Orchestra and band are both a team effort. There are many instruments in both, but some are not nearly as popular as others. In any given band, there could be 15 clarinet players, and just 1 or 2 tuba players. Similarly, in orchestra, there is always a sea of violins, but usually just one bass. We decided to give you a little tour of these underrated instruments.
One such instrument that is not played very much is the tuba. The tuba is the largest and lowest brass instrument. It can be as long as 9.6 meters(31.5 ft)! It also plays below bass clef, making it one of the lowest instruments in the entire band. Because of this, it is not played very often. However, this instrument is essential to the sound of the band because it completes the sound range by playing the lowest notes, resulting in a more full sound. It also can sometimes have very cool parts, like some sort of epic low part.
The euphonium is a nice, mellow instrument. It plays the same range as the trombone, but instead of having a slide, it has valves. People usually overlook this instrument because it is not played by many, and, like the tuba, generally only has a baseline.
The bassoon is a lower woodwind instrument, very similar to a bass clarinet. It plays in bass clef as well and usually plays with the tuba. It is a pretty cool instrument, even though basically no one plays it. It adds a lot to the band.
The French horn is a very unique instrument. It has a nice mellow sound. It is the only instrument that is played with the player’s hand in the bell. This instrument plays in treble clef, and it has 3 pedals. It is very distinctive, and it is easy to tell apart from other instruments. That said, very few people play it.
The oboe is a distinctive wind instrument. It plays in about the same register as the flute and has pretty much the same role (although it is a bit lower). It uses a double reed, unique among wind instruments, and has a beautiful, nasal, almost duck-like sound. Because of this, it is often used in romantic pieces and plays solos.
The trombone also is not played by many. Trombones generally have a baseline part, with lots of long notes, but sometimes they get to play some melody parts. That said, they are the only band instrument that can glissando (a glissando is a sliding up or down). It is the only instrument with a slide, which makes it cool. The trombone plays in bass clef and sometimes treble clef, although not usually. There are 3 variants of the trombone, the Alto trombone (highest), tenor trombone (middle), and bass trombone (lowest). Most people start with the tenor trombone.
Viola is always the underdog in a string orchestra. Because it is intermediate in size between cello and violin and also plays in the middle range, it is often referred to as a “rip-off/big violin” or “mini cello.” However many people don’t realize how high/low the viola can go.
“People just don’t like that mixture of sound…they like to play something really high and like really low. Which is why, probably not many people play it because they don’t like that mix,” said Ben K., a Chamber violist.
Because the viola doesn’t play the melody often and usually plays accompaniment (besides the bass), it is often not considered by people who want to play a string instrument. Also for the same reason, people (especially violins) regard the viola as unimportant. However, without the accompaniment, the orchestra will not sound as full. The viola also has a very unique dark, rich sound that is absolutely beautiful.
The double bass is probably the least played out of all of these instruments. As the lowest instrument, it usually plays the lowest notes and almost never gets the melody. This is part of the reason why it is unpopular. However, without the rich, deep bass notes, the orchestra would not sound complete. The double bass is also the largest string instrument, which causes the fingerings to be awkward and spaced extremely far apart. This makes it quite difficult to play. If you are looking for an underplayed but very important and unique string instrument, the double bass is for you.
