Una Corda (piano pedal marking)
Una corda, Italian for “one string,” is a piano notation indicating the use of the soft pedal. The pedal shifts the action so that the hammers strike fewer strings, producing a softer, muted tone.
Instruments
Understand musical instruments through concise guides to tone, tuning, history, performance, classification, and ensemble use.
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Sustain Pedal
The sustain pedal, also known as the damper pedal, is a foot-operated lever on piano and keyboard instruments that lifts the dampers, allowing strings to vibrate freely. This creates a resonant, lingering sound that shapes musical expression across many genres.
Vibraphone
The vibraphone is a tuned percussion instrument featuring metal bars and motor‑driven resonators that produce a vibrato effect. It is a staple of jazz ensembles and increasingly appears in classical and popular music.
Celesta
The celesta is a keyboard percussion instrument that produces a soft, bell‑like tone. Invented in the late 19th century, it is a staple of orchestral and film music, noted for its ethereal sound in works such as Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar‑Plum Fairy.”
Mouthpiece (Brass)
A mouthpiece is the detachable component at the blowing end of a brass instrument that shapes the player’s airstream and influences tone, pitch, and articulation. Its design varies widely to suit different instruments, playing styles, and musical genres.
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument belonging to the violin family, known for its rich, resonant tone and wide range. It is a staple of orchestras, chamber ensembles, solo repertoire, and increasingly diverse musical genres.
English horn
The English horn, also known as the cor anglais, is a double‑reed woodwind instrument pitched a perfect fifth below the oboe. It is distinguished by its mellow, plaintive tone and is a staple of the Romantic and contemporary orchestral repertoire.
Xylophone
The xylophone is a pitched percussion instrument made of wooden bars struck with mallets, used in orchestras, bands, and music education for its bright, articulate sound.
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the brass family, providing the foundational bass line in orchestras, wind ensembles, and marching bands. Developed in the early 19th century, it remains essential for its rich, resonant sound.
Arco (musical term)
Arco is an Italian instruction meaning “with the bow” used for string instruments. It directs performers to resume bowing after a pizzicato passage or to play a passage with a sustained bow stroke.