Baroque Era Music Instruments

The Baroque era lasted from about 1600 to 1750 and was a time of exciting changes in music. Instrumental music became increasingly important, and composers began writing more music specifically for instruments rather than voices.

Strings became the foundation of the Baroque orchestra, while keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord and organ played important roles. Woodwind and brass instruments also became more refined and were used in new ways.

Many instruments changed significantly during this period. These improvements helped shape the instruments and sounds we recognize in classical music today.

Keyboard Instruments of the Baroque Era

Keyboard instruments changed dramatically throughout music history. During the Baroque era, the harpsichord and organ were especially important, while the newly invented fortepiano began the transition toward the modern piano.

The Organ

The pipe organ was one of the most important keyboard instruments of the Baroque era. Although the organ had existed for centuries, it continued to develop and become more powerful and expressive.

During the Baroque period, composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel wrote important music for the organ. Bach, in particular, became famous for his organ compositions.

The organ was sometimes called the “king of instruments” because of its enormous range of sounds and its ability to fill a large church or concert space.

Did You Know? One of the earliest ancestors of the pipe organ was the hydraulis, an ancient Greek instrument that used water pressure to supply air to its pipes. Much later, medieval organ builders replaced the water-powered system with bellows.

Harpsichord

The harpsichord was a popular keyboard instrument in European music from the 16th through the first half of the 18th century. It has two sets of strings that produce different tones and are an octave apart in pitch. The harpsichord produces a softer sound than the modern piano because it uses quills to pluck the strings instead of hammers. The harpsichord does not have dynamic control. Eventually, the popularity of the harpsichord waned.

Listening Quest

Listen for the bright, crisp sound of the strings being plucked. Unlike a modern piano, the harpsichord could not change its volume in the same way. Listen closely—can you hear how the notes stay fairly even in volume?

Fortepiano

The fortepiano helped solve one of the harpsichord’s biggest limitations: dynamics. Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the fortepiano (sometimes called a pianoforte) in Italy around 1700. The name came from the Italian words piano and forte, meaning “soft” and “loud.” The fortepiano was special because players could create both soft and loud sounds by changing how they played the keys. This new ability changed the way composers could write music.

The fortepiano used hammers and dampers and had a range of about four octaves.

Look closely! Do you notice something different in the picture of the fortepiano? The black and white keys are opposite from those on our modern piano!

How did the fortepiano compare to the modern-day piano?

Many inventors and manufacturers made improvements to the fortepiano from its inception. By the 19th century, piano makers were developing stronger iron frames, allowing pianos to become larger, louder, and more powerful. In the 1860s, a veneer was added to the piano, and it became machine-manufactured.

Fortepiano

Invented: 1700
Wooden frame
knee levers
Four octaves
30-70 pounds of tension per string = 3 to 5 tons of pressure on the frame

Grand Piano

Invented: 1830-1860s
Iron frame
pedals
Seven and a half octaves
160-200 pounds of tension per string = 18 to 30 tons of pressure on the frame
Improved action

String Instruments in the Baroque Era

Violin

Keyboard instruments weren’t the only instruments changing during the Baroque era. String instruments also became central to the developing orchestra.

The violin became one of the most important instruments of the Baroque orchestra. Violin makers in Northern Italy developed instruments with a powerful, expressive sound, and composers began writing increasingly challenging music for them.

Antonio Stradivari became one of the most famous violin makers of the Baroque era. He created more than 1,000 instruments, and his violins are still considered some of the finest string instruments ever made.

Baroque violins looked similar to modern violins, but they were not exactly the same. They had shorter necks, different bridges, and strings made from animal gut. These differences gave Baroque violins a different sound from the violins we hear today.

Listening Quest

Listen to a Baroque violin piece. Can you hear how the violin sounds different from a modern recording?

Viola

The viola was invented before its string siblings, the violin, cello, and string bass. The viola has a lower, deeper sound than the violin and is a little bigger in size. Baroque violas had a shorter fingerboard. There were two types of violas during the Baroque period: a smaller alto instrument and a larger tenor instrument. The viola was mainly a supportive instrument. There weren’t as many solos written for it as for the violin.

Wind Instruments during the Baroque Era

Brass

Baroque Era trumpet

Baroque composers also explored new sounds from wind instruments. These instruments added color and contrast to the strings. The trumpet and the trombone were the most common brass instruments during the Baroque era. Baroque trumpets did not have any valves and were longer than modern-day trumpets. The trombone was called the “sackbut.” It had a softer sound than those played today.

Woodwind Baroque Instruments

chalumeau

During the Baroque era, woodwind instruments were made mostly of wood and had fewer keys. Common Baroque woodwind instruments were the Baroque flute, recorder, Baroque oboe, Baroque Bassoon, and chalumeau. The chalumeau is the ancestor of the modern clarinet and has a single reed.

Baroque Percussion Instruments

Timpani

Finally, percussion instruments provided rhythm and dramatic emphasis. The timpani is also known as a “kettledrum.” The timpani was the only percussion instrument used for serious religious music during the Baroque era. It became popular in concert settings during the early 18th century. Baroque timpani were made from copper bowls and calfskin, and tuned to the tonic and the dominant notes of the key.

What Made Baroque Instruments Unique?

Baroque instruments often sounded different from modern instruments because they were made with different materials and technology. Some had fewer keys, different string designs, or no valves. These differences gave Baroque music its distinctive sound.