Orchestra Facts
The title for the person who directs the orchestra to execute the composer's musical ideas.
What is the conductor?
This section of the orchestra has the most instruments.
What is the violin section?
This living composer is known for his soundtrack scores including but not limited to Star Wars, Harry Potter, E.T., Jaws, Home Alone, and Indiana Jones.
Who is John Williams?
The Italian term for "speed."
What is tempo?
Good Burritos Don't Fall Apart and All Cows Eat Grass reflect acronyms for which clef?
What is the bass clef?
The ensemble title that includes the 4 main instrument groups: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.
What is a symphony orchestra?
These are the 4 main instrument categories.
What are strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion?
This composer began losing his hearing in his mid-20s, after building a strong reputation as a composer and musician.
Who is Ludwig van Beethoven?
The Italian term for "volume."
What are dynamics?
The term for the 5 lines and 4 spaces that we use to write music.
What is the staff?
The title for the 1st chair of the 1st violin section.
What is the concertmaster?
This is the material our bow hair is made of.
What is horse hair?
This composer lived from 1678 to 1741 and is well-known for his "Four Seasons" work.
Who is Antonio Vivaldi?
The Italian term for "plucking."
What is pizzicato?
The fraction at the beginning of the music that explains how many beats are in each measure and what type of note = 1 beat.
The stand-partner responsible for turning pages.
What is the inside player? (left side for violins, right side for violas and celli)
Which string instrument has the shortest bow?
What is the double bass?
This composer is known for being a child prodigy, composing his first piece of music when he was just 5 years old!
Who is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
The term to describe how notes and phrases should be played, as communicated by the composer.
What is articulation?
The symbol at the beginning of the staff that tells us which notes to play sharp (#) or flat (♭), establishing a "home key."
What is a key signature?
The accessory dedicated to softening volume for instruments for string and brass instruments (violin, viola, cello, bass, trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba)
What is a mute?
The instrument that tunes the symphony orchestra.
What is the oboe?
This renowned composer lived from 1840-1893 and is known for the following works: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, and the 1812 Overture.
Who is Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky?
The symbol placed at the beginning of the staff that assigns specific pitches to the lines and spaces.
What is a clef?
This type of note is made of an empty note head connected to a stem.
What is a half note?