Instrument
Any mechanical contrivance for the production of musical sounds.
Instruments are classified as follows: String instruments, wind instruments, pulsatile in- Isouard, Nicolo (e-soo-ar). Composer; Malta.
B. 1775; d. 1818.
INSTRUMENTATION struments. String instruments are divided into bow instruments, violin class; instruments the strings of which are plucked by the fingers-harp, guitar, etc.; plectral, i. e., the strings struck by a rod or thin strip of wood, metal, etc., as mandolin, zither; strings struck by hammers held in the handcymbal; strings struck by hammers operated by keyboard-piano-forte. Wind instruments are divided as follows: (I) Vibrating column of air-flutes and flue-stops of organ. (2) Single reed-clarionet, saxophone, basset horn, reed-stops in the organ. (3) Double reed-oboe, bassoon. (4) Free reed-harmonium, vocalion, cabinet organ. (5) Brass instruments in which the lip of the player acts as a reed-trumpet, horn, etc.
Pulsatile instruments - drums, triangles, cymbals, bells, xylophone. The small or chamber orchestra includes the following instruments: String - first violins, second violins, violas, violoncellos, contrabassi.
Wood-wind-pair of flutes (It., flauti), pair of hautboys (It., oboi), pair of clarionets (It., clarionetti), pair of bassoons (It., fagotti). Brass-wind - pair of trumpets (sometimes omitted) (It., clarini), pair of horns (It., corni), pair of kettle-drums (It., timpani). The addition of three trombones changes this to the full or grand orchestra, which is often augmented by the addition of the following instruments:
Wood-wind- piccolo or octave flute, English horn (It., corno Inglese), alto or bass clarionet, double bassoon (It., contra fagotto). In the brass quartet the horns are increased to four, and the alto, tenor, and bass trombones are added and the bass trombone reinforced by the bass tuba.
Three or more kettle-drums are frequently employed, also the following pulsatile instruments: large drum, snare drum, triangle, and cymbals. The harp has almost become an essential in the modern orchestra, whether large or small. -