Last Name 2   First Name Last Name Composition II Classification Essay 19 October 2015 The Three Categories of Orchestral Instruments The orchestra is a large, organized group of musicians who perform a broad variety of musical works, such as symphonies, concertos, or more recently, soundtracks

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Composition II

Classification Essay

19 October 2015

The Three Categories of Orchestral Instruments

The orchestra is a large, organized group of musicians who perform a broad variety of musical works, such as symphonies, concertos, or more recently, soundtracks. For someone who is not well acquainted with orchestral instruments, it can be confusing to attend an orchestra concert and see so many musicians playing on various instruments across the stage. Paul Mathews, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Conservatory, writes that the orchestra can be viewed as a “human organism,” so that “the strings form the nervous system…the brass and woodwind form the blood system under its double classification of arteries and veins, and finally the percussion instruments form the lymphatic system” (93). Of the several ways orchestral instruments could be classified, arguably the clearest divisions fall into three groups by evaluation of melodic importance and instrumental similarity : strings, brass and woodwinds, and percussion. Comment by Author: Good job explaining the source’s credentials. Comment by Author: Great claim that is narrow enough to support in the body paragraphs. Be sure to create a thesis with a narrowed claim and/or some type of parameters, which can help set the stage for the essay’s organization. In addition, your claim must be arguable/debatable; otherwise, you won’t be able to support it/prove it true. For instance, are your classifications the three most recognizable? Are they the three worst kinds? Are they the only three in your opinion within particular confines? Example 1: The three most recognizable mothers are the perfectionist, best friend, and me-first. Example 2: Regardless of location, any given baseball game will find among its fans the following three types: the fair weather fan, the die-hard fan, and the newbie. Then, you could list them from most to least liked in the thesis and in the body paragraphs. Remember, your topic sentences should express a logical order for your subtopics. Each topic sentence does not need to note the order, but at least the first body paragraph’s topic sentence and every other one or every few should make that claim to help the reader stay on track. *Remember, the support rubric section is tied to the thesis section. Without a clearly written and developed thesis, it is difficult to determine if and to what degree your arguments and content support your thesis. In many cases, the support section will not score higher than the thesis score because the two components work together to form a whole unit. Therefore, be sure to spend ample time developing the thesis so that you earn credit for strong support if and where applicable.

Stringed instruments form the largest and most important instrument group within the orchestra—“more than half,” according to David Ewen (381). The string sections are truly the core of the orchestra and tend to carry the melodic line most frequently. In fact, some musical pieces are written only for string orchestra, meaning only these instruments are used. A viewer will recognize them surrounding the conductor in a semi-circle arrangement on stage, including violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and harps. All of these instruments possess fine strings stretched over or across wood to create sound, giving them a striking similarity to the range and inflections of the human voice, and extraordinary ability to communicate emotion. A total of four strings are used on violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, with each respective instrument possessing a lower note range than the one before. A separate part of the instrument, called the bow, is made of wood with horse hair stretched across it. This is artfully drawn over the instrument’s strings to create music. The harp is “the only instrument among the strings that differs radically in shape, and in number of strings.” It utilizes around forty-six strings, plucked or swept over to create intricate tones (Ewen 382). The emotional power and large presence that the string section possesses give a solid core to the modern orchestra. Comment by Author: Nicely organized via topic sentences. Be sure your topic sentences denote which order you chose for your subtopics, which should be related the claim in your thesis. For instance, if your thesis says, “The three most recognizable teachers are (add three most recognizable types),” your paragraph order might descend from most to least popular. You can also go from best to worst, etc. Each topic sentence does not need to note the order, but at least the first body paragraph’s topic sentence and every other one or every few should make that claim to help the reader stay on track. Comment by Author: Very strong support for the two claims in this paragraph. Each body paragraph should support two claims: 1) the claim in your thesis (The three most popular heroes are; regardless of location, any given basketball game will find among its fans, etc.) and 2) the claim in your topic sentence, which relates to how you choose to organize your essay (best to worst, most recognizable to least, etc.). Sample thesis: “Regardless of stadium location, any given basketball game will find among its fans the following three types: the fair-weather fan, the die-hard fan, and the newbie.” I would organize my paragraphs from the most to least recognizable, so I would first change the order of the fans in the thesis to the order in which I present them in my essay according to most to least recognizable: die-hard fan, fair-weather fan, and newbie. Remember, each topic sentence does not need to note the order, but at least the first body paragraph’s topic sentence and every other one or every few should make that claim to help the reader stay on track. Review the sample shortened paragraph below for at least four points each paragraph should contain: 1) a topic sentence that specifies or hints to the order, 2) characteristics of your subtopic, 3) examples of your subtopic (optional but helpful support), 4) why/how your subtopic supports the thesis, and 5) a concluding sentence. Sample paragraph: 1) The die-hard fan is by far the most recognizable fan in a sports stadium. 2) He or she is likely dressed in as much team gear as possible, and 60% of these die-hard fans sit within the 25% of seating nearest the playing field (Smith). 3) Producer, director, writer, and actor Spike Lee is considered a die-hard New York Knicks fan because he is almost always sitting sideline at Knicks’ games, wearing Knicks’ attire or colors, and drawing attention by speaking with the players and acting out after unfavorable calls. 4) These die-hard fans are clearly noticeable, and although Spike Lee may be one of the more extreme cases, major sporting events have die-hard fans because these fans are not likely to miss their teams’ games, especially the home games, because 70% of die-hard fans live in the same cities as their favorite teams (Doe & Anderson 57). 5.) Because these distinct fans enjoy the game on a much more extreme level than casual fans, this latter group is best suited enjoying the game in the second level section of the stadium behind the die-hards.

After the strings, brass and woodwinds form the second most important group of orchestral instruments. Although they do not possess the all-important melody line as frequently as the strings, they still wield great influence over tone and mood. Similar to each other, yet still different, they are both played by forcing air through brass or wooden apparatuses, but are placed in two distinct, neighboring sections within the orchestra. Stops, placed over air holes on the instruments, such as on the trumpet or flute, help create the different pitches of sound. The brass section, including trumpets, French horns, trombones, and tubas, is “the most brilliant in resonance,” since the air forced through these metal instruments creates great volume (Ewen 383). Trumpets blare fanfares and French horns broadcast heroic themes, which soar high above the lush strings. But the eight woodwind instruments bring a contemplative variance of sound that comes with lower volume capacity, like the clarinet airing a flowing melody line that passes between the woodwinds and strings. Together, the brass and woodwind sections create dimension and give strength of sound volume to the orchestra.

Although the strings, brass, and woodwinds may enjoy higher importance and frequent possession of the melody line, the percussion instruments form an impressive group of odd-shaped mechanisms. This “loudest section of the orchestra,” David Ewen writes, “gives stress to the rhythm and plays an important role in building up powerful sonorous effects and climaxes” (383). Their infrequent possession of the melody line makes them the least influential of the three groups. Nearly all are played by some kind of striking or hitting of the instrument, and nearly half utilize metallic tones. The percussion section boasts a large diversity in style, shape, and number of instruments, ranging from huge gongs producing ominous crashes to small triangles and chimes boasting delicate, high-pitched metallic tones. Even pianos are considered part of the percussion section when they are called for in specific orchestral pieces. It is common for some percussion instruments to vary in number at any given orchestra concert, since not all pieces require the same ones. Instruments in this section are less likely to be spotlighted often or for long lengths of time, since their main role is normally rhythm and dramatic effects. However, instruments such as the xylophone or marimba may take up the melody occasionally. With its wide variety of instruments, the percussion section unites to provide rhythmic stability and extra flashes of flare and power that enhance the orchestra’s performance. Comment by Author: The sources appear throughout the essay.

In summary, an orchestra creates masterful sounds with the many and diverse instruments it employs. Strings form the heart of the orchestra with lush tones from vibrating strings and their emotional differentiation. Brass and woodwinds bring height of sound and variance of color by utilizing air and stops. Finally, percussion instruments give a foundation of rhythm and shape to the orchestra’s sound through the striking of objects. Put together, the three classifications of orchestral instruments form a powerful musical force, enthralling the novice as well as the most experienced listener. Comment by Author: Strong ending sentence.