What instruments are there

Occasionally, the piccolo higher or bass lower trumpets are heard and the trumpet's 'popular' cousin, the cornet , although more common nowadays in 'authentic' Baroque orchestras which use instruments of the correct period or copies thereof , is the 'natural' or valveless trumpet. The more notationally limited bugle is rarely heard away from its traditional military context. French horn another ancient instrument, descended from the use of animals' horns hence the name in pre-historic times.

The modern instrument is the most outwardly complex, consisting of a basic tube, rounded into a compact shape culminating in a conical bore or bell, into which a series of valves are centrally set. Before the valve system had been developed, the changing of basic pitch was facilitated by the insertion of a variety of crooks which altered the length of the basic tube, and the changing of certain notes by holding the hand in a variety of subtly differentiated positions within the bell.

In a popular context the term 'horn' invariably refers to the saxophone, and for the cor anglais see 'oboe' under the woodwind section above. Traditionally, the French horn section is seated away from the rest of the brass family. Trombone descended from the medieval sackbutt, it is the only popular orchestral wind instrument which operates without the use of a valve or key system.

The trombone is easily recognisable by its extended elliptical shape culminating in a conical bore, and its distinctive use of a hand-operated slide held out in front, in order to change pitch.

The slide can be moved to any one of seven main positions, each of which facilitate a different series of notes. The tenor and bass trombone are occasionally seen especially the latter , although the alto and double-bass are extreme rarities. Tuba not unlike the French horn in basic construction, only more oval in shape and much bigger. The piston valve action is similar to the trumpet, only the valves themselves are situated in the middle of the instrument. A variety of types and sizes exist aside from the typical concert instrument in F bass tuba , including the tenor tuba higher , and double-bass tuba lower , often referred to as a bombardon in a military or brass band context.

A percussion instrument is probably best defined as one where a resonating surface is struck by the player, either by hand or by some form of stick. These divide roughly into tuned instruments which have a definite pitch or series of pitches, and those of indefinite pitch. Popular examples of both types are:.

Tuned timpani or kettle drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, tubular bells, vibraphone, marimba. Occasionally, the piano and celesta see left are included in scores as part of the percussion section. Indefinite pitch triangle, gong, castanets, whip, rattle, anvil, tambourine, cymbals struck and clashing , and a variety of drums side, tenor, bass, tabor, bongo etc. Conveniently collected together as any instrument which is operated by means of a standard keyboard, the differences in operation are wide-ranging and carry obvious associations with certain of the above categories.

These break down into four main types:. Struck where the strings are actually hit, either by a tangent e. Aerated where the notes are activated by a column of mechanically propelled air within a series of tuned pipes e. Electronic where a number of effects approximating to those derived from any of the above instruments, as well as totally original sounds, can be achieved e.

The 'classical' guitar is typically a Spanish-derived, six-stringed instrument played using a plectrum or the finger-nails, with frets set into the fingerboard. Popular music tends to use amplification for both six-stringed instruments and the four-string bass guitar. The guitar family gradually supplanted the lute which had come to prominence during the Renaissance. Keyword Search in Albums. Bowed Strings. Brass Instruments. Percussion instruments. Keyboard instruments. Guitar family. Naxos Records, a member of the Naxos Music Group.

Follow Us. Its wooden tube is doubled back on itself to reduce its height and ends with a bell that points up. Bassoons play the low notes in the woodwind family. Bells A collection of bells that are worn, often around the ankle of a traditional dancer. Biwa A Japanese short-necked lute, often used in narrative storytelling. Bodhran An Irish drum whose construction includes two perpendicular pieces of wood at the back used to hold the instrument. It is most commonly played with a stick that has a knob at one or both ends.

Carillon A set of bells in a church or bell tower that are played using a keyboard. Castanets A Spanish percussion instrument that consists of two small shell shaped pieces of wood held together with string. The strings of the castanets are looped over the thumb. Sound is created by clicking the two shells together using the other ingers.

Celesta A keyboard instrument with tuned metal bars. When a key on the keyboard is pressed, a hammer hits a metal bar to produce a tone. Cello A stringed instrument that is double the length of a violin and deeper from front to back. It has four strings, is held between the knees, and is supported on the floor with a metal peg. It is played with a bow and has a tone that is much lower and more mellow than a violin.

Chimes A set of tuned metal tubes that hang in rows in a frame. The sound is made by striking the tube at the top edge with a mallet. The chimes are often used by orchestras to create the sound of bells. Clarinet A woodwind instrument consisting of a black cylindrical tube that has a mouthpiece with a single reed at one end, and a bell at the other end.

The wooden tube has holes covered by metal keys, which are pressed to change the instrument's pitch. Claves A percussion instrument consisting of a pair of short, wooden sticks. Clavichord An early keyboard instrument consisting of strings stretched across an oblong wooden box, and a brass wedge or tangent.

When the key is struck, the tangent rises and strikes the string, causing it to make the sound, which is very soft. Concertina An instrument with expanding bellows like an accordian, but with buttons, instead of keys, for playing the melody. Congas A tall Afro-Cuban drum with a tapered or barrel-shape, played with the fingers and the hollow palm of the hand.

Contrabassoon This instrument is also called a double bassoon. It has a double reed that can play an octave lower than a regular bassoon. Its tube is over 16 feet long and is doubled over on itself four times. The metal bell at the end of the tube points downward. Cornet Similar to a trumpet, the cornet has a partly conical metal tube and is mellower and less brilliant than the trumpet.

Cymbals A percussion instrument consisting of two round metal plates that create classing sounds when struck together. A single cymbal can also be struck with a stick. Da-daiko A double-headed cylindrical drum of Japan. Darbuka A single-head drum with a goblet shaped body used mostly in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Didgeridoo A long bamboo or wooden tube, played like a trumpet by Australian aborigines.

Djembe A rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. Double Bass The largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the string family. The double bass rests on the floor on a metal peg; double bass players often stand when they perform. Drum A percussion instrument consisting of a hollow cylinder with a skin stretched tightly over one or both ends. The skin is hit with the hands or drumsticks.

Dulcimer An early stringed instrument whose strings are stretched across a wooden sound box and hit with small hammers. It has two drumheads connected by leather tension cords, which allow the player to change the pitch of the drum by squeezing the cords between their arm and body.

English Horn A woodwind instrument with a double reed that is similar to an oboe, but longer, and with a pear-shaped bell. Its tone is lower and mellower than an oboe. Fiddle The highest pitched member of the string instrument family.

It has a shallow wooden body, four strings that are tuned with pegs, and it is played with a bow. Finger cymbals Tiny cymbals that are played by putting one on the thumb and the other on the index or middle finger.

Flute A small, cylindrical woodwind instrument, usually made of silver, that is held sideways to the mouth. It is a tube with one open end and one capped end.

Sound is created by blowing across a mouthpiece at the capped end of the instrument. Its pitch is changed by pressing the metal keys that cover holes along the tube. French Horn A brass wind instrument with a conical tube that's bent into a circle, a funnel shaped mouthpiece, and a wide bell. The modern French horn has valves that allow it to play a complete chromatic scale. Gamelan A multi-timbre ensemble consisting of metallophones, xylophones, flutes, gongs, voices, as well as bowed and plucked strings.

Gankogui An African bell made of forged iron and comes in various sizes, it is played by with a wooden stick. Glockenspiel A percussion instrument with a set of steel bars arranged like the keyboard of a piano.

It is played either with two hammers, or with a piano keyboard. Gong A flat, circular metal disc which is hit with a mallet. Guiro A Latin American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. Guitar A stringed instrument with a long neck and a flat, hollow body. Its strings are plucked or strummed with the fingers. Hand Drum A traditional Native American drum, made with a rawhide stretched over a circular frame.

What do children learn from musical instruments? Because students in a music program need to work with each other as a team to perform their work, they learn teamwork and other key interpersonal skills. Memorization For students to be successful in their coursework, they need to be able to collect and internalize large amounts of new information.

When students learn a musical instrument, they learn an entire language of notes. This learning process takes muscle and practice, which music programs help to build. As students practice musical instruments, their brain power increases, helping them with their coursework. Promotes Creativity For students to become successful adults, they need to think outside the box to solve complicated problems and innovate.

By learning a musical instrument, students can find an outlet to express themselves creatively. Boosts Self-Esteem Facing criticism is tough for anyone, but for students it can be even harder. By learning a musical instrument, students learn about constructive criticism and are challenged to improve in a positive way. This not only helps them to grow character and build self-worth, but helps students grow resiliency against non-constructive criticism and bullies.

Improves Motor Skills By improving coordination and dexterity, musical instruments develop motor skills within students. The 10 Most Popular Musical Instruments For students, the choice between musical instruments is highly personal. Whichever instrument is chosen, there are a host of teachers out there ready to pass on their knowledge.

Because there are so many options for students to consider, we focused on the 10 most popular musical instruments. When creating this top-ten list, we carefully considered a variety of sources. Some instructors believe that learning to play piano should be a prerequisite for learning any other instrument. It teaches coordination between hands and between the hand and the eye.

Guitar The rise of rock music has lifted the popularity of the guitar.