The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

About this video

• Video Title: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
• Channel: New Jersey Symphony
• Speakers: None explicitly named, but a narrator's voice is present.
• Duration: 00:22:43

Overview

This video introduces young people to the instruments of the orchestra. It uses Benjamin Britten's "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," which is based on a theme by Henry Purcell, as its framework. The video breaks down the orchestra into its four main sections: strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion, and showcases the unique sounds and characteristics of various instruments within each section.

Key takeaways

• Orchestra Structure: The orchestra is divided into four main sections: strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion.
• Instrument Families: Instruments within each section share a family likeness in sound and how they are played.
• Woodwind Instruments: This section includes the flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, each with distinct tonal qualities.
• Brass Instruments: This section features horns, trumpets, trombones, and the tuba, characterized by their use of blowing and metal construction.
• String Instruments: This section includes violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, played with a bow or by plucking. The harp is also a notable string instrument.
• Percussion Instruments: This diverse group includes instruments that are struck, such as kettle drums (timpani), bass drums, cymbals, tambourines, triangles, side drums, xylophones, castanets, and gongs.
• Fugue Form: The video concludes by demonstrating how the orchestra comes together in a fugue, with instruments entering sequentially, building upon the main theme.