Sometimes people will touch a few notes on an organ or keyboard and complain about “that Trumpet Sound”, and the reason is they are playing keyboard notes that are not in the range of that instrument. All instruments have a lowest note, which is definite, but their highest note depends on the ability and expertise of the musician. Therefore it is essential, when we play with selected instruments, to ensure that we keep within the range of that particular choice, and the easiest way to explain what they are is to show you.
Here is a selection of stringed, woodwind and brass instruments, showing their practical ranges. Remember, the lowest notes are set and ideally you should not stray below them, and although you may occasionally drift above the highest notes, just as even gifted musicians would rarely do so, then for realism in our renditions, be careful, and try to stay within the ranges shown here.
A couple of extra comments may also prove helpful. Clarinets come in 3 types namely A, Bb and Eb, as do some brass instruments, and they play different notes from the music the player reads in order to be in tune with other instruments, like a piano or organ, so the range shown for these instruments is what you would hear and not the actual notes that they would play. (If your grandchild is learning to play such an instrument, you will understand and I won’t have to fend off complaints about errors on these charts!) This chart makes you aware of the sounding range of these instruments.
The other significant factor is the pitch that you set. Changing the pitch, if you need to, is equivalent to changing the position of Middle C, for where you are playing on the Keyboard, and therefore you can keep the instrument sounding in the correct range.
Yamaha, when designing the AR, which I have, were most helpful in this regard, because when you choose a piccolo it initially has a 4’ setting, so when you play from Middle C up, which we commonly do, you are automatically in the correct range for that instrument. Likewise, the Cello, Euphonium, Tenor Sax and Tuba are set at 16’.
You can get caught out, though, if you adjust the pitch setting, as that will affect any further choices you make. Therefore if you drop the clarinet, for example, to 16’, to re-create Acker Bilks style, and then choose further instruments on that same button, the 16’ setting remains unless you change it again.
It is important if you are planning to make a recording, and as you prepare your registrations to give this whole subject extra thought and therefore take more care.
Finally if you would like to print out the above chart on an A4 sheet you can do so from this link:
Instrument Ranges as a printable PDF File