Instrument Information

Below is a list of most of the instrument that students can choose if they join the band or orchestra at Tulip Grove.  Please contact Mr. FitzGerald with any questions.   (Patrick2.FitzGerald@pgcps.org) 

Strings

Violin

The smallest and most popular instrument in the string family.  Used in a wide range of classical, folk, and popular music.

Viola

Violas are similar to the violin.  Violas are held and played the same way as violins but are slightly larger, and are lower and mellower sounding than a violin.  Violas make up an important middle voice in the orchestra.

Cello

A large string instrument, held in front of the player.  A very versatile and beautiful instrument.

String Bass

Also called the Double Bass, Contra Bass, or just Bass, this is the largest string instrument and usually stands taller then the person who plays it.  Basses provide the lowest and most important harmony voice in the orchestra, and are also often used in jazz, folk music, and many popular music styles. Despite their large size basses can be played by fairly small people. 

Woodwinds

Flute

One of the highest woodwind voices, the flute is played by blowing air across a whole to create a beautiful whistling sort of sound.  

Clarinet

One of the most popular band instruments.  Clarinets use a reed to create the sound, and are capable of a wide range of notes. 

Alto Saxophone

Saxophones are similar to clarinets, (both use a single reed to make sound) but are built a bit differently.  Saxophones are used in a wide range of musical styles, most notably in jazz, classical, and popular music.  There are many sizes of saxophone, but the Alto size is usually best for beginners.  

Brass

Trumpet

The trumpet is the highest range brass instrument and often takes the lead in playing melodies in the band.  Trumpets make a big sound and are often used in a wide variety of musical styles.  

French Horn

The French Horn (also just called the Horn) is a challenging instrument to play but makes a very cool sound often heard in classical music and film scores.  Horns are unique instruments in the band in that the bells face behind the player and the horn player plays with their right hand in the bell.  Horn is a difficult instrument to start on, and it is usually recommended that a player start on trumpet for a year or two before switching to horn, but starting on horn is possible.

Trombone

The trombone is a larger and lower brass instrument than the trumpet, and uses a slide to change notes.  Trombones are twice the length of a trumpet, but are almost the same weight, making them good instruments for beginners.  

Baritone Horn/Euphonium

Baritone Horns (and the similar Euphonium) can be thought of as being like big trumpets, small tubas, or as similar to a trombone but with valves instead of a slide.  However you think of it, Baritones and Euphoniums can be both beautiful and powerful instruments that combine many of the best qualities of the other brass instruments into one horn.  These instruments can come in different forms (see the pictures) but are all sound and play very similarly.  

Tuba

The biggest instrument in the brass family.  Tubas give the lowest bass voice to a band.  Tubas are big instruments but can be played by smaller players who want to play them.  

Percussion

This family of instruments includes drums, mallet instruments (like xylophones and bells), and may other instruments.  Percussionists in a school band must learn to play many of these instruments well.  At Tulip Grove, our students use an educational percussion kit (like in the middle of the three pictures below).  The kit include a bell set  (also called a Glockenspiel, which looks like a metal xylophone), and a practice drum pad, and sometimes a snare drum.  This set allows us to work on mallet percussion and drums, but is set up so it is not too heavy to transport to and from school.  Elementary level percussion instruction focuses on mallet percussion and snare drum technique, which will set the foundation for other percussion playing the student will work on later in life.