# Orchestral Instruments Range Chart



## d.healey (Apr 9, 2017)

I'm looking for an a free chart of orchestral instrument ranges that has a similar layout to this one - http://www.donbarbersound.com/assets/files/Musical%20Instrument%20Range%20Chart.pdf? I noticed that the violin range in this one is incorrect though so I don't trust that all the other instruments are correct so that's why I'm asking for a different one, but I do like the way this one is set out.


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## muk (Apr 10, 2017)

This one is handy:

http://forum.makemusic.com/attach.aspx/27785/Instrument Reference Chart v4.pdf

(rename the downloaded file to .pdf, for some reason it doesn't have a filename extension). It's not the exact same layout like the one you posted, but it has some important additional information.


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## Hanu_H (Apr 10, 2017)

This is pretty good as well: http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

-Hannes


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## d.healey (Apr 10, 2017)

muk said:


> This one is handy:
> 
> http://forum.makemusic.com/attach.aspx/27785/Instrument Reference Chart v4.pdf
> 
> (rename the downloaded file to .pdf, for some reason it doesn't have a filename extension). It's not the exact same layout like the one you posted, but it has some important additional information.


Thanks, I've come across this one before, I really prefer something laid out along a keyboard I like that you can see at a glance the difference in range between each instrument in a section.



Hanu_H said:


> This is pretty good as well: http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
> 
> -Hannes



Thank you, very colourful!


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## GdT (Apr 10, 2017)

I have this one:
http://www.alexanderpublishing.com/Departments/Professional-Orchestration/Spectrotone-Chart.aspx


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## P.N. (Apr 11, 2017)

Hi, David.
Out of curiosity, will you be using it for printing or to keep in your pc as a go to guide (maybe in a separate monitor)?

Cheers


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## d.healey (Apr 11, 2017)

P.N. said:


> Hi, David.
> Out of curiosity, will you be using it for printing or to keep in your pc as a go to guide (maybe in a separate monitor)?
> 
> Cheers


Just on the PC


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## d.healey (May 1, 2017)

Well I've been unable to find one that was suitable so I made my own. Enjoy! Let me know if you spot any errors, the ranges I've put are for the most common/standard instruments and haven't taken into account any exotic variations or extreme ranges.


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## Smikes77 (May 1, 2017)

d.healey said:


> Well I've been unable to find one that was suitable so I made my own. Enjoy! Let me know if you spot any errors, the ranges I've put are for the most common/standard instruments and haven't taken into account any exotic variations or extreme ranges.



Thank you.


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## Konsider (Oct 3, 2022)

d.healey said:


> Well I've been unable to find one that was suitable so I made my own. Enjoy! Let me know if you spot any errors, the ranges I've put are for the most common/standard instruments and haven't taken into account any exotic variations or extreme ranges.


Excellent chart. Do you have this is a higher quality file? I would like to make a poster out of it to go above my keyboard


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## bsntn99 (Oct 3, 2022)

Check out VSL/Academy under the different sections for some additional instruments.






Instrumentology | VSL - Academy







www.vsl.info


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## dunamisstudio (Oct 3, 2022)

scroll to the bottom, VSL made some desktop images of this:





Freebies - Vienna Symphonic Library







www.vsl.co.at


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## Electric Lion (Oct 3, 2022)

If you write for these instruments with any regularity you should really force yourself to memorize these ranges. And you should use an orchestration manual like the Adler, not a picture you found online. 

Also these charts do nothing to delineate the strengths and weaknesses of different registers. Is the low B on a flute the same as the high C? Going by these charts you would never suspect there would be any difference in the sound of these notes yet they couldn’t me more different in reality in terms of volume and tone.


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## PhaseLock (Oct 3, 2022)

d.healey said:


> Well I've been unable to find one that was suitable so I made my own. Enjoy! Let me know if you spot any errors, the ranges I've put are for the most common/standard instruments and haven't taken into account any exotic variations or extreme ranges.


I would not ever ask a bass trombonist to play that high. Even for tenor trombone I've only seen that F in a solo context.


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## cqd (Oct 4, 2022)

I have a good copy of the spectratone chart but it's too big to post here..drop me a dm with your email and i'll send it on..
Doesn't have loudness, but has tone and combinations..


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## d.healey (Oct 4, 2022)

Konsider said:


> Excellent chart. Do you have this is a higher quality file? I would like to make a poster out of it to go above my keyboard


Sure, here's the original svg. I think there are some errors and a bit of tidying up to do but I haven't got around to doing anything with this for years.


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## Konsider (Oct 4, 2022)

d.healey said:


> Sure, here's the original svg. I think there are some errors and a bit of tidying up to do but I haven't got around to doing anything with this for years.


Brilliant! Thanks very much for that - I appreciate it. And thanks to everyone else for the great comments on this thread


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## Rob (Oct 4, 2022)

d.healey said:


> Well I've been unable to find one that was suitable so I made my own. Enjoy! Let me know if you spot any errors, the ranges I've put are for the most common/standard instruments and haven't taken into account any exotic variations or extreme ranges.


David, piccolo only goes down to D


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## d.healey (Oct 4, 2022)

Rob said:


> David, piccolo only goes down to D


I remember I got a lot of this data from VSL Academy. On the piccolo page they had this

> Theoretically, adding a C foot to the piccolo in C can extend the range down to C5 (by adding a B foot it can theoretically be extended even as far down as B4). Giuseppe Verdi in his Requiem and Gustav Mahler in his 1st Symphony ask for C5 as the lowest piccolo note

But I think you're right that the chart should only show the commonly used range and not weird extended ranges.


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## Rob (Oct 4, 2022)

d.healey said:


> I remember I got a lot of this data from VSL Academy. On the piccolo page they had this
> 
> > Theoretically, adding a C foot to the piccolo in C can extend the range down to C5 (by adding a B foot it can theoretically be extended even as far down as B4). Giuseppe Verdi in his Requiem and Gustav Mahler in his 1st Symphony ask for C5 as the lowest piccolo note
> 
> But I think you're right that the chart should only show the commonly used range and not weird extended ranges.


yes exactly, I was under the impression that was your idea... I was a flute/piccolo player, and still have my instruments, and never I found a C in the piccolo repertoire I met


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