HI! I’m Dudley Drum! I am a big bass drum and a member of the percussion family. I can only sing a few low notes but have a very loud voice so my job is to keep the beat for everyone. I sing in orchestras and bands. I often join Bertie Bagpipes in his pipe band where I get to march and keep the pipers in time. I also like to play in a ceilidh band with Bessy.
Hi! My name is Bertie Bagpipes! I am very privileged to say that I am Scotland’s national instrument. I often wear tartan and I have a very loud voice, so can sing by myself and still be heard from far away. I love to sing and march with my friends in my pipe band where with Dudley keeps us in time.
Hello! I’m Fiona Fiddle! I am the smallest instrument in the string family and sing the highest notes. I like to read my notes in the treble clef. I look almost the same as my sister Violette Violin but I often don’t have a chin rest. I love to sing folk music and I play in a ceilidh band with Bessy and Dudley.
Bonjour! Je suis le Principal Bass. I am just like Bessy but much older and bigger. I sing in orchestras and am the leader of my team of double basses. We can have any number of basses in an orchestra, ranging from 1 up to 8 and sometimes even 10! It all depends on what pieces we are performing. In my symphony orchestra, there are eight of us. I am very privileged to be the leader and occasionally get the chance to sing a solo.
Bonjour! Je m’appelle Henri! I am not a musical instrument, but a bright, yellow, shiny classic car. I belong to Violette, but I help Bessy travel from France to Spain to Italy and to Germany. I have a fold down roof so that Bessy can fit in comfortably. Although I am not a musical instrument, I have a horn that I can toot and I like to sing along too! I have a great time singing duets with Bessy on her travels.
Hola! Yo soy Gustavo Guitar! I am the national instrument of Spain. I like to sing melodies and strum chords. I sing mainly classical and folk music from many countries. I am what’s called an acoustic instrument which means like most of the other instruments in this stories, we sing naturally. Some of my family though are electric which means they need to be plugged into amps which allows them to sing really loudly and change their sounds of their voices. They often sing in rock and pop bands.
Hola! Me llamo Pilar y Me llamo Pepe. We are flamenco dancers. Flamenco is the national dance of Spain. It is very dramatic and we wear frills and shoes with cuban heels that make a lot of noise to make rhythms. We often use castanets to add to the rhythm. Gustavo often accompanies us when we dance.
Ciao! Mi chiamo Prozio Bernardo. I am Bessy’s great uncle. I am just like Bessy but like Principal Bass, am much bigger than she is and I also have an extra string, so that I can sing even lower than she can! I spent most of my life singing in opera orchestras and also performed duets with Petra Piano in many of the famous concert halls throughout the world. Now that I have retired, I like to teach young double basses and help them follow their dreams.
Guten Tag! Ich heisse Petra Piano. I am a keyboard instrument and often sing alone in solo recitals. I love to accompany other instruments too and sometimes I join in with orchestras. When that happens, I am made welcome in the percussion family.
Guten Tag! Ich heisse Bruno Bass. I am a very elderly double bass and specialise in singing music from the 17th century. I look very much like Bessy but as well as being bigger, my strings are thicker as they are made from gut and the stick of my bow curves the opposite way from Bessy’s.
Hi there! We’re Spud’n’Spencer Spoon! We are dessert spoons and live in the kitchen drawer. We love to explore rhythms and really enjoy playing along to folk, jazz and popular music. We have lots of other friends in the Kitchen Band!
Bonjour! Je m’appelle Violette Violin. I am just like Fiona in appearance and sound but I prefer to sing more classical music although sometimes I play folk and jazz too.