Orchestra Central

It can be tough to know what to choose if you're starting out playing an instrument in a band. Luckily, we're here to help. In this band instruments list, we will give you a brief overview of some of the most popular band instruments. Brass Instruments Trumpet The trumpet is considered one of the most ancient members of the brass family. Starting out as merely a signaling instrument for different occasions, the trumpet has had quite an interesting evolution to become a...

Exploring the woodwind instruments list can expand your musical prowess and knowledge if you are an aspiring performer in the orchestra or a stellar bandleader.  For instance, did you know a recorder is a woodwind? Read on to discover the interesting musical instruments in the woodwind family, how to play them, and the value they add to an orchestra and ensembles.  What Is a Woodwind Instrument? Before delving into the woodwind instruments list, let's first lay the foundation on what woodwind instruments mean. So, what is a woodwind...

Despite their deceptively simple appearance, membranophones are part of a vast and complicated world of musical instruments. And with that, let's take a look at a membranophone instruments list, and find out if all percussion instruments are a membranophone.  What Is a Membranophone Instrument? A membranophone instrument produces sound through vibrations on a stretched-out membrane. That's where the name comes from: membrane and -ophone. Membranophones are primarily played by striking a stick or mallet on their stretched membranes. You can also use your hands to hit the membranes. For instance, in...

An orchestra's brass and woodwind instruments form a lengthy list, but the idiophones instruments list includes many more. But what is an idiophone, how does it produce a sound, and what instruments are classified as idiophones? You are in luck because we'll answer these questions and more in this article. What Is an Idiophone Instrument? An idiophone instrument is part of the Hornbostel-Sachs Membranophone Musical Instrument Classification or Hornbostel-Sachs system for short. Unlike chordophones and membranophones, idiophone instruments do not rely on membranes or strings to make a sound; it makes sound by...

From marching bands and classical orchestras to jazz, brass instruments remain a significant component of modern-day music. That's why it's important to be familiar with the brass instruments list. And, this article gives you a closer look at these musical instruments. What Is a Brass Instrument Brass instruments are musical instruments that produce sound by reverberating and amplifying the vibration of the lips via a tubular resonator. They are sometimes referred to as labrosones or labrophones in scientific circles. They belong to the family of wind instruments...

String instruments are so versatile you can hear them in every musical era and genre of music - even classical music! And today, we're taking a closer look at some of the most common ones. Here is the string instruments list you should know about. What Is a String Instrument? A string instrument is a type of instrument that feature soundboxes, resonators, and strings. The body of the instrument is typically hollow so that it can amplify the sound of the strings. Its material is predominantly wood because of tonal qualities...

Still have your guitar in the standard EADGBE tune? It's time to mix things up! Alternate guitar tunings like drop D tuning broadens your guitar playing horizon to riffs and power chords so you can play covers of songs from Kurt Cobain, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and other rock bands!  But how do you tune your acoustic or electric guitar to these alternate tunings? Stick around because we'll teach you how.  Drop D Tuning First on our list is the drop D tuning. This alternate guitar tuning is...

Are you wondering who the best guitarists of all time are? Well, we have prepared a list of the best guitar players in the world. Check it out to see if you can spot your favorite guitarist. Jimi Hendrix Top of the list of the best guitarists of all time is Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was an American singer, composer, and rock guitarist legend. Many musicians consider him one of the best electric guitarists of all time. He is known for fusing traditional...

Suppose you're a musician interested in tackling a range of classical music pieces, but you aren't classically trained. In that case, you may come across some challenges with understanding one key factor in these arrangements, music tempos. A number of these compositions were created before the invention of the metronome and may not offer a mathematical time indication to determine the music tempo. Fortunately, there are other indicators that can help you perform the piece of sheet music as the composer intended.  Tempo Meaning in Music: What Is Tempo?

There are so many different types of banjos that it can be overwhelming to select which one is right for you. Do you get a four-string banjo or a 5-string? What's the difference between open back and resonator banjos?  In this article, we'll take a closer look at these stringed instruments and find out which one is suitable for your playing skills and level. So, let's get right to it.  Open Back Banjos and Resonator Banjos When you shop for banjos, you'll often be asked whether you prefer...