Brainlag MusicHow a full score sets out the orchestra: the four families from the top, the higher instruments first in each, the clef each instrument reads, and how the staves are joined.
Four families, in score order
A full score prints the families from the top: woodwind, brass, percussion, then strings.
Learn the four families by heart
An orchestra is four families of instruments:
- Woodwind: piccolo, flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bassoon.
- Brass: horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba.
- Percussion: timpani, xylophone, glockenspiel, side drum.
- Strings: violin, viola, cello, double bass.
The flute is made of metal but has no brass mouthpiece: it is woodwind. A square bracket joins the staves of each family; the two staves of a piano or harp are joined by a brace.
The rest of this lesson and its 7 practice questions are in Brainlag Music Theory.
Screen 1 of 6, free to read.
- 7 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards