If we want to get technical, you could also place the xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and the bells in the keyboard category. They are referred to as keyboards at times as well.
A violoncello is the formal name for a cello; it's not a cross between a violin and a cello. Much of the sheet music for cellos has the label 'violoncello' instead of 'cello', so it should be accepted as an answer
So you know, if you want me on wood block, I can keep perfect time. Some call me 'The Human Metronome.' You notice how I’m always on time? I’m never late for things.
Like the changes and updates that were made. Much more accurate than previous incarnations. I can go either way with including Euphonium and Saxophone, but I think it should be a neither or both situation.
Neither or both? Euphonium is a brass instrument, very similar to the Baritone (baby tuba). The saxophone is completely different and is a woodwind instrument. Where a Euphonium is used in orchestras at times, and complements a brass section well, the saxophone's sound does not work well in an orchestra. It really is more of a jazz/solo instrument.
I think including Euphonium (or baritone) makes complete sense, but including saxophone makes no sense at all..
That seems highly subjective. In general, neither a euphonium nor a saxophone are present in standard orchestra set-up, but are usually featured in a typical concert band. I think that was the rationale behind OP's thinking it should be neither or both.
cedric you can become a professional triangle player when you are proficient in all other percussion instruments, if your a good boy you may get to bang the gong sometimes as well.
"Rex Stardust, lead electric triangle with Toad the Wet Sprocket, has had to have an elbow removed following their recent successful worldwide tour of Finland." (Monty Python, of course.)
There certainly are some percussion instruments that should be added. Tambourine, Cowbell, Castanets, Guiro, Timbales, Mark Tree, to name a few. Also Cymbals is quite a generic answer. Why not Crash and Ride Cymbals, or even Splash and China?
Needs canons if it wants to perform the 1812 Overture. Also, in my experience the English Horn is more commonly called the Cor Anglais, while the French Horn is just called a French Horn, not Cor Français (or Cor d'harmonie as I believe the French themselves call it). This seems the wrong way around to me.
Beers snobs are the worst because they're trying to seem sophisticated without actually *doing* anything. At least band snobs learn their instruments and master difficult performance pieces, so they have some right to feel their opinion is superior. Beer snobs are people who love drinking and want to somehow make it seem cultured. I love a quality microbrew as much as anyone, but the snobbish culture that has developed around drinking beer, watching movies, and eating "artisanal" food in the past years is laughable.
It's interesting that the baritone or euphonium are not included in a typical orchestral brass section. While they do mimic very closely the range of a trombone, they also provide a more mellow sound that is useful in situations where the trombone might be too brash. I wasn't aware they weren't included until coming across this quiz.
I was about to express my surprise at this as well. I played euphonium in high school band, and there were a lot of songs we played that had parts for me distinct from the trombones.
I would not have known that "wooden block" was an orchestral instrument if I had not read https://chris-lamb.co.uk/posts/the-truth-about-orchestral-players the other day. It will deepen your appreciation of the orchestra to know something about the performers.
Why are the celesta and Pipe organ listed together. The celesta is like orchestral bells (or glockenspiel if you prefer) with a keyboard-while a pipe organ is a wind instrument with a keyboard.
Looked up the wikipedia article on orchestral percussion and the tenor drum is not listed. If you didn't use the orchestral percussion page, what reference did you use?
There are several pieces of classical music (most famously Rodriguez's Aranjuez Concierto) that use guitar, so if you are going to be overly pedantic with your "bass trombone" and "bass clarinet" - you may as well add in the guitar as well.
wind chimes and chimes are different; chimes are like a bigger and louder glockenspiel that you hit with a mallet that looks like a hammer, whereas wind chimes are just a bunch of metal sticks that hang off of a rod that you push and they cling all at once. Look them up.
Not the same at all. A baritone is not even a trombone. A bass trombone is a trombone with a larger bore and extra tubing for the lower notes. If you are confused, look for the long slide to determine if it is a trombone or not.
I hope you are joking. Bass Trombones are quite different from Baritones. Only similarity is that they are both low brass instruments, but baritones can be a more higher instrument sometimes. Do your research kid
Yeah, I tried so many percussion instruments and so few were there. I can't believe they left out so many percussion instruments like the djembe, bongos, bulb horn, castanets, crotales, field drum, sleigh bells, or guiro!
Again, Percussion has a very large array of instruments.
(Also, responding to a comment from 4 years ago lets go)
Everyone's all like "cannon cannon cannon" and I'm wondering where the hammer is. It's used in more than just one piece, unlike the cannon. Mahler 6, the Ring Cycle, Il Trovatore off the top of my head, not sure what others if any.
It's a WW Instrument yes; however, it's not a "common" orchestra instrument. The others listed are commonly seen in orchestras then and now, while saxophones aren't.
This quiz is missing Euphonium/Baritone in the Brass section. If you include bass trombone, a prominent subdivision of trombone, you have to include baritone, a just-as-prominent subdivision of tuba.
The euphonium is not considered a standard part of the orchestra. The only well-known piece that I know of that has a part scored for it is Holst's The Planets.
The bass trombone is very commonly used in large orchestral works from the late Romantic period and later.
Fair warning, this comment is going to be very pedantic. Apologies in advance lol. As an orchestral musician (cellist), there are a couple of things that really bug me about this quiz. Why mention the pipe organ parenthetically along with the celeste? That pairing makes no sense whatsoever. If you want to include another keyboard instrument along with the piano I would have added the harpsichord before the organ, which is very commonly used as part of the continuo in Baroque/early Classical era music, and in some 20th century orchestral music as well. The organ does appear as a solo instrument occasionally, but it is rarely an integrated member of the orchestra.
My other quibble would be about the gong. A gong is a class of percussion instruments. The specific type that is common in orchestras is called a tam-tam, and that is typically how it is referred to in scores. I think "gong" would be acceptable is a type-in, but I'd prefer to see the tam-tam as the correct answer in the quiz.
Yeah, these should certainly be removed. Personally I would also remove the celesta, piano, chimes, glockenspiel, gong and xylophone. Definitely not as rare as the four you mentioned, but in my opinion more 'guests' than standard orchestra instruments.
This quiz is very misleading. Though some of these instruments can be seen in a standard orchestra, a lot aren't used all the time like the quiz implies.
As many have pointed out, lots of other instruments have been used in various orchestral works. But the basic makeup of an orchestra has remained largely unchanged for 150 years. That's the list we see here. Orchestral musicians and composers have been content to stick with Romantic-era tradition even though many other instruments are available. The logistics of operating an orchestra are much simpler that way. But there is one recent addition to the list: the vibraphone, and electronic instrument invented in the 20th century. How did it ever land a spot on the list of "standard" orchestral instruments?
There are two types of clarinet in every symphony orchestra, A and Bflat.
As well as bass clarinet (which is much less common, except for example in Stravinsky), there is Eflat clarinet, for example Copland's Appalachian Spring.
You need to research your woodwind more thoroughly; we're much more important in a symphony orchestra than the various inanimate objects hit by percussionists!
I think including Euphonium (or baritone) makes complete sense, but including saxophone makes no sense at all..
They are considered part of a traditional orchestra, whereas guitars are not.
Edgard Varese is rolling over in his grave!
There are so many percussion instruments it is hard to think of them all.
Again, Percussion has a very large array of instruments.
(Also, responding to a comment from 4 years ago lets go)
We've got the bongos, guitar, saxophone, digeridoo, drums, banjo and a rainstick......
Didn't read the comments, so if nobody wrote it before - you should add "Contrabass" for Double bass :)
The bass trombone is very commonly used in large orchestral works from the late Romantic period and later.
My other quibble would be about the gong. A gong is a class of percussion instruments. The specific type that is common in orchestras is called a tam-tam, and that is typically how it is referred to in scores. I think "gong" would be acceptable is a type-in, but I'd prefer to see the tam-tam as the correct answer in the quiz.
As well as bass clarinet (which is much less common, except for example in Stravinsky), there is Eflat clarinet, for example Copland's Appalachian Spring.
You need to research your woodwind more thoroughly; we're much more important in a symphony orchestra than the various inanimate objects hit by percussionists!