How the instruments of an orchestra are arranged in tandem with our brain functions
Why are the brass in the back and strings at the front of an orchestra? The reasons for the positioning of an orchestra all relate to how the brain ‘hears’ different sounds. A modern symphony orchestra typically consists of around a hundred different players performing with a wide variety of instruments, including those in the woodwind, string and bass families.
All of these produce different pitches that work together to create a harmonious sound. In music, pitch refers to the length of a sound wavelength produced by an instrument, which correlates with the size of the instrument. For example, deep long sound waves emanate from larger instruments such as tubas and cellos, whereas higher pitches come from the short sound waves of a viola or flute.
When instruments come together to form an orchestra, the deeper pitched instruments are positioned on the right side when viewed from the audience, and the higher pitched instruments are on the left. The orchestra is orientated this way according to our brain’s preferences. Within each of the brain’s two hemispheres is a region known as the auditory cortex, which interprets signals generated from the ears. To make things complicated, each auditory cortex is wired to the opposite ear – the right auditory cortex is fed by the left ear and the left auditory cortex listens through the right ear. And while each ear picks up the same sounds, studies have found that the right auditory cortex processes lower pitches better, while the left is handier with high pitches.
The arrangement of an orchestra mimics this crossover of the auditory cortices. Built to benefit the players, not the audience, high-pitched instruments are placed on the right side from the players’ perspective so that they are better heard, and vice versa for the lower pitched tones. The distance an instrumental section is from the front depends largely on their size and volume. Louder instruments such as percussion drums or brass tubas are placed at the back of the orchestra to prevent them from blocking the softer, quieter sounds of the strings at the front.
