Instrumentation

• woodwind


  flute, piccolo, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone
• brass


  trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, euphonium
• tuned percussion


  timpani, glockenspiel, celesta, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, crotales
• untuned percussion


  bass drum, cymbals, triangle, snare drum, tambourine, tam-tam, claves
• bowed strings


  violin, viola, cello, double bass
• plucked strings


  harp, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, zither
• keyboard instruments


  piano, organ, harpsichord, synthesizer
• chamber ensemble


  group of instruments with one musician per part
• symphony orchestra


  A large instrumental ensemble consisting of the four families of instruments: woodwind, brass, percussion, strings
• string orchestra


  1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos, double basses
• soprano


  highest female voice
• treble


  boy soprano
• countertenor


  adult male soprano who uses falsetto to achieve the high register
• mezzo-soprano


  mid-range female voice
• contralto


  lowest female voice
• tenor


  high male voice
• baritone


  mid-range male voice
• bass


  lowest male voice
• S.A.T.B.


  choir made up of parts for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass
• chorus


  the choir in an opera or oratorio (in musicals, they are known as the ensemble)
• soloist


  a single instrument/voice that has the main musical material
• accompaniment


  the instrument(s) / voice(s) presenting the less prominent musical material
• obbligato


  a solo instrument that has an accompanying role in a piece
• vibrato


  a rapid pulsation / pitch fluctuation that enriches the sound
• falsetto


  a technique used by adult male singers to sing in an unnaturally high register
• belting


  a technique used in musical theatre that uses lots of nasal resonance, using the chest voice in a high register
• con sordino


  with a mute
• tremolo


  a trembling effect created by playing a note repeatedly as fast as possible
• glissando


  sliding from note to note
• arco


  play with the bow
• pizzicato


  plucking the strings instead of bowing them
• double-stopping


  playing two strings at once
• harmonic


  lightly touching a string so that only some overtones are heard, creating a high-pitched, glassy sound
• hammer-on


  guitar technique of sounding a note with the fretting hand by sharply bringing down a finger on to the string
• pull-off


  guitar technique of playing a new note without re-picking the string by sliding a fretting finger along the string
• bending


  guitar technique of pulling the string sideways to raise the pitch of a note after it has been sounded
• pre-bending


  guitar technique of pulling the string sideways just before the note is sounded, then releasing it, lowering the pitch
• picking


  guitar technique of sounding each string individually
• strumming


  guitar technique of sounding all the strings at once
• flutter-tonguing


  blowing while fluttering the tongue, similar to a rolled "R"