celesta
Hammered plate instrument
A celesta is a keyboard instrument that produces soft, bell-like tones when hammers strike metal bars.
It resembles a small upright piano but sounds ethereal and chiming.
The celesta is most famous for its prominent role in Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy": The celesta gives the piece its magical, tinkling quality.
Resembling a chime's sound
- chimeMelodic bell sound
- tinkleLight, clear ring
- crystallineClear, ordered, brilliant
- silveryPale metallic sheen
ethereal · delicate · shimmering · sparkling · ringing · bright · pure · glassy
Sound through impact
- malletSoft-headed striking tool
- struckPast tense of hitting
- tuned percussionStruck instruments with pitch
- vibraphoneMotorized resonator percussion
glockenspiel · xylophone · marimba · resonators · keyboard percussion
Lock-operating instruments
- hammersHeavy-headed striking tools
- pedalFoot-operated lever
- octavesEight-tone intervals
- fingeringNote-playing hand technique
touch · technique · dampers · metal plates · wooden case · upright · keyboard instrument · manual
Extended composition for orchestra
- orchestraLarge instrumental ensemble
- percussion sectionStruck instrument players
- conductorOne who directs musicians
- scoreNumerical standing in competition
Tchaikovsky · Nutcracker · ballet · film score · Harry Potter · orchestration · ensemble · arrangement
bell-like
Resembling a chime's sound
- chimeMelodic bell sound
- tinkleLight, clear ring
- crystallineClear, ordered, brilliant
silvery · ethereal · delicate · shimmering · sparkling · ringing · bright · pure · glassy · luminous
percussion
Sound through impact
- malletSoft-headed striking tool
- struckPast tense of hitting
- tuned percussionStruck instruments with pitch
vibraphone · glockenspiel · xylophone · marimba · resonators · keyboard percussion
keys
Lock-operating instruments
fingering · touch · technique · dampers · metal plates · wooden case · upright · keyboard instrument · manual · chromatic
symphony
Extended composition for orchestra
- orchestraLarge instrumental ensemble
- percussion sectionStruck instrument players
- conductorOne who directs musicians
score · Tchaikovsky · Nutcracker · ballet · film score · Harry Potter · orchestration · ensemble · arrangement · tutti
- orchestraorchestra, symphony orchestra, philharmonic, strings, string orchestra
- percussionbass drum, bongos, cajon, drum, congas
- instrumentsguitar, guitars, piano, pianos, drum
- keyboard instrumentspiano, organ, harpsichord, clavichord, spinet
- Keyboard Concertospiano concerto, concerto, piano, harpsichord, fortepiano
- Keyboard Musicpiano, piano duet, four hands, keyboard, grand piano
celestatuba
Lowest brass instrument
bass drum · timpani · contrabassoon · bass trombone · trombone
celestapiano
Keyed percussion instrument
pipe organ · harpsichord · clavichord · accordion · synthesizer
- celestial alignmentBodies sharing orbital plane
- celestial bodiesObjects in outer space
- celestial beingsDivine heavenly inhabitants
- celestial bodyNatural space object
- celestial poleAxis endpoint above Earth
- celestial navigationLocation-finding via astronomical observation