This document provides information on different types of musical instruments organized into categories. It describes string instruments like violins, cellos, and guitars that are played by bowing or plucking strings. Woodwind instruments like flutes, clarinets and oboes produce sound when the player blows into a reed or mouthpiece. Brass instruments include trumpets, French horns and tubas which are played by buzzing lips into a mouthpiece. Percussion instruments make sound when struck, such as drums, cymbals and xylophones.

2. STRINGED
INSTRUMENTS

3. Bowed string instruments
• In these types of instruments, sound is made
by rubbing the strings with a bow.
• Includes the violin, viola, cello and contrabass

4. Violin
• Has 4 strings
• The soprano voice in the
string family
• Held under the chin, resting
on the shoulder
• http://www.dsokids.com/listen/InstrumentDe
tail.aspx?instrumentID=3

5. Viola
• The alto voice in the string
family
• Slightly larger than the violin
• Played just like the violin
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www.dsokids.co?m/listen/InstrumentDetail.aspxinstr
=5

6. Cello
• The tenor voice in the string
family
• Shaped like a violin but much
larger
• Is held between the player’s
knees
• http://www.dsokids.com/listen/InstrumentD
etail.aspx?instrumentID=6

7. Double Bass (Contrabass)
• The largest and lowest
instrument in the string
family
• Because of its size it is
usually played standing or
sitting on a high chair
• http://www.dsokids.com/listen/Instrumen
tDetail.aspx?instrumentID=7

8. Plucked String Instruments
Instruments in which sound is produced by
plucking the strings with a plectrum or with
the fingers.

9. Harp
• Has about 45 strings
• Strings are plucked by
hand
• There are pedals at the
bottom of the harp that
adjust the length of
strings to change
sounds

10. Guitar
• A stringed instrument,
usually containing 6 or 12
strings
• Played by plucking or
strumming

11. Harpsichord
• Played like a keyboard
• Sound is made by
plucking the strings with
plectrums using a
keyboard.

12. Lute
• A plucked string
instrument with a long
neck
• Shaped like a half an egg

13. Struck String Instruments
Instruments that produce sound when small
hammers strike the strings, triggered by a
keyboard.

14. Piano
• Sound is made by small
hammers striking its
strings
• The hammers strike
the strings when the
player’s hands press
the piano keys

15. Woodwind Instruments
Instruments that are mostly made of wood and have
a reed mouthpiece.
Sound is produced by air passing through the inside
of the tube. The shorter the length of the tube, the
higher the sound that is produced

16. Flute
• A narrow tube with a
row of holes covered by
keys on the side
• The player blows air
over the small hole in
the mouthpiece to
produce sound

17. Piccolo
• Basically just a small
flute
• The pitch is higher than
the flute

18. Bassoon
• A large, double reed
instrument
• Produces the lowest
sound of all the
woodwind
instruments

19. Clarinet
• Made from wood
• Has a single reed
• Player uses both hands
to press the metal keys

20. Oboe
• Similar to the clarinet
• Has a double reed
• Has a skinny, tubular
body

21. Recorder
• Made of wood, has
whistle- mouthpieces.
• There are 8 different
sizes

22. Saxophone
• Has a single reed
• The only woodwind
instrument made of
brass
• Especially used in jazz
music

23. Brass Instruments
These instruments produce sound by the player
vibrating their lips while blowing air through
a cup or funnel-shaped mouthpiece

24. Trumpet
• The highest sounding
instrument in the Brass
Family
• Has 3 keys

25. French Horn
• Made of 3.6 meters of
tubing
• The player presses the
keys with his left hand and
puts his right hand inside
of the bell

26. Tuba
• The lowest sounding
member of the Brass
Family
• Has 4-5 keys
• Is held in the players lap

27. Trombone
• Instead of keys, the
trombone has a slide
that changes its length
• Moving the slide makes
different sounds

28. Percussion
Instruments in the Percussion family are played
by being hit, shaken, or scraped. These
instruments provide a variety of sounds.

29. Timpani
• Also called “kettledrums”
• The top is usually made
from cowskin or plastic
• Hit with a stick or mallet
• Has foot pedals

30. Snare Drum
• Has 2 drum sides
• The player hits the top
with wooden drumsticks

31. Bass Drum
• Much larger than the
snare drum
• Played on its side so
both sides can be hit

32. Gong
• Large, circular pieces of
brass that are hit with
mallets
• In China, gongs were used to
make announcements and
send messages

33. Xylophone
• Made of hard wood
bars of different
lengths
• The player hits the bars
with mallets to make
high-pitched sounds

34. Cymbals
• 2 large, brass plates
• Made in all different
sizes, each having
different sounds

35. Electronic Instruments

36. Electric Guitar
• Is connected to speakers
• Has metal strings
• The strings vibrate to
make sound

37. Synthesizer
• Played using a keyboard
• Can make a large variety
of sounds

38. Mixed Woodwind Family
Includes instruments that cannot be included in
any of the other groups due to their
characteristics. These instruments use different
ways to vibrate air to make sounds.

39. Organ
• When the player
presses the keys air
flows into matching
pipes
• The vibration of the
air in the pipes creates
the sounds of the
organ