Orchestras and the classical music they play can entertain you, tell you stories, make you laugh or cry, or take you away to faraway places. Simply put, listening to an orchestra can be a powerful experience. Knowing a few things about orchestras and the range of music they play can make it even better. Everything you need to get started or refresh your memory is right here in this guide. So, let’s get going!
Orchestras and the classical music they play can entertain you, tell you stories, make you laugh or cry, or take you away to faraway places. Simply put, listening to an orchestra can be a powerful experience. Knowing a few things about orchestras and the range of music they play can make it even better. Everything you need to get started or refresh your memory is right here in this guide. So, let’s get going!
The National Symphony Orchestra
Very simply, orchestras are groups of musicians playing instruments together. The first orchestras formed more than 400 years ago—and for composers and audiences alike, it was love at first sound. Orchestras most often play classical, instrumental music and you can quickly identify them by their characteristic mix of instruments from four main instrument families (more on those later). When orchestras are really large, we call them symphony orchestras. Today, a symphony orchestra like the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has about 100 members. The music has evolved over the years, but one thing’s for sure—with all those instruments playing together, orchestras make some amazing music.
Orchestra musicians practice (a lot!), listen carefully, and cooperate to make great music. Everyone has an important role to play, but here are a few people you’ll notice with extra responsibilities during a performance:
❖ The conductor is the person who stands on the podium and leads the orchestra. Conductors guide the musicians on when and how fast and loud to play. They do this mostly through their hand and arm motions. Notice that conductors use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast or slow to play and their left hand to tell how loud or soft. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct.
❖ The concertmaster, usually the lead violin player, is kind of like an assistant to the conductor. Concertmasters walk out on stage before the conductor appears and take a bow before sitting down and giving the signal for the orchestra to tune.
❖ The lead oboe player plays the “A” note that all the other musicians tune (adjust) their instruments to match. This step, which sounds a little crazy for a minute, ensures that all the instruments sound perfect together when the music starts.
❖ The soloist can be an orchestra member or a guest musician who performs music that features one instrument over all the others; soloists play their instruments with extraordinary skill.
When you see the orchestra on stage, the instruments are arranged by instrument families. Each family has a number of individual instruments. Let’s get to know them a little better.
These instruments are all made of wood and have strings. The family includes, from smallest to largest, the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. 
Musicians play them by using a bow (a stick of wood with a tight ribbon of horsehair) in their right hand and pressing the string with the fingers of their left hand. That makes the string vibrate and create sound. The bodies of the instruments have a hollow center called a resonating chamber, and it makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. To get ready to play, musicians rub blocks of rosin on their bows to help the bows better grip the strings. String players change the sound of their instruments by:
❖ changing where they press the strings.
❖ changing where they pull the bow across the strings.
❖ using their fingers to pluck the strings, called pizzicato (pronounced pitz-uh-KAH-toh).
Musicians play woodwind instruments by blowing into them. Flute and piccolo players blow across an opening. 
Clarinet and saxophone players blow air across a single reed (a thin strip of woody grass), and the oboe and bassoon players blow air across a double reed.To get ready to play, the clarinet, bassoon, oboe, and saxophone players moisten their reeds in water or in their mouths (which helps make the instruments sound clearer). Players change the sounds of their instruments by:
❖ changing the strength and angle of the air flow.
❖ changing the embouchure (AHM-boo-shoor), which is the way the players hold their lips, tongue, and teeth as they blow into the instrument.
❖ pressing down on different keys.
The brass instruments stand out because they’re big and shiny. They make loud, full, and sometimes very deep sounds. These instruments—the trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba—are made of twisted metal tubing that opens into a bell shape. 
To make sound, players “buzz” their lips on the instrument’s mouthpiece. (Before a concert, you might hear them buzzing their lips to warm up.) Players change the sound of the instrument by:
❖ changing the shape of their lips against the mouthpiece.
❖ changing how strongly they blow air through the mouthpiece.
❖ moving parts of the instruments called slides (on the trombone) or valves (on the other brass instruments).
Percussion instruments like drums and tambourines make sounds when you cause them to vibrate by hitting, rubbing, shaking, or scraping them. 
At an orchestra concert, the most common percussion instruments are the snare drum, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, xylophone, tambourines, and triangles, but some others include maracas, gongs, and chimes. Sometimes orchestras also feature a piano and other related keyboard instruments, such as the harpsicord and organ; and believe it or not, these instruments are often considered part of the percussion family because they are played by striking the keys. Players generally change the sound of percussion instruments by:
❖ changing what they use to hit them, such as changing from a mallet (small hammer) to their hands.
❖ changing where or how hard they hit or shake them.
❖ tightening or loosening the head of drums.
There’s something else to know: Within each family, some instruments may look the same, but they’re really not—they’re different shapes and sizes and are played in slightly different ways (for example, the violin and the cello).
That means each sounds a little different. And listen for this: the bigger the instrument, the lower the sound it makes.
Most orchestras arrange the performers’ seats in the shape of a fan, with the conductor downstage at the center. The strings sit nearby in the front rows, with first and second violins on the audience’s left and the violas, cellos, and double basses (usually) on the right. Farther back are the woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and contra-bassoons) and the brasses (French horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba). From the balcony, you would have a good view of the percussion instruments (like timpani, bass drums, and cymbals), which end up in the very back
Notice that the loudest and most booming instruments—the percussion, brass, and double basses—are placed toward the back so they don’t drown out everyone else.
The leader of the violin section, known as the “Concertmaster,” usually enters after the orchestra is already seated. He or she is in charge of tuning the orchestra. You may notice the concertmaster ask for an “A” from the oboe player when the musicians are tuning up. At the end of the concert, the Concertmaster usually serves as the “point person” when the entire orchestra stands to bow.
You might hear the music orchestras play described as orchestral, symphonic, and classical. Let’s break it down:
Orchestral music is work performed by an orchestra. An orchestra has a traditional sound involving the brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion. One hears orchestral music in concert halls and also in film scores, pop music, and even video games.
Symphonic music employs the full power of an orchestra in a lengthy work usually consisting of four movements or sections called a symphony. In symphonic music, the musicians play many notes at the same time. Those notes might blend or clash. The melody might be passed between instruments. The music changes keys or tempo (such as suddenly faster or slower), or shifts from really soft to really loud. Symphonic music allows the composer to explore what music can do while challenging our ears.
Classical music, simply put, is just a type of classical music. Although classical music (with a lowercase “c”) refers to the world of Western concert music as a whole, “Classical music” (with a capital “C”) refers to a special brand of concert music written between 1750 and 1825 (this includes works by Mozart and Beethoven). And even though Classical music was written long ago, it can be written today using many of the ideas from that period. More on all that in the Musical Time Periods section below.
Another way to recognize classical music—besides hearing the main instruments of the orchestra—is in the form. Classical music often follows a set format or plan for how it will go from start to finish. Here are a few of the musical forms you hear the most:
❖ Sonata: a piece for one instrument, usually with piano accompaniment and written in three sections, or movements
❖ Concerto: a piece for one instrument with orchestra back-up, usually in three movements
❖ Symphony: a full orchestra piece usually in four movements
People often talk about classical music by what time period or era it came from, so it’s good to have a general idea of the differences. Each era shares some similarities in its overall sound, everything from what instruments are used to the style of the piece. And each era was followed by a new era that mixed things up.
Here’s a basic overview:
Composers write the music that the orchestras play. Composers can get their ideas, or inspiration, from their imagination, experiences, travels, stories, other people, other music, paintings, memories, and more. Once they have an idea, then what?
In writing music, the main building material is of course the musical instruments—and composers choose which instruments will perform which parts of the music. But there are many ways to put the sounds together, and for that, composers use musical tools like these:
Melody, a pattern of musical notes arranged by a composer—it’s the part of the music that can stick in your head. A composer organizes a melody by moving between higher and lower notes (the various tones or “pitches” we hear in music). Melodies carry the message of the music and also suggest ideas, memories, or emotions.
Rhythm, a pattern of long and short notes that fill a melody. Note that it’s different from the beat, which is a steady repeating pulse (think of that as the heartbeat of the music, or the part you tap your foot to).
Harmony, the sound that happens when several different notes are played at the same time, either on the same instrument or by blending notes from many instruments.
Tempo, how fast or slow the music is.
Pitch, how high or low the music sounds.
Dynamics, how loud or soft the music is.
Ornamentation, musical details that decorate or enhance the main melody, such as trills (two similar-sounding tones played really fast back and forth to create a fluttering sound).
Variations, changes to a main theme or melody. Think of it like three bowls of vanilla ice cream: one is plain, the next one has strawberry sauce and whipped cream, and the third one has chocolate sauce and sprinkles—that’s a theme and two variations.
Major and minor keys, the group of notes musicians should play; the keys determine the mood or atmosphere of the music with majorkeys tending to sound brighter and happier and minor keys often sounding sadder or unsettled.
Texture, different layers of sound—monophonic describes a single layer, polyphonic means many layers playing with or against each other, and homophonic features one leading sound layer with other layers providing background.
Words, describing how to play. See below.
Many composers use Italian words written on their music to describe how to play it (although a few German and French words appear, too). Why? Many musical forms started in Italy, and many of the Italian markings simply became the ones used the most. Some people think the Italian words sound musical, too, making their use appealing. Here are some you might hear or see the most:
Orchestras can actually play anywhere—including parks, places around the world, and studios where their music is recorded so it can be played on the radio, in movies and videogames, and of course, on your phone. But the place they call home is the concert hall. The sounds from musical instruments come from vibrations, and concert halls are specially designed to have good acoustics (uh-KOO-stiks)—qualities such as the right floor, ceiling, and walls that help the sound vibrations travel loudly and clearly. That’s why you can hear (and sometimes feel!) such great details in the music when you sit in the concert hall.
But recorded music sounds pretty terrific, too—and the advantage is that it goes anywhere and everywhere. Listen up and you might be surprised how often you hear orchestra music every day.
A few simple steps can make a big difference:
❖ If you aren’t familiar with the concert hall (where most orchestra performances at the Kennedy Center take place), get a preview:
❖ Read about the music in your performance guide or program.
❖ Bring a sweater or jacket in case the concert hall is chilly.
❖ Plan to use the restroom and finish eating, drinking, and talking before the performance begins.
❖ Chimes and blinking lights in the lobby mean that it’s almost time for the performance to start (or restart if it’s intermission)—so head for your seat.
❖ Turn off and put away all your electronic devices.
Now it’s all about the music. You probably have this down, but just remember to give the performers your fullest attention and have fun. And, of course, clap, but…see below.
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is a memorial that opened in 1971 to honor the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy loved the arts and supported them throughout his time in the Oval Office (1961-1963). We call the Kennedy Center a “living” memorial because, just like “live” theater has real people in it, the Center has living people moving around inside it all the time. (Except in the middle of the night.)
The main building features some of most awesome hallways you’ve ever seen. One is the Hall of Nations. Check out the flags from all the countries America has diplomatic relations with. The other is the Hall of States featuring flags from every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. But the most amazing hallway of all is the Grand Foyer, from which you enter the Concert Hall. It’s 630 feet long—so big that you could lay the entire Washington Monument along the floor and still have room left!
The Concert Hall is just one of nine theaters in the main building, and the REACH across the plaza features many more new performance spaces. There’s always something exciting going on and exhibits to see, so try to leave extra time to explore during your visit.
The National Symphony Orchestra started playing world-class music when it was founded in 1931. èAVserves as a kind of “home base” for the NSO, and the orchestra has performed there every year since the Center opened in 1971. Today the NSO is made up of about 100 musicians who perform around 150 concerts each year. And the orchestra isn’t just a performing group. It also commits itself to music education and audience engagement. In other words, anytime you come to an NSO concert, get ready for an educational and exciting event!
Here are few more fun resources to help you keep exploring orchestras and classical music.
The National Symphony Orchestra's Young People's Concerts are full orchestra concerts for school groups, grades 3-8. Each season, these performance / demonstrations introduce students to the instruments and musicians of the orchestra, as well as musical concepts and curated selections from the orchestral repertoire that connect to educational themes.
Take the field and learn the looks, sounds, history, and notable players of orchestral instruments from four eras—baroque, classical, romantic, and modern. Next, use the interactive audio mixer to choose your players and hear them perform together. Finally, test your musical knowledge with a fun baseball-style quiz.
You might see some of these instruments when you come to the Kennedy Center, watch a performance by your school band, or at any other concert you attend! Click the slides to learn more about some of the most frequently spotted instruments in each family.
Looking to bolster your knowledge of classical music or simply trying to broaden your knowledge of music in general? Whatever your reason, here’s a different kind of musical hit list—our choices for the top 10 works in Western classical music for kids and their parents.
This multimedia series gives you an introduction to the life and work of the Classical music composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Throughout the ages, composers have celebrated the accomplishments of famous heroes through music. What does a hero sound like? Get ready to find out!
The invention of the orchestra hundreds of years ago meant bigger musical possibilities, and composers all across Europe were inspired to try their hand at pushing classical music to new limits.
Feel like giving each season a personal playlist? This handy guide to keeping the classics with you all year round can help.
Prominent members of the Kennedy Center community of artists discuss their career paths and the importance of representation in the arts.
David M. Rubenstein
Chairman
Deborah F. Rutter
President
Jordan LaSalle
Interim Senior Vice President
Education
Gianandrea Noseda
Music Director
National Symphony Orchestra
Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts.
© 2020 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
