Introduction to Band and Symphony Orchestra Instruments

Learn the differences between Symphony Orchestra instruments and Band instruments.

Hoʻolauna mea kani pāna me ka ʻŌkeka Simiponi

E aʻo mai i ka ʻokoʻa ma waena o nā mea kani ʻōkeka simiponi a me nā mea kani pāna.

What’s a symphony orchestra?

A “symphony orchestra” is an ensemble of 70-100 musicians playing string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.
- Other names people use to describe this same ensemble include “symphony”, “orchestra”, “philharmonic orchestra”, or even simply “philharmonic” (which means “music loving” in Greek).
The “string orchestra” is an ensemble of only string instruments (violins, violas, ‘cellos, and contrabasses).
Like the band, sometimes a harp or a piano will join the orchestra (or even a saxophone), but these instruments are guests of the orchestra, not regular members.

What’s a band?

Unlike the symphony orchestra, a band has no string section. A band features woodwind, brass and percussion instruments (and the band’s woodwind section includes saxophones).
- Other names for this same combination of instruments include “wind ensemble”, “symphonic band”, and “concert band”.
- Occasionally, a band will include a contrabass (the lowest string instrument) for a richer low sound. Sometimes a harp or a piano will join the band too, but these instruments are guests, and not regular members of all bands.

Both ensembles play in indoor public spaces like concert halls, theaters, shopping malls, ballrooms, cafeterias or other large spaces.
Orchestras rarely play outdoors because string instruments are made of wood and cannot withstand rain.
Bands sometimes play outdoors, in city parks or at formal ceremonial events, since some of the instruments can function even if it gets wet from the rain. (Some of the woodwind instruments do not join in, since they are not weather-proof.)
Marching bands play in parades and at sports events.
Bands also play other social functions: a jazz band plays at a dance hall, and a pep band will play at sports events.

Kids usually start playing in a school band or orchestra in the 4th or 5th grade (around ages 9 to 11).
There are youth symphony orchestras in many communities. Here in Hawaiʻi the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony welcomes young musicians at all levels. (https://hiyouthsymphony.org)

You can often find a “petting zoo” day – hosted by schools, bands, or symphony orchestras – where kids get to look at, hold, and try out different instruments.
You can often find excellent resources to learn about instruments on websites hosted by symphony orchestras or bands.

What does “ensemble” mean?

“Ensemble” is the French word for “together”, and we use the word to describe any group of people who play together, like an orchestra or band.

He aha ka ʻōkeka simiponi?

ʻO kekahi manaʻo hou o ka “ʻōkeka simiponi” ʻo ia hoʻi he hui nui—he 70-100 mea hoʻokani—me nā mea kani pila ʻokoʻa: ka pū ʻohe lāʻau, ka pū kani ʻEulopa, a me nā ʻano pahu like ʻole.
- ʻO kekahi mau inoa no kēia mau hui mea kani ʻo ka “ʻaha mele,” ka “simiponi,” ka “ʻōkeka philharmonic” a i ʻole ʻo ka inoa nōhie, ʻo “philharmonic” (ma ka manaʻo Helene ʻo ia “ke aloha ʻana i ke mele”).
ʻO ka “ʻōkeka pila” kekahi hui me nā mea kani kaula wale(nā waiolina, nā waiolina ʻaeko, nā waiolina kū, a me nā waiolina kū nui).
E like hoʻi me ka pāna, eia aku a eia mai, komo ka hāpa a me ka piano ma ka ʻōkeka (ʻo ke kakopone hoʻi kekahi), he mau mea kani kūikawā wale i ka ʻōkeka, ʻaʻole nō he mau mea kani kū mau ma ka ʻōkeka.

He aha ka pāna?

Ua ʻokoʻa ka ʻōkeka simiponi, ʻaʻohe māhele mea kani pila kaula. ʻO nā māhele mea kani o ka pāna ʻo ia ka pū ʻohe lāʻau, ka pū kani ʻEulopa a me nā pahu wale nō (a komo pū nō hoʻi ke kakopone ma ka māhele pū ʻohe lāʻau).
- ʻO kekahi mau inoa no kēia mau hui mea kani ʻo ia hoʻi ka “hui makani,” ka “pāna simiponi,” a me ka “pāna ʻaha mele.”
- I kekahi manawa, hoʻohana ʻia ma ka pāna kekahi waiolina kū nui (ka mea kani pila leo haʻahaʻa) no ke kani nani leo haʻahaʻa. I kekahi manawa, komo pū ka hāpa a i ʻole ka piano i ka pāna, akā ʻo kēia mau mea kani he mau mea kūikawā a ʻaʻole he mau mea kani kū mau o nā pāna a pau.

Hoʻokani nā hua hoʻokani pila ʻelua i loko o ka hale no nā poʻe like ʻole e like me nā hale ʻaha mele, nā hale keaka, nā kikowaena kūʻai, nā lumi hulahula, nā hale ʻaina, a me nā wahi nui ʻē aʻe.
Kākaʻikahi ka hoʻokani ʻana o ka ʻōkeka i waho o ka hale ma muli o ke ʻano o nā mea kani—he lāʻau a ʻaʻole kūpono i ka ua.
Hoʻokani nā pāna i waho, ma nā pāka kūlanakauhale a me nā hanana kūhelu ʻoiai ʻaʻole i pilikia nā mea kani i ka ua. (ʻAʻole nō komo nā mea kani i hana ʻia me ka lāʻau o pulu auaneʻi i ka ua a pilikia.)
Hoʻokani nā pāna ma nā paikau a me nā hanana haʻuki.
Hoʻokani pū nō hoʻi nā pāna ma nā hanana like ʻole he nui: ʻo ka pāna jazz ma kekahi hanana hula, a he pāna hoʻōho haʻuki ma kekahi hanana haʻuki.

He mea maʻa mau ke komo pū ʻana o nā keiki ma kekahi papa pāna a i ʻole ma ka ʻōkeka ma ke kula ma ka papa 4 a 5 paha (9-11 makahiki)
He mau ʻōkeka simiponi no nā ʻōpio i loko o nā kaiaulu. Ma Hawaiʻi, hiki ke komo nā ʻōpio i ka “Simiponi ʻŌpio Hawaiʻi” (Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony). (https://hiyouthsymphony.org)

He mea maʻa mau ka mālama ʻia ʻana o kekahi lā “petting zoo” e nā kula, nā pāna, a i ʻole nā ʻōkeka simiponi, e nānā, e hoʻopaʻa, a e hoʻāʻo nā keiki i nā mea kani ʻē aʻe.
E loaʻa ana paha nā kumu waiwai e aʻo mai ai no nā mea kani ma nā paena pūnaewele a nā ʻōkeka simiponi a i ʻole nā pāna.

ʻO “Ensemble” ka hua ʻōlelo Palani no ka manaʻo ʻo ka “hui pū,” a ʻo ia hoʻi ka wehewehena no ka hui o kekahi mau poʻe e kani pū ai nā pila, e like me ka ʻōkeka a me ka pāna nō hoʻi.