Feb 15, 2021 | Instruments, Resources
The tubular bells in modern opera and orchestras are arranged chromatically as symphonic chimes. They were built for the orchestra as an easy-to-carry instrument for daily use, and their original design strived to be as similar to church bells as possible. However,...
Feb 15, 2021 | Instruments, Resources
The name “celesta” derives from the French term céleste, meaning “heavenly”. After multiple experiments, the celesta appeared by the end of the 19th century and quickly found its place in the orchestra. It’s an interesting instrument with a dual...
Feb 4, 2021 | Instruments, Resources
In addition to the bass drum and timpani, the tam-tam adds an additional member to the orchestra bass percussion section. Even though it boasts similarities to the gong, one should not confuse both instruments since there is a range of important variations in their...
Jan 21, 2021 | Instruments, Resources
The name glockenspiel means “bell play” in German. It refers to the sound of small bells. Indeed, the very first instruments to bear this name consisted of a set of exactly that. They were either played by a group of musicians, a style which is called...
Jan 14, 2021 | Instruments, Resources
The term xylophone derives from two ancient Greek words which mean wood and tone. Its name has been in use for decades. A series of wooden bars of different lengths arranged according to pitch and struck with mallets essentially comprise this instrument. Nowadays, the...
Jan 7, 2021 | Instruments, Resources
The most recent addition to the repertoire of orchestral percussion instruments is the vibraphone (also known as the vibraharp or vibes), with its early origins dating back to the vaudeville era of the 1920s. The onomatopoeic name vibraphone refers to the vibrating...
