Beck Orchestra Friends (BOF)

About Beck Junior High Orchestra

Instruments

Below are the instruments in Beck Junior High Orchestra
String Family

Violin

Violins are the smallest, highest-pitched members of the string family and are divided into two groups—first violins and second violins. An orchestra has more violins than any other instrument. You play the violin by tucking it between your chin and shoulder. Your left hand presses down on the strings to change the pitch, and your right hand moves the bow or plucks the strings. The violin has four strings tuned a fifth apart, and from highest to lowest, they are: E, A, D, and G.
String Family

Viola

Violas (pronounced “vee-oh-lahs”) are bigger than violins and have a lower, deeper sound. Violas are the only instrument to read music in a clef called “alto clef.” This clef sits in the middle between the high treble notes of the violin and the low bass notes of the cellos and basses, which is perfect for the mid-range sounds of the viola. You play the viola by tucking it between your chin and shoulder, just like the violin. Your left hand presses down on the strings to change the pitch, and your right hand moves the bow or plucks the strings. The viola has four strings tuned a fifth apart, and from highest to lowest, they are: A, D, G, and C.
String Family

Cello

The cello has quite a wide pitch range, from warm, low notes to rich, high notes. The body of the cello sits between your knees, and the neck of the cello goes in front of your left shoulder. Your left hand presses down on the strings to change the pitch, and your right hand moves the bow or plucks the strings. The cello touches the ground, supported by a metal peg called the endpin. The cello has four strings tuned a fifth apart, and from highest to lowest, they are: A, D, G, and C. The string names may be the same as the viola, but they sound one octave lower.
String Family

Double Bass

The double bass is the giant of the string family, standing at a little over six feet tall! It’s so large that you have to stand or sit on a high stool to play it. Just like the other members of the string family, you use your right hand to move the bow or pluck the strings and your left hand to press down on the strings to change the pitch. The double bass has the lowest pitch range of the string family and often works with its friends in the percussion section to provide the rhythmic foundation of the orchestra. The bass has four strings tuned a fourth apart, and from highest to lowest, they are exactly opposite the violin: G, D, A, and E.