Music: Instruments: Families and Their Sounds Worksheet

Question 1

The four main instrument families in an orchestra are strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Write the name of one instrument from each family.

Accepted Answer

One possible answer is violin for strings, flute for woodwinds, trumpet for brass, and snare drum for percussion.

Question 2

A violin makes sound when its strings vibrate. Name two ways a violin player can make the strings vibrate.

Accepted Answer

A violin player can make the strings vibrate by drawing a bow across them or by plucking them with a finger.

Question 3

Circle the instrument that belongs to the brass family: clarinet, trombone, cello, xylophone. Explain your choice.

Accepted Answer

The trombone belongs to the brass family because it is made of metal and the player buzzes their lips into a mouthpiece to make sound.

Question 4

A clarinet and an oboe are both woodwind instruments, but they use different reeds. How does a reed help make sound?

Accepted Answer

A reed helps make sound by vibrating when the player blows air across or through it. Those vibrations start the sound inside the instrument.

Question 5

Look at a picture of an orchestra. The violins, violas, cellos, and basses sit together near the front. Which instrument family is this group, and why are they grouped together?

Accepted Answer

This group is the string family. They are grouped together because they all make sound with vibrating strings and often play related musical parts.

Question 6

A flute is made of metal, but it is still in the woodwind family. Explain why.

Accepted Answer

A flute is in the woodwind family because woodwind instruments are grouped by how they make sound. A flute makes sound when air is blown across an opening, not by buzzing lips like a brass instrument.

Question 7

Choose the best description for a trumpet's sound: soft and airy, bright and bold, low and scratchy, or clicking and wooden. Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

A trumpet is usually described as bright and bold because it has a clear, strong tone that can stand out in a band or orchestra.

Question 8

A student hits a triangle, shakes a maraca, and taps a tambourine. What instrument family do these instruments belong to, and what do they have in common?

Accepted Answer

These instruments belong to the percussion family. They have in common that they make sound when they are struck, shaken, or scraped.

Question 9

Classify each instrument as strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion: harp, bassoon, French horn, timpani.

Accepted Answer

The harp is a string instrument, the bassoon is a woodwind instrument, the French horn is a brass instrument, and the timpani is a percussion instrument.

Question 10

A cello is larger than a violin. How does its size affect its pitch?

Accepted Answer

A cello usually plays lower pitches than a violin because its strings are longer and its body is larger, which helps produce deeper sounds.

Question 11

Some percussion instruments have definite pitch, and some have indefinite pitch. Is a xylophone usually definite pitch or indefinite pitch? Explain.

Accepted Answer

A xylophone usually has definite pitch because each bar plays a specific note, such as C, D, or E.

Question 12

Compare a tuba and a trumpet. They are both brass instruments. Name one way they are alike and one way they are different.

Accepted Answer

A tuba and a trumpet are alike because both use buzzing lips and valves to make notes. They are different because the tuba is much larger and usually plays lower pitches than the trumpet.

Question 13

A saxophone is made of brass, but it is classified as a woodwind. What part of the saxophone helps explain its family?

Accepted Answer

The saxophone is classified as a woodwind because it uses a single reed on its mouthpiece. The reed vibrates when the player blows air.

Question 14

A composer wants a gentle, flowing sound that can play smooth melodies. Which instrument might be a good choice: flute, bass drum, cymbals, or triangle? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The flute might be a good choice because it can play smooth melodies and often has a gentle, flowing tone.

Question 15

Fill in the missing family names: Instruments that use vibrating strings belong to the blank family. Instruments that use buzzing lips in a mouthpiece belong to the blank family. Instruments that are struck, shaken, or scraped belong to the blank family.

Accepted Answer

Instruments that use vibrating strings belong to the string family. Instruments that use buzzing lips in a mouthpiece belong to the brass family. Instruments that are struck, shaken, or scraped belong to the percussion family.

Music: Instruments: Families and Their Sounds

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