The piano is a modern keyboard instrument that produces sounds by hammers striking strings. These hammers are activated by keys, depressed by the performer's fingers. The piano is equipped with a pedal that controls the dampers which stop the vibration of the strings. When the pedal is pressed by the performer's foot, the dampers are lifted from the strings, and the strings are allowed to vibrate freely. Another pedal softens the volume of the piano. The piano is an extremely popular instrument in Classical, Romantic, Post-Romantic, Modern, Jazz, Pop, Rock, and Folk music.
source: www.newtojazz.com/dictionary.asp
The harp is an ancient instrument. It is a stringed instrument, usually triangular in shape having anywhere from 1 to 47 strings. The strings are knotted perpendicular to the soundboard. It is played by strumming or plucking.
source: www.classicalandjazz.co.uk/Dictionary/H.htm
The harp is a large, plucked stringed instrument that predates the piano. The strings are plucked mechanically, distinguishing it from the piano in which they are struck with hammers.
source: www.hearts-ease.org/cgi-bin/termsn.cgi
The percussion section includes all instruments that may be played by shaking, rubbing, or striking the instrument itself. These include the timpani, other drums, chimes, tambourine, triangle, cymbals, and various mallet instruments, such as the xylophone, marimba and vibraphone.
source: www.highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072491353/student_view0/glossary.html
The timpani (also called kettle drums) are large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instruments with drumheads that can be tuned by adjusting their tension (with a pedal).
source: www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn
The trumpet is an important member of the brass family. The soprano brass trumpet is composed of a cupped mouthpiece, bent tube formed into a rectangular shaped body, and ending with a small flared bell. Trumpets are available in many sizes with various pitch classes. Piccolo Trumpets carry the very highest register.
source: www.classicalandjazz.co.uk/Dictionary/T.htm
The trumpet is a brass instrument consisting of a network of curved piping. Valves control the length of the tubing, and thus the pitch. The instrument is pitched higher than the trombone.
source: www.outsideshore.com/school/almanac/html/glossary/
The horn is an ancient wind instrument, originally made from animal horn, metal, or wood. In the Medieval and Renaissance eras, the horn was used to signal in battles and in hunts. The horn gradually evolved through a series of transformations: the horn for hunting became spiraled so its length would not interfere with its mobility; this natural horn became more refined and found its way into the early Classical orchestra as a character instrument, implying military or hunting scenes. Eventually crooks, and then valves were invented for the horn, enabling it to play more notes. In the United States, it is often referred to as the French horn.
source: www.newtojazz.com/dictionary.asp
The trombone is a lower-pitched member of the brass instrument family, notable for its slide, enabling it to sweep through several pitches.
source: www.ayiba.com/cmusic/downloads/glossary_t.htm
The trombones are a family of brass instruments with slides rather than valves. The slide allows the performer to lengthen or shorten the length of tubing in the instrument, making the instrument able to play any note including those not belonging to scales.
source: www.newtojazz.com/dictionary.asp
The tuba is the bass member of the modern brass family. The tuba family includes the euphonium, sousaphone, C and B-flat tubas, and others. The modern orchestral tuba has valves and tubing ending in a very wide bell. The tuba produces extremely low notes.
source: www.newtojazz.com/dictionary.asp
The clarinet is a wind instrument made of wood, used in orchestras and bands, invented around 1700. The clarinet developed from the recorder family, and is closely related to the saxophone.
source: www.newtojazz.com/dictionary.asp
The clarinets are a family of woodwind instruments in which the sound is produced by a vibrating reed. The term usually refers to the soprano clarinet, but the bass clarinet is also not uncommon in jazz.
source: www.outsideshore.com/school/almanac/html/glossary/
The bassoon is a bass wind instrument developed in the 17th century (in which the sound is produced by a pair of joined reeds). The Bassoons range and tonality has been refined over its history to become an integral part of orchestral sound.
source: www.classicalandjazz.co.uk/Dictionary/B.htm
The flute a woodwind instrument that is held horizontally and sounded by blowing across the mouthpiece of the instrument, much like blowing into a bottle to produce a tone. The modern flute is made of metal.
source: www.newtojazz.com/dictionary.asp
Originating from the a Medieval and Renaissance instrument called the shawm, the oboe is a woodwind (in which the sound is produced by a pair of joined reeds). It has a long history of refinements since the shawm of the Renaissance period. As music developed in the Baroque period (17th and early 18th centuries), the oboe was of integral importance. Its initial harsh tones and six finger holes were changed and refined by Jean Hotteterre in the mid 1600's. Theobald Boehm later refined the oboe we know today with its complex finger pattern.
source: www.classicalandjazz.co.uk/dictionary/o.htm
The violin is a bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family. The violin has four strings and a hollow body and is played with a bow. (The player rests the instrument under the chin.)
source: www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn
The violin's four strings are set in vibration (usually one at a time) by drawing a bow across them with the right hand while the fingers of the left hand stop the strings, changing their vibrating length and thus the pitch.
source: www.wwnorton.com/enjoy/glossary/v.htm
The second violin section usually plays in a lower register than the first violins and has more of a subordinate part to play. However, this doesn't mean that the second violin players are not as technically proficient as the firsts. As a section, the seconds contribute just as much in sound, tone quality and energy as the firsts. The total sound of the string section of an orchestra is heavily dependent on the two inner parts, second violins and violas, to provide the sonority of the full ensemble.
source: web.ukonline.co.uk/tchaik/faqs.htm#violins
The viola is a bowed string instrument of the violin family that is intermediate in size between the violin and cello and is tuned a fifth lower than the violin. (Like the violin, the viola is played with the instrument resting under the chin.)
source: www.gened.arizona.edu/mus334/insgloss.htm
Short for violoncello, the cello is a low-pitched member of the string instrument family, part of the subfamily of bowed strings. Unlike the violin or the viola, the cello is played in a seated position, with the instrument resting between the player's knees.
source: www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn
The double bass (also called the string bass) is the largest stringed instrument of the orchestra, with the lowest range. It has four or five strings and is played (standing up or sitting on a high stool) with a bow. There are generally eight in a symphony orchestra. The double bass is also used in jazz and dance music, where the strings are plucked to provide or stress the rhythm.
source: www.hearts-ease.org/cgi-bin/termsn.cgi
The conductor (also called the music director) is the person who leads a musical group (in rehearsals and in performances).
source: www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn