Instrument Families

Brass

100

This is a small brass instruments that changes notes by pressing 3 valves and changing air speed.

Trumpet

200

This brass instrument is the largest in the brass family and plays the lowest in the band.

Tuba

300

This instrument uses a slide to change notes instead of valves.

Trombone

400

This instrument is made of long, tightly coiled tubing and has a very large range. Players hold it by putting their hand in the bell.

French Horn

500

This low brass instrument's name means 'Beautiful Sound.'

Euphonium

Woodwind

100

This single reed instrument is made of wood and is cylindrical bore.

Clarinet

200

This single reed instrument is made of brass and is typically used in jazz bands.

Saxophone

300

This instrument is held horizontally and the player blows air across a hole to produce sound.

Flute

400

This instrument is a double reed that looks like a clarinet.

Oboe

500

This is a large double reed instrument with a large range.

Bassoon

Strings

100

This is the smallest string instrument in the orchestra.

Violin

200

This is the largest string instrument in the string family that is played with a bow.

Double Bass

300

This is a lower pitched string instrument in the orchestra.

Cello

400

This is one of the higher pitched stringed instruments in the orchestra, but not the highest.

Viola

500

This is a folk string instrument that is commonly used in bluegrass music. It has a drum head on the body and 5 strings. It is either played 3 finger style or clawhammer.

Banjo

Percussion

100

What is a percussion instrument that does not play a specific note when struck?

Non-pitched or untuned

200

This percussion instrument is a drum with wires stretched across the bottom.

Snare Drum

300

This is a mallet percussion instrument with tuned wooden bars

Xylophone (will also accept marimba)

400

This mallet instrument is made with metal bars.

Glockenspiel

500

This instrument is traditionally made with a gourd and is scraped to make sound.

Guiro

Keyboards

100

This instrument has 88 keys and makes sound by striking strings with a hammer.

Piano

200

This instrument has a console that controls how air is pushed through pipes.

Pipe Organ

300

This electronic keyboard instrument uses samples to sound like any instrument.

Synthesizer

400

This 1700s keyboard instrument often had 2 keyboards and makes sound by plucking a string with a plectrum when pressing a key.

Harpsichord

500

This keyboard instrument is held in both hands, has a bellows in the middle.

Accordion