String Orchestra
All about the instruments... and the people that play them
String Orchestra
All about the
instruments... and the people that play them
There are four stringed instruments that make up a string orchestra. Though they all settled on their modern form around the late 1500s- about 450 years ago- many people are still unaware some of them even exist. Most people have heard of the violin, but what about the viola? What's the difference between a cello and a violoncello? How about a bass and a double bass? This section will give a brief summary of the qualities of each instrument, and its role in the string orchestra.
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Violin |
Viola |
Cello (a.k.a. Violoncello) |
Bass (a.k.a. Double Bass) |
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The violin is the highest, and probably most well-known instrument in the string orchestra. It has a bright, lively sound. Its strings are tuned in fifths. It has E,A,D, and G strings, the lowest string the G a fourth below middle C. It is the namesake of the violin family. |
The viola is the lower of the two chin instruments. It has a beautiful, melancholy sound. Its strings are tuned in fifths. It has A,D,G, and C strings, the lowest string the C one octave below middle C. |
The cello, originally named violoncello, is one of the lower voices in the orchestra. It has a rich, mellow sound. Its strings are tuned in fifths. It has A,D,G, and C strings, the lowest string the C two octaves below middle C. (Instrument is tuned an octave below the viola). |
The double bass or bass is the lowest voice in the string orchestra. It has a deep, rumbling sound, but can imitate the mellow sound of the cello on the higher strings. Its strings are tuned in fourths, G, D, A, and E, E being a sixth below the C two octaves below middle C. Note the bass' sloped shoulders. |
History of the Instruments
| The modern violin family had finished developing for the most part by the late 1500s. The appearance and fine points of construction were settled on during the early 1600s, the instruments attaining the shape and tuning we are familiar with today. The instruments replaced the old viol family. Viols, such as the viola da gamba (a predecessor of the cello), had six strings and were often tuned in fourths. Viols also had sloped shoulders, which remain part of the design of the modern bass. Unlike the violins, viols had cat gut strings (yes, actually made of gut) that gave them a more mellow, smoother sound that some people preferred. Unfortunately for the viols, many people did not. Most popular during the Renaissance, the viols began to fade during the 1600s, slowly being replaced by the supposedly superior violin family. Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the first well-known composers to begin utilizing the modern instruments of the violin family, using both the viols and violins in his works. Many of Bach's viol pieces have been adapted for playing on modern instruments today. | |
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Playing the Instruments There are a few basic skills involved in playing a stringed instrument, though it can take a lifetime to refine them. The left hand is used to stop up the strings, adjusting the pitches they produce. The right hand can either bow the strings (arco) or pluck them (pizzicato). With lots of practice and effort, the instruments can be used to create a beautiful sound, making music in an orchestra, a smaller ensemble, or solo. Instruments in the violin family are known to produce a sound closest to the human voice than any other group of musical instruments. Roles in the String Orchestra The string orchestra consists of the instruments in the violin family, sometimes accompanied by a piano or harp. The different instruments are arranged into sections. The violins are typically divided into first and second violin sections. Depending on the music, the violas may also be split. First violins, who are often the more advanced of the two violin sections, are often given the melody in music. Basses, their opposites (being the lowest instruments in the orchestra) are often used to add a relatively uneventful accompaniment for the orchestra. As for physical arrangement, the exact location of the sections in the orchestra has varied over time, and there are several different arrangements used today. Here are a couple common layouts:
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Bass Viol
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Well-known Orchestras
Pretty much all well-known orchestras are symphony orchestras, which is a type of full orchestra. This means that they feature woodwind, brass, and percussion sections in addition to the strings. Some orchestras that are particularly well-known include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, based in Chicago, the Berlin Philharmonic, based in Berlin, Germany, and the London Symphony Orchestra, based in London. Click here to view a list of Gramophone Magazine's top 20 rated orchestras worldwide.
Getting Involved
There are several different
options for kids who are looking to participate in an orchestra, string or
otherwise. There's always the LZ Middle School South Orchestra, which holds
rehearsals every fourth period for sixth graders and tenth period for seventh
and eighth graders. In addition to this, the extracurricular MSS ensemble, the
South Silly Strings,
rehearses every Monday after school until 3:15. Apart from school
orchestras, there are many youth orchestras in the Chicago area that
kids can join. Many of these require that participants are enrolled in
their school orchestras as well.
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Chicago Area Youth Orchestras |
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Page Sponsor:
Mr. David Gardner - Principal
Page Author: Noel B.
Webmaster:
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Created: February 2011
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