This document categorizes musical instruments into four families: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. It provides examples of common instruments in each family and describes how they are played. For example, string instruments are played by plucking, bowing or picking, woodwind instruments use reeds or double reeds and require blowing across an opening, brass instruments require blowing through a mouthpiece and changing lip tension or using slides, and percussion instruments make sound through striking or shaking.