Apple GarageBand User Manual

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Tips for Using Jam Pack 4:
Symphony Orchestra Instruments

Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra contains over 30 new Software Instruments featuring the
sounds of the orchestra. You can use the instruments in Symphony Orchestra to add solo
performances, chamber ensembles, or an entire orchestra to your songs.

This document contains the following information about using the instruments included in
Symphony Orchestra:

“Introducing the Symphony Orchestra Instruments” on page 1.

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“Playing the Symphony Orchestra Instruments” on page 16.

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“Placing the Symphony Orchestra Instruments” on page 19.
“History of the Orchestra” on page 20.

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Introducing the Symphony Orchestra Instruments

Symphony Orchestra gives you a complete set of orchestral instruments that you can use in your
songs. You can create classical orchestrations or add a touch of sophistication to songs in any
style, from modern rock to pop ballads to hip-hop jams.

There are four basic groups of instruments that make up a symphony orchestra:

Strings

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Woodwinds
Brass

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Percussion

The instruments in each group can take center stage to capture the audience’s attention, or can
provide a supportive role while instruments of another group take the lead. Additional
instruments, including piano, organ, and harpsichord, can be used to add their particular color
and character to the orchestra.

In the Symphony Orchestra Jam Pack, the instruments appear in the following categories:

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Strings: First and second violin sections, viola section, cello section, and a concert harp.
Bass: Bass string section and a deep bass synthesizer.

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Woodwinds: Piccolo, flutes, oboes, English horn, clarinets, and bassoon; most with both solo
and section instruments.

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Horns: French horns (both solo and section), trumpet section, trombone section, and tuba.
Organs: Baroque, church, flute, and wedding organs.

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Pianos and Keyboards: Steinway grand piano and harpsichord.
Tuned Percussion: Timpani, xylophone, marimba, celesta, glockenspiel, and other percussion.

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Drum Kits: An “Orchestra Kit” which features a wide variety of unpitched percussion, including
bass and snare drum, cymbals, triangle, gong, and more.

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Strings

Symphony Orchestra features individual string sections, a mixed string ensemble, and a concert
harp.

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Orchestra Violin Section 1
Orchestra Violin Section 2

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Orchestra Viola Section

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Orchestra Cello Section
Orchestra String Ensemble

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Orchestra Harp

The strings are the foundation or “backbone” of most symphonic music. Each string section can
play its own individual part, or they can all blend together to create a unified voice. The strings
are capable of a wide variety of sounds, and the string instruments included in Symphony
Orchestra give you several string articulations to use in your songs, including legato, staccato,
pizzicato, tremolo, and trills. For more information, see “Playing the Symphony Orchestra
Instruments” on page 16.

Each of the instruments in the string ensemble has four strings, tuned in fifths (except for the
bass, as described in the section “Bass” on page 4). Notes are played on the fingerboard with the
player’s left hand while their right hand draws the bow across the strings.

Orchestra Violins 1 & 2

The violin is the leader of the string ensemble, the smallest and lightest of the strings. The violin
descended from earlier instruments (including the medieval fiddle and rebec) during the
sixteenth century. The violin can play singing melodies, chords, or scale runs, and cover an almost
limitless range of emotional expression. The open strings of the violin are tuned to the notes G3 ­ D4 - A5 - E6.

2 Tips for Using Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra Instruments

Orchestra Viola

The viola is similar in shape to the violin but larger, producing a richer and mellower tone. The
middle voice of the string ensemble, it can play either a melodic or an accompanying role. The
strings are tuned a perfect fifth lower than the violin, to the notes C3 - G3 - D4 - A5.

Orchestra Cello

The violoncello, known simply as the “cello”, is similar in general shape to the violin and viola but
is much larger, and is played upright due to its greater size and weight. Its tone is thick and dark
in its lowest octave, becoming rich and singing in the higher register. The open strings are tuned
one octave lower than the viola, to the notes C2 - G2 - D3 - A4.

Orchestra String Ensemble

The Orchestra String Ensemble lets you play all the strings together as a single instrument, which
lets you easily play across the entire keyboard range and can be used for sketching string parts.
The different string sections are arranged across the notes of the keyboard from top to bottom.

Tips for Using Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra Instruments

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Orchestra Harp

In addition to the bowed strings, Symphony Orchestra includes a concert harp. The characteristic
sound of the harp, produced by plucking the strings, is frequently used in Romantic music for
gentler moments, or to create a sense of fantasy.

Bass

Symphony Orchestra features a string bass section and a “deep bass” synthesizer.

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Orchestra Bass Section
Orchestra Deep Bass

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Orchestra Bass

The bass section instrument provides the low end of the string ensemble. In Classical orchestral
music, basses typically double the cellos an octave below, while in modern compositions they
often play a more independent role. The strings are tuned to the notes E1 - A1 - D2 - G2.

Orchestra Deep Bass

The deep bass instrument is a special synthesizer similar to the one used in Hollywood film
scores to add greater depth and power to full orchestral passages.

4 Tips for Using Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra Instruments

Woodwinds

Symphony Orchestra features a full set of orchestral woodwinds, including both solo and section
instruments.

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Orchestra Piccolo Flute
Orchestra Flute

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Orchestra Flute Section

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Orchestra Oboe
Orchestra English Horn

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Orchestra Clarinet
Orchestra Clarinet Section

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Orchestra Bassoon

Each woodwind instrument has a unique sound and character, and traditionally the woodwinds
are used either as solo instruments (like “lead actors” in front of a background, usually provided
by the strings), or to strengthen the overall sound of the orchestra. You can use the woodwind
instruments in Symphony Orchestra in both roles. Each instrument has both legato and staccato
playing styles, and some solo instruments also include both vibrato and non-vibrato versions. For
more information, see “Playing the Symphony Orchestra Instruments” on page 16.

Orchestra Piccolo Flute

The word piccolo means small, and the piccolo flute is a smaller relative of the flute, pitched an
octave higher. Originally used in military bands, it produces a very bright sound that can easily
be heard in almost any orchestral texture.

Orchestra Flute

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The flute is one of the oldest instruments in the history of music. The modern concert flute (also
called the transverse flute) developed from earlier versions, including the fife, during the Baroque
era, and has been a member of the symphony orchestra since the early Classical period. It is
played by blowing air through a mouthpiece at one end while fingering the keys along the body
to produce different notes. The sound is thick and breathy in its lowest register, becoming very
bright in the higher octaves.

Orchestra Oboe

The oboe belongs to the family of instruments known as double reeds, which also includes the
English horn and bassoon. It is descended from one of the oldest known types of musical
instrument, being used in Sumeria and ancient Egypt. The sound is produced by blowing air
through the double reed (a reed is a thin piece of wood that’s fixed at one end and can vibrate
freely at the other) at the top of the instrument, while fingering notes along the body of the
instrument. The tone is dry and somewhat nasal in quality, conjuring up pastoral images of a
shepherd’s pipe.

Orchestra English Horn

The English horn, which is neither English in descent or truly a horn, is a larger cousin to the
oboe. It is pitched a fifth (seven semitones) lower, and produces a softer, mellower tone. It was
introduced into symphonic music by Beethoven, and became a standard member of the
orchestra during the Romantic period.

6 Tips for Using Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra Instruments

Orchestra Clarinet

Unlike the oboe and English horn, the clarinet has a single reed, and produces a richer, smoother
tone. The tone of the clarinet varies over the wide range of the instrument, and has been used to
express a wide range of emotions, from serene love to violent rage to ironic humor. The clarinet
became a member of the orchestra later in the Classical era. Mozart composed a famous
concerto for solo clarinet, and used the instrument prominently in several of his later
symphonies.

Orchestra Bassoon

The bass instrument of the woodwind family, the bassoon is a double reed, like the oboe, but is
placed upright on the floor due to its larger size. The sound of the bassoon is consistent
throughout the instrument’s range. The bassoon has a wide dynamic range, and is used for both
lyric melodies and comic effects; it blends well with the French horns and is commonly used
together with them.

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