Area in an ancient theater for the chorus," from Latin orchestra, from Greek orkhestra, semicircular

space where the chorus of dancers performed, with suffix -tra denoting place + orkheisthai "to dance,"
perhaps an intensive of erkhesthai "to go, come," but Beekes rejects the suggested derivations.

The violin is the baby of the string family, and like babies, makes the highest sounds. There are more
violins in the orchestra than any other instrument (there can be up to 30!) and they are divided into two
groups: first and second. First violins often play the melody, while second violins alternate between
melody and harmony. A typical-sized violin is around 24 inches (two feet) long, with a slightly longer
bow. You play the violin by resting it between your chin and left shoulder. Your left hand holds the neck
of the violin and presses down on the strings to change the pitch, while your right hand moves the bow
or plucks the strings.
The viola is the older sister or brother of the violin. It is slightly larger, just over two feet long, and has
thicker strings, which produce a richer, warmer sound than the violin. There are usually 10 to 14 violas in
an orchestra and they almost always play the harmony. You play the viola the same way as you do the
violin, by resting it between your chin and shoulder. Your left hand holds the neck of the viola and presses
down on the strings to change the pitch, while your right hand moves the bow or plucks the strings.

The cello looks like the violin and viola but is much larger (around 4 feet long), and has thicker strings
than either the violin or viola. Of all the string instruments, the cello sounds most like a human voice, and
it can make a wide variety of tones, from warm low pitches to bright higher notes. There are usually 8 to
12 cellos in an orchestra and they play both harmony and melody. Since the cello is too large to put
under your chin, you play it sitting down with the body of the cello between your knees, and the neck on
your left shoulder. The body of the cello rests on the ground and is supported by a metal peg. You play
the cello in a similar manner to the violin and viola, using your left hand to press down on the strings,
and your right hand to move the bow or pluck the strings.
This is the grandfather of the string family. At over 6 feet long, the double bass is the biggest member of
the string family, with the longest strings, which allow it to play very low notes. The 6 to 8 double basses
of the orchestra are almost always playing the harmony. They are so big that you have to stand up or sit
on a very tall stool to play them, and it helps if you have long arms and big hands. Like the cello, the body
of the double bass stands on the ground, supported by a metal peg, and the neck rests on your left
shoulder. You produce sound just like on a cello, using the left hand to change pitch and the right to
move the bow or pluck the string.

The harp is different from the other stringed instruments. It's tall, about six feet, shaped a little like the
number 7, and has 47 strings of varying lengths, which are tuned to the notes of the white keys of the
piano. There are usually one or two harps in an orchestra and they play both melody and harmony. You
play the harp sitting down with your legs on either side, with the neck of the harp leaning on your right
shoulder. Each string sounds a different note (they come in different colors to help you tell one from
another) and you play them by plucking the strings with your fingertips and thumb. Attached to the
bottom of the harp are seven foot pedals, which change the pitch of each string and allow them to sound
the pitches of the black keys on the piano.
The flute is the oldest of all instruments that produce pitched sounds (not just rhythms), and was
originally made from wood, stone, clay or hollow reeds like bamboo. Modern flutes are made of silver,
gold or platinum; there are generally 2 to 4 flutes in an orchestra. A standard flute is a little over 2 feet
long and is often featured playing the melody. You play the flute by holding it sideways with both hands
and blowing across a hole in the mouthpiece, much like blowing across the top of a bottle. Your fingers
open and close the keys, which changes the pitch.

A shorter version of the flute is called the piccolo, which means small in Italian. At half the size of a
standard flute, piccolos play the highest notes of all the woodwinds; in the orchestra one of the flute
players will also play piccolo if that instrument is required. The high piping sound of the piccolo is also
heard in traditional drum corps and marching band music.
The oboe is a 2 foot long black cylinder with metal keys covering its holes, and its mouthpiece uses a
double reed, which vibrates when you blow through it. This vibration of the reed makes the air inside the
oboe move, and thus creates sound. To play it, hold the oboe upright, blow through the double reed in
your mouth, and use both hands to press down on the keys to open and close the holes and change the
pitch. There are usually 2 to 4 oboes in an orchestra and they produce a wide range of pitches, from
haunting sounds to warm, velvety smooth notes, which make the sound of the oboe very memorable. In
addition to playing in the orchestra, the first oboist is also responsible for tuning the orchestra before
each concert. Listen for the special note "A" that the oboe plays before the music begins.

Despite its name, it isn't English and it isn't a horn. The English horn is actually closely related to the
oboe, also uses a double reed, and is played in the same manner. It's longer than an oboe and its tube is
a bit wider. At the bottom end of the English horn it opens out into a rounded bell shape, which gives it a
warmer, fuller sound. Because it's larger, the English horn also has a lower pitch range than an oboe. An
oboe player will also play English horn if it is needed.
The clarinet could easily be mistaken for an oboe, except for the mouthpiece, which uses a single reed.
Clarinets come in a number of different sizes, and the standard B-flat clarinet is just over 2 feet long.
Some musical works require the clarinetist to play several types of clarinet in the same piece. The 2 to 4
clarinets in the orchestra play both melodies and harmonies, and they have a dark rich sound in their
lower notes, while the upper part of the clarinet's range is bright and resonant. You play the clarinet as
you do an oboe, by holding it upright, blowing through the reed, and using your hands to change the
pitches by opening and closing the keys with your fingers.

The bassoon is a long pipe, doubled in half, made of wood, with many keys. The bend in the pipe makes it
possible for musicians to play it comfortably. If it were straight, the bassoon would be around 9 feet
long! Like the oboe, the bassoon uses a double reed, which is fitted into a curved metal mouthpiece.
There are 2 to 4 bassoons in an orchestra and they have a similar range to that of the cello. Bassoons
usually play lower harmonies, but you will sometimes hear their hollow low notes featured in a melody.
You play the bassoon by holding it upright and blowing through the double reed. The air travels down the
tube and then makes a u-turn and goes up and out the top. Just like the oboe, you use both hands to
press on the keys to open and close the holes and change the pitch.
The ancestors of the modern trumpet have been a part of human culture for a very long time. Old
trumpet-like instruments played by ancient peoples were made of conch-shell, animal horn, wood or
metal. Throughout history the trumpet has been used to sound alarms, gather people together, as a call
to war, and to add luster to parade music. Like the violin, the trumpet is the smallest member of its
family and plays the highest pitches with its bright and vibrant sound. Today's modern trumpet is a
slender brass pipe with three attached valves, which is curved and bent into long loops. If you stretched
out the trumpet to its full length, it would be 6 ½ feet long! There are 2 to 4 trumpets in an orchestra and
they play both melody and harmony and also support the rhythm. You play the trumpet by holding it
horizontally, buzzing your lips into the mouthpiece, and pressing down the three valves in various
combinations to change pitch.

Unlike the English horn, which is neither English nor a horn, the French horn does originally come from
France and is unquestionably a horn. It comes from the French hunting horn of the 1600s, and produces
a wide variety of sound ranging from very loud to very soft, and from harsh and blaring to mellow and
smooth. The French horn's 18 feet of tubing is rolled up into a circular shape, with a large bell at its end.
There are anywhere from 2 to 8 French horns in an orchestra, and they play both melody and harmony
as well as rhythm. To play the French horn, hold it with the bell curving downward and buzz into
themouthpiece. Your left hand plays the three valves and you can change the type of sound you make by
the way you place your right hand in the bell.
The trombone is the only instrument in the brass family that uses a slide instead of valves to change
pitch. A standard trombone is made of long thin brass pipes. Two U-shaped pipes are linked at opposite
ends to form an "S." One pipe slides into the other so the total length of the pipe can be extended or
shortened. You play the trombone by holding it horizontally, buzzing into the mouthpiece, and using your
right hand to change pitch by pushing or pulling the slide to one of seven different positions. If you
stretch the trombone out straight, it is about 9 feet long. There are usually 3 trombones in the orchestra
and they play pitches in the same range as the cello and bassoon. The three trombones often play
harmonies together.

This is the grandfather of the brass family. The tuba is the largest and lowest brass instrument and
anchors the harmony not only of the brass family but the whole orchestra with its deep rich sound. Like
the other brasses, the tuba is a long metal tube, curved into an oblong shape, with a huge bell at the
end. Tubas range in size from 9 to 18 feet; the longer they are, the lower they sound. Standard tubas
have about 16 feet of tubing. There is generally only one tuba in an orchestra and it usually plays
harmony. You play the tuba sitting down with the instrument on your lap and the bell facing up. You
blow and buzz into a very large mouthpiece and use your hand to press down on the valves which
changes the sound. It takes a lot of breath to make sound with the tuba!
The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal,
usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into atriangle shape.

The xylophone (from the Greek words ξύλον—xylon, "wood"[1] + φωνή—phōnē, "sound,
voice",[2] meaning "wooden sound") is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of
wooden bars struck by mallets. Each bar is an idiophone tuned to a pitch of a musical scale,
whether pentatonic or heptatonic in the case of many African and Asian instruments, diatonic in
many western children's instruments, or chromatic for orchestral use