[Pt. II Proj.1] ~Research point 2.0: The orchestral score and INSTRUMENT GLOSSARY

Research point 2. 0: The orchestral score

Find out the instruments within each section of a standard symphony orchestra. Make a note of them and the order in which they appear in the score.

Since the second world war the modern orchestra has more or less remained the same size. It is a smaller orchestra than what was used in the Romantic era (due to post war financial difficulties). Modern symphony orchestras are approximately 100 members in size.

16-18 1st Vilolins. – Left of conductor, nearest to the audience.

16 2nd Violins. – Left of conductor.

12 Violas – in front of the conductor, a bit to the right.

12 Cellos – right of the conductor, opposite 1st Violins.

8 Double Basses – right of the conductor, behind cellos.

4 Flutes (one with piccolo as a specialty) – third row from back, to the left.

4 Oboes (one with English horn as a specialty) – third row from back, to the right.

4 Clarinets (one with bass clarinet as a specialty, another specializing in high clarinets) second row from back, to the left, after horns.

4 Bassoons (one with double bassoon as a specialty) – second row from back, in middle after clarinets.

5–8 Horns – second row from back, on far left.

4 Trumpets – second row from back, on far right.

4 Trombones (one with bass trombone as a specialty) – in the back to the right.

1 Tuba – in the back to the right.

1 Kettledrums – in the back in between Perc. Section and Tuba/Trombones

3–4 Percussionists (of whom at least one must also play kettledrum) – in the back to the left.

1–2 Harps – to the left, behind the violins, frequently in line with flutes and oboes.

1 Keyboards (piano, celesta, harpsichord, etc.) – to the left, behind the violins, frequently in line with flutes and oboes

ORCHESTRAL SCORE ORDER

WOODWIND SECTION

Flutes (Fl or Fls)

Piccolo

Flute

Alto Flute

 Oboes (Ob or Obs)

Oboe

Cor Anglais

Clarinets (Cl or Cls)

Clarinet

Bass Clarinet

Bassoons (Bsn or Bsns)

Bassoon

Contrabassoons

HORN SECTION

Horns (Hn or Hns)

BRASS SECTION

Trumpets (Tpt or Tpts)

Trumpets

Trombones (Trb or Tbn)

Trombones

Bass Trombone

Euphonium (Euph) (when present)

Tuba (Tuba or Tba)

PERCUSSION SECTION

Timpani (Timp)

Timpani

Percussion (perc)

Other Percussion (Triangle, agogo bells, tam-tam glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, tubular bells, tenor drum, bass drum)

Other Perc Instruments

Harp (hp)

Piano (pf) & Keyboards (kbd)

CHOIR (SATB) (when included)

Soprano (Sop)

Alto (Alt)

Tenor (Ten)

Bass (Bass)

STRING SECTION

Violin 1 (Vlns or Vns)

Violin 2 (Vlns or Vns)

Viola (Vla or Va)

Violoncello or Cello (Vcl or Vc)

Double Bass or Bass (DB)




INSTRUMENT GLOSSARY  (Instruments from Strauss’ Don Juan underlined).

English French German Italian
wind
instruments
Instruments à
vent
Blasinstrumenten strumenti a
fiato
woodwind
instruments
Les bois;
instruments à vent en bois
Holzblasinstrumente legno
reeds anches    
Double reeds Anches doubles    
flute flûte;
grande flûte;
flûte traversière
Flöte; Querflöte flauto
oboe hautbois Oboe oboe
clarinet clarinette Klarinette clarinetto
bass clarinet clarinette basse Bassklarinette clarinetto basso
bassoon basson Fagott fagotto
English horn cor anglais Englischhorn corno inglese
recorder flûte à bec; flûte douce/droite Blockflöte flauto dolce/
dritto/a becco
saxophone saxophone Saxophon sassofono;
saxofono
piccolo piccolo;
flûte piccolo;
petite flûte
Pikkoloflöte;
Piccolo;
kleine Flöte
ottavino;
flauto piccolo
oboe d’amore hautbois
d’amore;
hautbois
d’amour
Liebesoboe oboe d’amore
Brass
instruments
English French German Italian
brass instruments instruments à vent de cuivre; cuivres Blechblas
instrumente
ottone
horn cor Horn corno
natural horn cor simple Waldhorn corno naturale
trumpet trompette Trompete tromba; clarino
cornet cornet
(à pistons)
Kornett cornetta
flugelhorn   Flügelhorn flicorno
trombone trombone Posaune trombone
bass trombone basse-
trombone;
trombone basse
Bass Posaune trombono basso
tuba tuba Tuba tuba
baritone baryton;
bariton
Bariton baritono
euphonium euphonium Euphonium eufonio
Stringed
instruments
English French German Italian
string
instruments
Instrument à
cordes;
instrument à
cordes frottées
Saiten
instrumente
strumenti a
corda
strumenti archi
strings cordes Streicher archi
violin violon Violine; Geige violino
viola alto Viola; Viole;
Bratsche
viola
violoncello violoncelle Violoncello;
Cello
violoncello
double bass;
string bass
contrebasse Kontrabass contrabasso
viola da gamba viole de gambe;
viola da gamba
Viola da gamba;
Gambe
viola da gamba
viola d’amore viole d’amour Viola d’amore;
Liebesgeige
viola d’amore
Plucked instruments
English French German Italian
plucked
instruments
instruments à cordes pincées Zupf
instrumente
strumenti a
pizzico
cimbalom cymbalum Zymbal  
guitar guitare Gitarre chitarra
harp harpe Harfe arpa
lute luth Laute liuto
mandolin mandoline Mandoline mandolino
zither cithare Zither cetra da tavolo
Keyboard instruments
English French German Italian
keyboard instrument instrument à
clavier
Tasten
instrumente
strumenti a
tastiera
accordion accordéon Akkordeon fisarmonica
bayan   Bajan bayan,
fisarmonica
bayan
celesta célesta Celesta celesta
clavichord clavicorde Clavichord;
Klavichord
clavicordo
continuo;
thorough-bass
basse continue Generalbass;
Basso continuo
basso continuo
harpsichord clavecin Cembalo;
Clavicembalo
clavicembalo
organ orgue Orgel organo
piano piano Piano; Klavier piano
Percussion instruments
English French German Italian
percussion
instruments
instruments à percussion Schlag
instrumente;
Perkussionsinstrumente
strumenti a
percussione
bass drum grosse caisse Grosse
Trommel
cassa;
grancassa;
gran cassa
castenets castagnettes Kastagnetten castagnette
cowbells cloches à vache    
cymbals cymbales Becken piatti
drum tambour Trommel tamburo
glockenspiel glockenspiel;
jeu de timbres
Glockenspiel glockenspiel;
metallofono;
campanelli
marimba marimba Marimbaphon marimba
rattle crécelle Ratsche,
Knarre,
Schnarre
raganella
snare drum caisse claire Leinentrommel tamburo
rullante;
tamburo
militare;
rullante
tenor drum caisse roulante Rührtrommel;
Wirbeltrommel;
Tenortrommel
cassa rullante;
tamburino
tambourine tambourin Tamburin tamburello
timpani timbales Pauken timpano
tubular bells cloches
tubulaires
Rohrenglocke campane
tubolari
xylophone xylophone Xylophon xilofono
Electronic instruments
English French German Italian
electronic
instruments
     
computer ordinateur Computer
klänge
 
ondes martenot ondes martenot    
synthesizer synthétiseur   sintetizzatore
tape bande Tonbande;
Zuspielband
nastro
Other instruments
English French German Italian
dulcimer
(hammered)
  Hackbrett salterio
harmonica harmonica Mund
harmonika
 
Instrumental ensembles
English French German Italian
instrumental ensembles ensembles instrumentaux    
band orchestre
d’instruments à vent;
orchestre
à vent;
harmonie de
concert;
harmonie;
orchestre
d’harmonie
Blasorchester orchestra
di strumenti
a fiato
brass band fanfare    
chamber
orchestra
orchestre de
chambre
Kammer
orchester
orchestra da
camera
string
orchestra
orchestre à
cordes
Streich
orchester
orchestra
d’archi
orchestra orchestre Orchester orchestra
Voices
English French German Italian
voice voix Stimme voce
soprano soprano, dessus Sopran soprano
male alto/low
soprano
bas-dessus    
mezzo soprano mezzo-soprano Mezzosopran mezzosoprano
alto; contralto alto; contralto Alt contralto
tenor ténor, taille Tenor tenore
baritone baryton;
bariton
Bariton baritono
bass baritone basse taille    
bass basse Bass basso
counter tenor contre-ténor;
haute-contre
Contratenor controtenore
high voice haut hohe acuto
medium voice médium;
moyen
mittlere medio
low voice grave tiefe grave
Vocal ensembles
English French German Italian
vocal
ensembles
ensembles
vocaux
   
chorus chœur Chor coro
mixed voices voix mixtes Stimmen
gemischte
voci miste
women’s voices chœur
de femmes
Frauenchor;
Frauenstimme
coro femminile
men’s voices chœur
d’hommes
Männerchor;
Männerstimme
coro maschile
children’s
voices
chœur
d’enfants
Kinderchor voci bianche
equal voices voix égales Stimmen
gleiche
voci pari

The table above taken from Yale;

https://web.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/instname Music Cataloging at Yale ♪ Language tools (Russian diacritics and ligatures are not displayed. The source used for some of these names is Terminorum musicae index septem linguis redactus (Polyglot dictionary of musical terms). Budapest: Akadémaia Kiadó ; Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1978. ISBN 9630512769, 3761805535 and Instrument names in other languages from Dolmetsch online Thanks to Marco Adorna for assistance with the Italian terminology and Jean-Baptiste Mazon for help with the French terminology)