Elementary Academics

1. GRADE 4/5
AH-E-1.1.36
AH-E-1.1.39
When I present this PowerPoint project, I bring instruments in for the kids
to see, and I play a CD from the instrument bank so they can listen to how
the instruments sound.

3. There are four families of
instruments.
• Woodwinds
• Brass
• Strings
• Percussion

4. • Flute
• Oboe
• Clarinet
• Bassoon

5. • Originally made of wood.
• Played by blowing across or into the tube of
the instrument.
• Air column inside the tube is set in
vibration and tones are produced.
• Different pitches are created by changing
the length of the column of air
• Pitch low if column of air is long, high if
column of air is shorter.

6. • Flute has no separate mouthpiece
• Clarinet’s mouthpiece has single reed
• Oboe and Bassoon are double-reed
instruments - two reeds tied together.

8. • Trumpet
• Trombone
• French Horn
• Tuba

9. • Sometimes called brass wind instruments.
• Player blows into a mouthpiece to create the
tone
• Consists of long metal tube with a
mouthpiece and a bell-shaped opening
• Pitch low if tube is long, high if tube is
short

10. • To produce sound player buzzes his lips
into the mouthpiece and causes the air
inside to vibrate
• Bell helps to make tone louder and create
quality of tone
• Trumpet and French horn has three valves
• Trombone uses length of slide
• Tuba has four valves

12. • Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Bass

13. • Made from wood, fingerboard on long neck,
and four strings
• Each has a special bow made of wood and
fine horsehairs
• Tone produced by vibrations or motion of
the strings pulling the bow across or
plucking the strings - pizzicato

14. • Shapes are similar but sizes vary from small
to large
• pitch low if string is long and heavy
• pitch high if string is shorter and lighter

16. • Timpani or Kettle Drums snare drums,
• Xylophones
• Orchestra bells
• Cymbals, finger cymbals
• tambourine, triangle
• maracas, claves
• woodblock/sandblock
• castanets, jingle bells and taps

17. • Played by being:
• struck
• shaken
• scraped

19. Music Quiz #3 - Instrument Families
Answer the following questions. Each question is worth 10 points.
1. Which is not an instrument family in an orchestra?
Strings
Percusion
Trumpets
2. To which family do the trombone and tuba belong?
Woodwind
Brass
Bass
3. The saxophone is a member of which family?
Brass
Percusion
Woodwind

20. 4. Which instrument does not belong in the percussion family?
flute
snare drum
tambourine
5. Which family has the most variety of instruments?
Woodwind
Percussion
Strings
6. To which family does the cello belong?
Strings
Woodwind
Percussion

21. 7. Who is the person in front of the orchestra that keeps
everyone playing together?
Constructor
Conductor
Concert master
8. Which is the highest pitched brass instrument?
Trombone
Trumpet
French Horn
9. What is the highest pitched woodwind instrument?
Clarinet
Oboe
Piccolo

22. 10. Which instrument is a member of the brass family, but is
played with a reed like members of the woodwind family?
Saxophone
French Horn
Bassoon
Bonus: Which family of instruments does not play in a
marching band?
Percussion
Woodwind
String

23. OPEN RESPONSE
.We have discussed the different families of
instruments (brass, woodwind, percussion, and
strings).
Pick one family of instruments.
Describe THREE of the instruments in that
family.
List the appearance of each instrument, type
of sound the instrument makes, and how the
instrument is played.