1 Aula de Música – CPI Monte Caxado Unit 3 – The string instruments

UNIT 3 - THE INSTRUMENTS

The instruments of the Orchestra:

An Orchestra is a large group of people who play various musical instruments together. It’s led by
a conductor: a person who stands in front of the orchestra or a group of singers and directs their
performance.

A Symphony Orchestra is the biggest type of orchestra. It has four sections or groups of instruments:
strings, woodwind, brass and percussion, and they all are always sitting in the same places:

The strings

A string is a stretched piece of wire or nylon on a musical instrument that produces a musical note
when the instrument is played. All of these instruments are played with a bow.

‘The strings’ [plural] means the group of musical instruments in an orchestra that have strings: for
example, the violins. ‘The strings’ means also the people who play them.

There are four instruments in this group: violin, viola, violoncello and double bass.
2 Aula de Música – CPI Monte Caxado Unit 3 – The string instruments

 VIOLIN: is a musical instrument with strings,

that you hold under your chin and play
with a bow.

 VIOLA: is a musical instrument with strings,

that you hold under your chin and play with a bow.

A viola is larger than a violin and plays lower notes.

Differences between a violin and a viola

 VIOLONCELLO or CELLO: is a musical instrument

with strings, shaped like a large violin.

The cello player sits down and holds the cello between
his or her knees.

 DOUBLE BASS or BASS: is the largest musical

instrument in the violin family and plays very
low notes.

The double-bass player must play standing up

or sitting in a high chair.