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1 How music works

The word “orchestra” comes from a Greek phrase meaning “place to dance.”

The music now known as

classical or orchestral music
developed out of traditions
begun in the middle ages.

Over time, general rules have
evolved about the numbers
and sorts of instrument that

WRITTEN MUSIC should be used and how the
music should be written
Most parts of the world use the same and performed.
system for writing music based on a
five-line stave. The written music
provides the musician with all the THE ORCHESTRA
information they need to play a piece, In a classical orchestra, the
including the melody, beat, tempo, instruments are organized into four
and how loud or quiet parts should be. groups: strings, brass, woodwind,
This means that a musician in Australia and percussion. The instruments
can write a composition and send it to in each group are played in
a musician in Greenland who would be a similar way and often make
able to read and play it immediately. similar sounds. For example, the

brass section is made up of
curved metal instruments, each
with a small round mouthpiece.
These four sections of the
orchestra have their own
characteristic style and work
together to create a balanced
and effective sound.

The orchestra Brass Woodwind and strings Percussion
An orchestra has four Brass instruments are Woodwind instruments are Percussion instruments
sections: brass, woodwind, played using either valves blown while stringed ones are hit, shaken,
6 strings, and percussion or slides (see pages 10–11). are plucked, strummed, or brushed, or scraped
(see pages 8–9). bowed (see pages 12–13). (see pages 14–15).