Name two single reed
instruments?
10. What is a double reed?
11. Name three double reed
instruments?
12. What is a cap? What does
it do?
13. What is a free reed woodwind instrument? Name
one.
Bassoon
Instruments - 13
The brass family

A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic
vibration of air in a tubular
resonator in sympathy with
the vibration of the players
lips. Brass instruments are
any instrument that is considered to be a lip-vibrated
instrument.
There are several factors
involved in producing different pitches on a brass instrument:
1. the alteration of the
players lip tension, or
embouchure in association with the players
control of air flow;
2. the slides or valves that
are used to change the
length of the tubing, thus
changing the pitch of
the instrument.
The term brass instrument
is defined by the way an
instrument produces sound
and not by the material
that the instrument is made

from. Therefore, instruments
that require lip vibration to
produce sound are considered to be brass instruments.
fingers that introduce additional tubing, or crooks, into

the instrument, changing
its overall length. This family
includes all of the modern
Trumpet
These instruments can be
made of wood, like the
alphorn, the cornett, the serpent and the didgeridoo..
Modern brass instruments
generally come in one of
two sub-groupings: valved
brass instruments and slide
brass instruments.
Valved brass instruments
use a set of valves (typically
three or four but as many as
seven or more in some cases) operated by the players
brass instruments, (the trumpet, horn (also called the

French horn), euphonium,
and tuba, as well as the cornet, flgelhorn, tenor horn
(alto horn), baritone horn,
sousaphone, mellophone,
and the old saxhorn) except
the trombone.
Slide brass instruments
use a slide to change the
length of tubing. The main
instruments in this category
are the trombone family,
Trombone
14 - Instruments
though valve trombones are

occasionally used, especially in jazz. The trombone
familys ancestor, the sackbut and the folk instrument,
bazooka are also in the slide
family.
Questions
1. What must the player of
a brass instrument do in
order to produce sound?
2. What is the principle
characteristic of a brass
instrument?
3. What is the proper term
for the lip tension of a
brass player?
4. Do instruments need to
be made of brass to be
considered a brass instrument?
5. What other materials
could a brass instrument
be created from?
French horn
6. What are the two subgroupings that brass
instruments are divided
into?
7. What are valves? What
do they do?
8. Name three instruments

that have valves.
9. What does a slide on
a trombone allow the
player to do?
Tuba
Instruments - 15

After identifying a sound
source in a listening excerpt,
the next step is to describe
the sound in terms of tone
colour. Adjectives are used
in this instance to describe
the various tone colours that
might exist. Below are some
examples of adjectives that
are often used to describe
the tone colour of the instruments or vocal sounds in a
piece of music.
flutter-tonguing
raucous
fuzzy
reedy
gruff
resonant
harmonic
rich
harsh
ringing
haunting
rough
high-pitched
rumbling
airy
hollow
rustic
animated
jingling
sad
bending
light
scraping
booming
lush
screechy
brassy
majestic
shaken
breathy
melancholy
shimmering
bright
mellow
shrill
brilliant
metallic
slithery
buzzing
muddy
smooth
clear
muffled
solemn
clicking
muted
sombre
coarse
nasal
sonorous
comical
percussive
strong
dark
piercing
sweet
deep
pizzicato
thin
distorted
plucked
tinkling
dramatic
powerful
velvety
eerie
pure
vibrating
fiery
rattling
warm
16 - Instruments
Instruments - 17
Hollow
Strong
Coarse
Dark
Sharp
Hot
Happy
Write synonyms for the following words.
Synonyms
Sweet
Excited
Thick
Sad
Warm
Scared
Smooth
Adjectives
18 - Instruments
Instruments - 19
Hollow
Strong
Light
Bright
Sharp
Hot
Clear
Write antonyms for the following words.
Antonyms
Sweet
Excited
Thick
Sad
Warm
Scary
Smooth
Mood
20 - Instruments
Orchestral timbre
Activity
Watch the DVD and describe;

1. the tone colour of each instrument
2. the materials the instrument is made from
3. the type of instrument it is (aerophone, chordophone, electrophone, idiophone or membranophone)
1. Alto saxophone
2. Double bass
3. Bass clarinet
4. Bassoon
5. Celeste
6. Cello
7. Clarinet
8. Contrabassoon
9. Cymbals
10. Cor Anglais
11. Flute
12. French horn
13. Harp
Instruments - 21
Activity continued
14. Harpsichord
15. Oboe
16. Organ
17. Piano
18. Piccolo
19. Snare drum
20. Soprano Saxophone
21. Tenor Saxophone
22. Timpani
23. Trombone
24. Trumpet
25. Tuba
26. Viola
27. Violin
28. Xylophone
22 - Instruments
Soundscapes
Soundscapes are part of our everyday world.
Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around

you. What you are hearing is a soundscape.
The term soundscape
refers to both the natural
acoustic environment, consisting of natural sounds, including animal sounds, the
sounds of weather and other
natural elements; and environmental sounds created
by humans, through musical
composition, sound design,
and other ordinary human
activities
The term soundscape

can also refer to an audio
recording or performance
of sounds that create the
sensation of experiencing a
particular acoustic environment, or compositions created using the sounds of an
acoustic environment. This
can be either exclusively or
in conjunction with musical
performances.
Questions
1. What is a soundscape?
2. What sounds would you
consider to be naturally
occurring environmental
sounds? Give 5 examples.
3. Give examples of five
different soundscapes.
4. Can a soundscape be
composed by a composer?
5. What might a composer
create a soundscape for?
Activity
You have been asked to create a soundscape for a horror movie, The haunted house.
Using the sound effects on the keyboard create a soundscape and narration of a horror scene for this movie. Your soundscape is to be no longer than two minutes. Follow
the steps bellow to create your soundscape.
Steps
1. Find the available sounds on the keyboard and write down the sound-bank
number and the key for that sound.
Sound description
Example - Screaming
Soundbank
119
Note
C2
Instruments - 23
Sound description
Soundbank
Note
2.
Write your narration with details of when the key is to be pressed.
3.
Rehearse your soundscape.
4.
Record your soundscape.
24 - Instruments
Instrument categories
Curt Sachs and Erich Hornbostel created the modern way that instruments are categorised.
Can you think of the five different ways that musical

instruments produce sound?
The modern, standard method
of instrument classification was
introduced in 1914 by Curt Sachs
and Erich von Hornbostel. Sach
and Hornbostel were two musicologists who believed that the
current system at the time was not
inclusive of instruments other than
those that were played in Western
orchestral music. As a result they
collaborated on the creation of
a method to categorise all musical instruments by the way that
they produce sound. Their method
became known as the Sach-Hornbostel instrument classification.
This method of instrument
classification grouped all musical
instruments into five broad categories according to the way in which
they produce sound. The five
families are:
Instruments in which air is the
primary vibrating medium for
the production of sound are
called aerophones.
Instruments in which a string
(chord) is the primary vibrating
medium are called chordophones.
Instruments whose own
substance vibrates to produce
sound are called idiophones.
Instruments that emit sound
by the vibration of a stretched
membrane are called membranophones.
Instruments in which the initial
sound is produced by electronic means or is conventionally produced (as by a vibrating
string) and then electronically
amplified are called electrophones.
List five instruments that belong to each category

Aerophones
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chordophones
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Idiophones
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Membranophones
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Electrophones
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Instruments - 25
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1.
Chordophone:
2.
1.
Aerophone:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Electrophone:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Idiophone:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Membranophone:
Hornbostel-Sachs - Instrument categories
Guitar
The guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the world.
In its 500 year existence the guitar has become

a global instrument, embraced by many cultures.
The guitar is a plucked,
stringed musical instrument
that originated in Western
Europe in the early 16th
century. The early guitar was
narrower and deeper than
the modern guitar.
The guitar originally had
four courses (strings); by the
late 18th century a fifth and
sixth course was added.
The 19th-century innova-
three metal-spun silk strings.

Nylon is now used in place of
gut.
Among variant forms of
the guitar are the 12-string
acoustic guitar, or doublecourse, guitar; the Mexican
jarana and the South American charango, both small
five-course guitars. Other
forms of the guitar include
the steel-string guitar played
Hawaiian, or steel, guitar,

in which the strings are
stopped by the pressure of
a metal bar, producing a
sweet, gliding tone; and the
electric guitar, in which the
tone depends not on body
resonance but on electronic
amplification.
Throughout its existence luthiers have built guitars from
a variety of different material, including, steel, plastic,
carbon graphite and fiberglass. However, wood has
This diagram shows the parts of an electric guitar
Headstock
Bridge
Tuners
Volume control
Pick-ups
Input jack
Toggle switch
tions were largely the work

of Antonio Torres. The instrument that resulted was
the classical guitar, which
is strung with three gut and
with a plectrum in folk and

popular music; the archtop guitar, with a violin-type
bridge and tailpiece, often
used in jazz and blues; the
Fretboard
remained the most popular

material that guitars are built
from. The wood chosen for a
guitar is determined by the
tonal qualities of the timber.
Instruments - 27
This diagram shows the parts of an acoustic guitar
Sound hole
Frets
Tuners
Soundboard
Bridge
Pick guard
Questions - Write and answer the following questions in your book

1. What century was the guitar originally developed?
2. How many strings did the guitar originally have?
3. The changes made to the guitar during the 19th century are attributed to what person?
4. What materials can the strings of a guitar be made from?
5. Name five different types of guitar.
6. In design, what instrument is the archtop guitar similar to?
7. How does the steel guitar make sound?
8. How does an electric guitar make sound?
9. What materials are guitars built from?
28 - Instruments
Label the different parts of the two types of guitars below.
Instruments - 29
The Drum kit

Label the different parts of the drum kit
Next to each name write whether it is an idiophone or a membranophone as well as an adjective to describe
the timbre of each instrument.
30 - Instruments
Song Analysis
Song name:
What is the composers / performers name? (Circle)
What instruments do you hear?
Is there a singer? (Circle)
Yes
What gender is the singer? (Circle)
No
Male
Female
Choose words that you think best describe the singers voice: (Circle)

Warm
Harsh
Rough
Sweet
Thin
Gravelly
Rich
Stressed
Nasal
Strong
Weak
Clear
Were there effects added to the singers voice? (Circle)
Yes
No
Are there sounds that you cannot identify? (Circle)
Yes
No
If yes, describe these sounds:
Can you identify the use of sound effects on any of the instruments?
How does this piece make you feel?
Instruments - 31
Song Analysis
Song name:
What is the composers / performers name? (Circle)
What instruments do you hear?
Is there a singer? (Circle)
Yes
What gender is the singer? (Circle)
No
Male
Female
Choose words that you think best describe the singers voice: (Circle)

Warm
Harsh
Rough
Sweet
Thin
Gravelly
Rich
Stressed
Nasal
Strong
Weak
Clear
Were there effects added to the singers voice? (Circle)
Yes
No
Are there sounds that you cannot identify? (Circle)
Yes
No
If yes, describe these sounds:
Can you identify the use of sound effects on any of the instruments?
How does this piece make you feel?
32 - Instruments
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1.
2.
1.
Hit:
Blow:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Scrape:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Methods of sound production

Shake:
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Pluck:
Name these instruments

V
D
C
H
P
E
34 - Instruments
G
B
F
C
O
R
S
Instruments - 35
T
F
T
T
E
S
36 - Instruments
Mood
Composers choose certain

instruments specifically for
their tone colour. Some can
create the precise musical
effect intended by the composer. For example, composers of film scores write music
to fit the mood or setting of
a scene in a movie. Composers do this by combining the
specific tone colours of certain instruments to create the
1.
Piece
desired effects.
Below are some words to
describe the musical effect
that composers may develop in their music through
tone colours.
adventurous
aggressive
calm
energetic
euphoric
exciting
futuristic
happy
majestic
melancholic
mellow
sad
scary
sombre
spiritual
stimulating
tense
uplifting
Mood
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Instruments - 37
9.
Piece
Mood
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
38 - Instruments
Peter and the wolf

Written in 1936, Peter and
the Wolf is a composition by
Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953),
a Soviet composer. The composition was commisioned by
the Central Childrens Theatre
in Moscow as a way of introducing the instruments of the
orchestra to children. Prokofiev completed the composition and narration in four days.
Peter and the Wolf features
a narration that is accompanied by an orchestra consisting of: flute, oboe, clarinet in
A, bassoon, 3 French horns,
trumpet, trombone, timpani,
triangle, tambourine, cymbals,
castanets, snare drum, bass
drum and strings.
Each character in the story
has a particular instrument
and a musical theme:
Questions
1. What country was Sergei Prokofiev from?
2. Who commissioned the composition, Peter and the

Wolf?
3. List the instrumentation and the instrument family that it

belongs to.
Instrument
Instrument family
Bird: flute
Duck: oboe
Cat: clarinet
Grandfather: bassoon
Wolf: 3 French horns
Hunters (gunshots): timpani
and bass drum
Peter : string instruments
Walt Disney produced an
animated version of the work
in 1946. This version makes several changes to the original
story:
In 2006, Suzie Templeton
directed a modernised, stopmotion animated adaptation, Peter and the Wolf. This
interpretation did not feature
the narration, only music and
periods of silence.
Instruments - 39
Instrument
Instrument family
4. How many characters are there?
5. How are the characters represented?
6. Why do you think that Prokofiev chose the particular instruments for his composition?
7. Describe the theme of each character and the tone colour of the instrument used to
represent this character.
40 - Instruments
8. Write a synopsis of Peter and the Wolf. Outline how each character is introduced and
describe each characters theme
Instruments - 41
42 - Instruments
Instruments
Instrument type
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
(Tick the correct column)
Description of timbre
A = Aerophone, C = Chordophone, E = Electrophone, I = Idiophone, M = Membranophone
Song
Listen to the aural examples and list the instrumentation of each.
Instrument identification
Instruments - 43
Instruments
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
(Tick the correct column)
Instrument type
Description of timbre
A = Aerophone, C = Chordophone, E = Electrophone, I = Idiophone, M = Membranophone
Song
Instruments of the world
44 - Instruments
Instrument
Country of origin
Accordion
Germany
Bagpipe
Scotland
Bandonen
Argentina
Bodhrn
Ireland
Bouzouki
Greece
Cajn
Peru
Caxixi
Western Africa
Conga
Cuba
Cretan Lyra
Crete
Cuatro
Puerto Rico
Damaru
India
Digeridoo
Australia
Guqin
China
Hurdy-Gurdy
Hungary
Kalimba
Africa
Karnay
Uzbekistan
Lyre
Greece
Mandolin
Italy
Marimba
Mexico
Nose flute
Polynesia
Oud
Iraq
Saxophone
Belgium
Shamisen
Japan
Sitar
India
Tabla
India
Talking drum
Western Africa
Tres
Cuba
Yangqin
China
How does sound start?

All sound initially starts with
a vibrating sound source.
This sound source vibrates
due to one of five possible
methods;
hitting
blowing
shaking
scraping
plucking
The vibrations of a sound
source move as soundwaves
through air particles. This
soundwave is sensed by
our ear and transmitted via
nerves to our brain where it
is processed as sound (diagram 1).
Sound is measured in a
unit of measurement called
a Hertz (Hz). In music Hertz
Diagram 2
is the measurement of the

amount of cycles a sine
wave repeats per second
(diagram 2).
The pitch and volume of
a soundwave depends on
the length and height of
the soundwave. The length
of a soundwave, otherwise
known as the frequency of
a soundwave determines
the pitch of a sound. If the
repeating rate of a soundwave increases the pitch
of this sound will become
higher. If a soundwaves frequency doubles the pitch of
the sound will be an octave
higher (diagram 3).
This is easily observed with
stringed instruments. Thick
strings on a musical instrument vibrate slowly and

therefore have a low sound.
Thin strings have a fast vibration and therefore produce
a high sound.
The height of a soundwave, otherwise known as
the amplitude determines
the volume of the sound. The
higher the height of a soundwave the louder the volume.
Humans can hear sounds
between 20Hz to 20000Hz.
However, sounds exist below and above the range
that humans can hear. For
example, elephants communicate at much lower sounds
whilst dogs can hear far
higher sounds than humans.
1 Hertz (Hz) = 1 Sine wave per second
Amplitude
(volume)
Frequency
(pitch)
1 second
Questions
1. How does sound start?
2. What are the five methods used to produce sound?
3. Draw a diagram that shows the process of how sound is created through to the point
that it is heard by a human ear?
4. Does the thickness of the strings on an instrument determine the pitch that is produced
by these strings? How?
5. Explain the unit of measurement, Hertz.
6. Draw a Sine wave.
7. What does the height of a soundwave determine?
8. What does the length of a soundwave determine?
9. What is the range that the human ear can hear?
A sound is created
Diagram 1
The sound wave travels through

air particles
The sound wave is sensed by

our ear
The sound wave is processed by

our brain.
The process of sound creation and identification.
(Frequency)
Low
G#/
Ab
C#/
Db
4x
A#/
Bb
2x
Pitch
F#/
Gb
(Frequency)
D#/
Eb
(Frequency)
C#/
Db
8x
(Frequency)
High
In music the frequency and pitch of a note doubles every octave (8 notes).
Diagram 3
Find-a-word
ACOUSTIC
KEYBOARD
AEROPHONE
MANDOLIN
AMPLIFIER
MEMBRANOPHONE
BANJO
METAL
BASSOON
OBOE
BLOWING
OUD
BONGO
PERCUSSION
BRASS
PLUCKING
CELLO
SAXOPHONE
CHOIR
SCRAPING
CHORDOPHONE
SHAKE
CLARINET
SHAKING
CLAVE
SITAR
CONGA
SKIN
CONTRABASSOON
STRINGS
CYMBAL
SYNTHESISED
DJEMBE
TAMBOURINE
DOUBLE BASS
TIMPANI
EFFECTS
TONE COLOUR
ELECTRONIC
UKULELE
ELECTROPHONE
VIOLA
GUIRO
VIOLIN
GUITAR
VOICE
HARP
WOOD
HITTING
WOODWINDS
IDIOPHONE
XYLOPHONE
O M O
W O
W C
O M
O M
Find-a-word
ACCORDION
GUQIN
BAGPIPE
HARP
BANDONEN
HURDY-GURDY
BANJO
KALIMBA
BASSOON
KARNAY
BLOWING
KEYBOARD
BODHRN
LYRE
BONGO
MANDOLIN
BOUZOUKI
MARIMBA
BRASS
METAL
CAJN
NOSE FLUTE
CAXIXI
OBOE
CELLO
OUD
CHOIR
SAXOPHONE
CLARINET
SHAMISEN
CLAVE
SITAR
CONGA
SYNTHESISER
CONTRABASSOON
TABLA
CRETAN LYRA
TALKING DRUM
CUATRO
TAMBOURINE
CYMBALS
TIMPANI
DAMARU
TRES
DIDGERIDOO
UKULELE
DJEMBE
VIOLA
DOUBLE BASS
VIOLIN
GUIRO
XYLOPHONE
GUITAR
YANGQIN
50 - Instruments
O W
W O
M G
G M
O W
O W
M O
M O
Instruments - 51
Crossword
ACROSS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The aspect of sound that allows us to

Aerphones use this to produce sound.
These are often added to electric guitars to change the sound.
Percussion instruments that do not
have skin are collectively categorised as this.
The motion of a bow of a string.
a stringed instrument that is held between the legs and played with a bow.
The trumpet, tuba and trombone be-
long to this family of instruments.

8. The clarinet, bassoon, flute, piccolo
and oboe belong to this category of
instruments.
9. A popular type of African drum starting with D.
10. Instruments that use electricity are
collectively categorised as this.
52 - Instruments
DOWN
1.
This instrument consists of a number of

small cymbals and skin. It is played by
being shaken and hit.
2. Instruments that use air are collectively categorised as this.
3. This instrument is a precursor to the
guitar and is one of the oldest known
string instruments.
4. This instrument originated in Portugal,
however, it is now commonly associated with Hawaii.
5. This instrument is a large, tuned percussion instrument that is a common
member of orchestras. It is also known
as a kettle drum.
6. Instruments that produce sound with
strings are collectively categorised as
this.
7. Membranophones and idiophones
are these type of instruments.
8. The body of a violin is made from this.
9. This instrument is played with a bow
or pizzicato (with the fingers). It is the
lowest string instrument in pitch and is
commonly found in orchestral music
and jazz.
10. This instrument is from Latin America.
It is a percussion instrument that is often shaped like a fish and played via
a scraping motion with a stick.
10
10
Instruments - 53
The instrument alphabet

Using each letter of the alphabet create a list of instruments.
54 - Instruments
Definitions
Tone Colour:
Orchestra:
Aerophone:
Chordophone:
Electrophone:
Idiophone:
Membranophone:
Graphical notation:
Performing media:
Instruments - 55

Instruments (Tone Colour) - Student Workbook

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Instruments

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Name that sound

The Drum kit

What is tone colour?

Methods of sound production

Instruments of the orchestra

Name these instruments

The violin family

The percussion family

Peter and the wolf

The woodwind family

The brass family

Instruments of the world

Describing tone colour

How does sound start?

The instrument alphabet

Name that sound

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

What is tone colour?

does this mean? To gain a

words. Once you understand their meaning find a

What is a synonym? Synonyms are words with identical or similar meanings.

Tone colour is the aspect of sound that

Write your sentence below.

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

One of the six concepts of music, tone colour is

What is it that allows us to recognise the difference between peoples voices?

What are the factors that determine the quality of sound?

List five types of material that instruments are built from?

What is a synonym for the term tone colour?

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Instruments of the orchestra

Strings: 1st Violins

This diagram demonstrates the layout of a classical orchestra

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

The violin family

The violin family of musical instruments was developed in Italy,

of the string family?

The percussion family

The woodwind family

reed instruments use a reed;

into the top of the instrument

Bagpipes can have a

what are they?

The brass family

that the instrument is made

fingers that introduce additional tubing, or crooks, into

brass instruments, (the trumpet, horn (also called the

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

though valve trombones are

8. Name three instruments

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Describing tone colour

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Write synonyms for the following words.

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Write antonyms for the following words.

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Watch the DVD and describe;

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012

Copyright S. Forrester - 2012