Musical journeys: Instruments of the orchestra

What is an orchestra?

An orchestra is a group of musicians. It includes lots of instruments and sometimes up to 100 players.

Instruments in the group or ensemble include:

• Ones that you bow like a violin. This is called the string section.
• Ones that buzz like a trumpet. This is called the brass section.
• Ones that blow like the flute. This is called the woodwind section.
• Ones that you hit like the bass drum. This is called the percussion section.

Watch: Explore the instruments of the orchestra

Watch musicians from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra play and talk about their different instruments.

Glossary

Here are the meanings of some important words.

Musical ensemble - A music group that includes many players.
Instrument - An object used to make sounds.
Section - The orchestra has four sections of instruments, called families: string, woodwind, brass and percussion.
Notes - Each different sound is called a note.
Valves - These are like keys on a trumpet, that you press down for different sounds.

Activity

Quiz