It is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music that mixes instruments from different families including bored string instruments such as violin, viola, cello and double bass as well as brass, wind and percussion instruments grouped in sections.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay HISTORY OF THE ORCHESTRA Typically, the orchestra grew in size throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, reaching its peak with a large orchestra [of as many as 120 players] decaying in the lifetime of Richard Wagner and then Gustav Mahler. In recent decades some orchestras have returned to the arrangement of Baroque, Classical and early Romantic musicians: second viola on the right, cellos and violas in the center which gives the muscle a stereophonic effect. The orchestra is usually led by a conductor who directs the performances with hand and arm movements, often made easier for the musicians to see through the use of the conductor's buttons, the conductor and unifies the orchestra sets the tempo and shapes the sound of the ensemble. The conductor also prepares the orchestra by conducting the music. A full-scale orchestra may sometimes be called a symphony.ORCHESTRA FAMILIESThe string familyThese are instruments that use pricking vibration to produce sound. They can be pinched or bent. There are four main stringed instruments; these are violin, viola, cello and bass. The Woodwind Family The next largest section of the orchestra is the woodwind family. Most woodwind instruments use a small piece of wood called a reed to produce the vibration. Percussion family Are musical instruments that are played when struck or scraped by a beater, struck, scraped or rubbed by hand, or struck against another similar instrument, it is believed to have an older musical instrument that follows the human voice, including timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle and tambourine. The brass family: These are instruments that produce sound through the sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in tune with the vibration of the player's lips, they include the alphorn, cornet and saxophone. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get Custom EssayExamples of orchestra families instruments: Cimbalom, Piano, Berimbau, Brass Drum, Bongos, Conga, Darbuka, Octoban, Table, Timpani, Timo-torn, Lion's Roar, Wind Machine, Cabasa, Celesta, Carillon, Claves, Cowbell, Crotales, Marimba, Ratchet, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Slit Drum, Triangle, Vibraslap and Wooden Block.