This document provides an overview of many traditional musical instruments from different families (woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion). It discusses the origins and characteristics of common instruments like the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and piano. The document emphasizes that musical instruments vary widely across cultures and have diverse histories, and aims to introduce the reader to some standard orchestral instruments.

2. IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
ALMOST ANY OBJECT CAN BECOME A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT IF
MANIPULATED IN A PARTICULAR WAY.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO LIST EVERY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT IN
EXISTENCE.
THROUGH THIS EXHIBIT, YOU WILL BE INTRODUCED TO SOME OF
THE STANDARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE CLASSICAL
ORCHESTRA.
REGARDING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, THERE IS NOT A “BETTER”
OR “WORSE”.
THERE IS SIMPLY “DIFFERENT.” EACH CULTURE HAS ITS OWN
APPROACH TO MUSIC, AND RESULTINGLY, ITS OWN
INSTRUMENTS … THOSE INDIGENOUS TO THE REGION AND
CULTURE.

3. Among the fist
musical sounds
other than voice,
were the vibrations
made by slitting a
blade of grass and
blowing on it.
Some of the first
rhythms occurred
by striking two
sticks together.

4. The portability of
the recorder and
the flute
contributed to
their popularity.

5. The bag pipe for example is so old its
origin has never been established. The
harp came from Syria but found its way to
Egypt and eventually to Northern Europe,
where it became Ireland’s national symbol.

6. A FAVORITE EUROPEAN
INTSTRUMENT AFTER
THE CRUSADES, THE
LUTE ORIGINATED IN
PERSIA, BUT ITS NAME
CAME FROM THE ARABIC
WORD AL’UD, MEANING
WOOD.

8. Part of a classification system for musical
instruments. The term ‘family’ has been used to
indicate a group of instruments with similar qualities
or origins.

9. 




Idiophones
Membranophones
Chordophones
Aerophones
Electrophones



Winds
› Wood winds
› Brass
Strings
Percussion

10. 
Called such
because
they were
initially made
of wood.
That is no
longer the
case.








Flute, and variations
Recorder
Piccolo
Clarinet, and
variations
Oboe
Bassoon
English horn
Saxophone (not a
member of the
classical orchestra)

11. WOODWIND INTRUMENTS

12. THE FLUTE
THE FLUTE IS THE COLORATURA SOPRANO
OF THE WOODWINDS WITH A HIGH
RANGE AND BRILLIANT, SILVERY STONE.
FLUTES ARE USUALLY MADE OF SILVER OR
GOLD, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN MADE FROM
BONE, BAMBOO, CLAY, AND COMMONLY
FROM WOOD.
WHEN A MOUTH PIECE IS ADDED, THE
INSTRUMENT CAN BE PLAYED, BUT ONLY
FOR THE BRIEF TIME IT TAKES FOR THE
BARK TO DRY OUT.

13. OBOE
THE OBOE IS THE WOODWIND’S LYRIC
SUPRANO AND HAS A SLIGHTLY MORE
NASAL, BITTERSWEET TONE THAN THE
FLUTE. A VARIATION OF THE OBOE IS THE
ENGLISH HORN WITH ITS MORE REEDY
AND DISTANT, PLANTIVE TONE.
THE OBOE’S ANCESTOR WAS THE
SHAWM, PLAYED IN ANCIENT SUMERIA
AND EGYPT AND EVENTUALLY FOUND ITS
WAY TO EUROPE VIA THE CRUSADES.

14. CLARINET
THE CLARINET IS THE
WOODWIND’S DRAMATIC
SOPRANO. IT HAS A WIDE RANGE
FROM LOW TO HIGH AND A
SMOOTH, LESS-REEDY TONE THAN
THE OBOE. AN AGILE INSTRUMENT,
IT IS CAPABLE OF RAPID SCALES
AND TRILLS AND IS FOUND IN
BOTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
AND JAZZ ENSEMBLES.
THE CLARINET WAS DEVELOPED IN
GERMANY DURING THE
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FROM A
GREEK INSTRUMENT, THE
CHALUMEAUX.

15. BASSOON
LOWER AND HEAVIER IN TONE THAN
THE OBOE. THE BASSOON IS THE
BASS OF THE WOODWINDS, BUT
WHNE PLAYED IN A DRY STACCATO
MANNER IT HAS A COMIC EFFECT
THAT EARNED ITS TITLE “CLOWN OF
THE ORCHESTRA”.

16. SAXOPHONE
THE SAXOPHONE, ANOTHER FAVORITE
JAZZ INSTRUMENT, IS THE YOUNGEST
MEMBER OF THE WOODWIND FAMILY.
IT WAS INVENTED IN 1840 BY ADOLPHE
SAX, A BELGIAN INSTRUMENT MAKER.
IN TONE THE SAXOPHONE HAS A DEEP,
REEDY SOUND THAT BLENDS EASILY
WITH OTHER INSTRUMENTS, BUT IS
ALSO PLAYED AS A SOLO INSTRUMENT.

17. 



Trumpet
Trombone
French horn
Tuba

18. BRASS INSTRUMENTS PRODUCE SOUNDS
THROUGH TUBING AND BELL SHAPES
THAT AMPLIFY VIBRATIONS MADE BY
PERFORMERS’ LIPS.

19. 
TWO TRUMPETS, ONE SILVER AND ONE
BRONZE, WERE FOUND IN THE TOMB OF
THE EGYPTIAN KING TUTANKHAMEN.
TRUMPETS WERE REGULARLY SOUNDED
IN EGYPTIAN ARMIES, AND EGYPTIAN
PRIESTS BLEW TRUMPETS WHEN
WORSHIPPING THE GODS.

THE MODERN TRUMPET IS FOUND IN
NEARLY ALL ORCHESTRAS, BANDS, AND
ENSEMBLES WHERE ITS HIGH PITCH AND
BRILLIANT TOME MAKE IT EASY TO
IDENTIFY WHETHER THE MUSIC IS
CLASSICAL, JAZZ, OR POP.

WHEN MUSICIANS USE A MUTE, A PEARSHAPED DEVICE PLACED IN THE BELL,
THE TRUMPET TONE CHANGES,
BECOMING SOFTER AND MORE LYRICAL.

20. THE FRENCH HORN IS
DERIVED FROM THE RAMS’
HORN OR SHOFAR.
FRENCH HORN
THE FRENCH HORN
EVOLVED FROM THE BRASS
HUNTING HORN AND WAS
A RATHER PLAIN
ORCHESTRAL STANDARD.
IN TONE THE FRENCH
HORN RANGES FROM
MAJESTIC LOWS TO
MYSTERIOUS HIGHS, AND
IF HORNS PLAYERS PLUG
ITS BELL WITH THEIR
HAND , THE TONE
BECOMES HUSKIER.

21. TROMBONE
THE TROMBONE IS MANIPULATED BY A SLIDE THAT PERFORMS
MUCH LIKE VALVES. WHEN A PLAYER DRAWS THE SLID OUT, THE
TONE BECOMES LOWER. THIS MAKES IT A DIFFICULT
INSTRUMENT TO PLAY BECAUSE THE MUSICIAN IS
CONTINUOUSLY REGULATING PITCH WITH THE SLIDE.
UNLIKE OTHER HORNS, THE TROMBONE HAS UNDERGONE FEW
CHANGES SINCE THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY, WHEN THE SLIDE
WAS ADDED TO A LONG TRUMPET CALLED SACKBUT.

22. TUBA
THE TUBA HAS THE
LOWEST RANGE OF
BRASS INSTRUMENTS,
AND ITS TONE IS FULL
AND MELLOW. WHEN
COMPARED WITH OTHER
INSTRUMENTS, IT IS A
YOUNGSTER, DATING
ONLY FROM THE 1830’S.

23. 



Violin
Viola
Violoncello
Double bass

24. THE VIOLIN IS THE SOPRANO OF THE STRING
FAMILY AND HAS A CLEAR PENETRATING TONE.
VIOLINISTS PERFORM WONDERFUL FEATS OF
SOUND WITH THE INSTRUMENT AND CERTAIN
EFFECTS.

25. THE VIOLA IS
SLIGHTLY LARGER AND
PITCHED LOWER THAN
THE VIOLIN. IT IS THE
ALTO OF THE STRINGS
AND HAS A RICH, FULL
TONE.

26. THE CELLO IS TWICE
THE SIZE OF THE
VIOLIN, ITS NECK IS
PROPORTIONALLY
SHORTER, AND ITS
STRINGS ARE
LONGER AND
THICKER.
THE CELLO IS THE
BARITONE OF THE
STRINGS WITH A
MELLOW TONE BOTH
DEEP AND SWEET.
CELLO
(VIOLONCELLO)

27. DOUBLE BASS
THE DOUBLE BASS IS TALL,
REQUIRING THE PLAYER
TO EITHER STAND, OR SIT
ON A TALL STOOL.
THE INSTRUMENT IS
FLEXIBLE AS A CLASSICAL
INSTRUMENT, AND AS A
JAZZ INSTRUMENT.
ITS TONE IS DEEP, DARK
AND RICH … VERY
RESONANT.

28. BASICALLY, ANY OBJECT
BECOMES A PERCUSSION
INSTRUMENT WHEN STRUCK
AND USED IN A MUSICAL
WAY.
A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THE
ZYDECO MUSIC LONG
ASSOCIATED WITH NEW
ORLEANS. MANY A COOK HAS
EMERGED FROM A
RESTAURANT KITCHEN TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE BAND
BY STRIKING A POT WITH A
LADLE, OR SHAKING A
STRING OF DRIED
FOODSTUFFS.
PERCUSSION

29. BASIC PERCUSSIVE INSTRUMENTS

31. THE PIANO IS A PERCUSSIVE
INSTRUMENT, AND A
STRINGED INSTRUMENT. AS
SUCH, IT DOES NOT FIT
NEATLY INTO THE OTHER
EXISTING CATEGORIES.
SOUND IS CREATING FROM
THE STRIKING OF A HAND ON
A KEY, WHICH CAUSES A
HAMMER TO LIFT AND STRIKE
A STRING … THE PERCUSSIVE
ELEMENT.
THE PIANO EXISTS IN A
VARIETY OF DESIGNS, EACH
INTENDED FOR A SPECIFIC
PERFORMANCE STYLE AND
VENUE.

32. From this point forward, when
you hear music, listen for the
different instrument sounds.
Recognize them as the
sounds of your world … of
everything that ever was.