[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)