An orchestra is a big group of musicians who play their instruments together. They make beautiful music as a team! Orchestras play in special buildings called concert halls. The music they play can sound happy, sad, exciting, or peaceful. When all the instruments play together, it sounds amazing.
An orchestra has four families of instruments. String instruments like violins, violas, cellos, and big basses make sound when you move a bow across their strings. Woodwind instruments like flutes, clarinets, and oboes make sound when you blow air into them. Brass instruments like trumpets, trombones, and tubas are shiny and loud. Percussion instruments like drums, cymbals, and the triangle make sound when you hit or shake them. The strings sit at the front because there are the most of them!
The conductor is the leader of the orchestra. They stand at the front and wave a thin stick called a baton. The conductor tells the musicians when to play loud, when to play soft, when to speed up, and when to slow down. Without a conductor, all the musicians might play at different speeds! The conductor also helps the orchestra practice before a concert. They study the music very carefully so they know exactly how it should sound.
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