Lesson: INSTRUMENT IDENTIFICATION
Objective: Students will identify
different instruments of the orchestra
by sight and sound.
TEKS: 117.12, 15, 18 (B) 1A, 1B, 5A
MENC: standards 6
Materials: Selected audio files found under each subheading. Optional worksheet
References: London Philharmonic for kids
Preface:
Exercise 1: Match the Instrument to the Sound
It has taken more than five hundred
years for the many instruments of the
orchestra to find their final shape and
form. Think about it, some instruments
are as old as Blackbeard the pirate and
the Taj Majal in India!
Before we introduce each instrument, let’s
test your knowledge.
1. Using the handout included in this packet
and the instrument audio samples from
below, have the students match the
correct instrument to the sound played.
2. Once finished, assess the students
performance and prior knowledge.
Instruments and Tone Color:
Music is similar to a painting. Each note,
or color, is carefully selected by the
composer to create the most beautiful
final product for the audience. In each of
the pieces you will hear during the
concert, the composers colored their
music with the sounds of each individual
instruments. As audience members, we
get to experience this musical painting
as a whole, but we can appreciate each
color also! To truly know what to listen
for, it is important to know the sound of
each instrument.
Special Thanks to Our
Young People's Concert
Sponsors
Exercise 1 Instruments:
Instrument 1
Instrument 2
Instrument 3
Instrument 4
Instrument 5
Instrument 6
Preface:
Strings
Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass and Harp make up the
string family. All string instruments are made of
wood and have strings stretched over them.
These instruments are played with a ‘bow’ - a long
stick with horsehair stretched from one end to
another. The end of the bow that musicians hold
in their hands is called the ‘frog.’ Musicians use
the frog to control the tension of the horsehair!
String instruments can be played by strumming or
plucking, also called pizzicato, the strings.
Exercise 1: The Family
Play the sound sample of the string instrument
family, Adagio for Strings; Leonard Bernstein
and discuss with the class the differences
in tone (The quality or character of a sound. The
unique difference between voices of the same
instrument; the color or mood of the voice ) and
range (total amount of notes an instrument is
capable of producing ).
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY:
A more interactive way to quiz students on their
instrument knowledge is to create Musical Instrument
Fortune Tellers. Your students will know how to make the
fortune teller paper creations!
1. Color each of the four top sections a separate color,
and label each section for the four instrument families.
2. In the inside, after an instrument is chosen, write
down the name of any instrument.
3. Finally, under the instrument label, write questions
such as “what is the largest woodwind instrument?” as
well as the answer, “The bassoon.”
Some people consider the harp a member of the
percussion family because a harpist can strike
the strings to produce sound. What family do
you think it should be in and why?
There is a large size difference between the violin and cello. This
size difference makes it impossible to hold the cello like a violin.
Exercise 2: The String Section
VIOLIN
The violin is the smallest member of the string
family. Because its strings are the shortest, it
produces the highest sound. There are more
violins in the orchestra than any other single
instrument!
VIOLA
The viola is an important member of the
orchestra, but is not often heard by itself.
Because it is bigger than the violin, with longer
strings, it makes a rich warm sound that is lower in
pitch.
CELLO
The cello plays even lower than the viola—a whole
octave lower. And it’s more than twice the size!
Cellists rest the cello on the floor using an endpin
since it would be impossible to hold a cello like a
violin!
BASS
The double bass is the orchestra’s foundation.
These big, deep instruments add weight to the
orchestra sound. They are the largest stringed
instruments, standing more than six feet tall.
HARP
The harp is one of the oldest instruments in
existence, thought to have been around for more
than four thousand years. The modern harp has
47 strings and seven pedals, which control the
pitches of the strings.
Exercise: 3 The Instruments
After listening to each instrument’s sound sample,
linked in Exercise 2, discuss the following
questions:
1) What string instrument can play the highest
note? (violin)
2) What string instrument makes up the most
members of the orchestra? (violin)
1) What string instruments use an end pin? (cello
and bass)
Exercise 2: The Woodwind
Section
The saxophone is one
woodwind that is always
found in bands and wind
ensembles, but very
rarely plays in the
orchestra!
FLUTE
Originally, flutes were made
of wood, which is why they
are considered a woodwind.
However, flutes used today are made out
of metal and do not use a reed. The sound is
produced when the player blows across a hole in the
side of the instrument. The piccolo is a smaller kind
of flute that produces an even higher sound.
Woodwinds
OBOE
The oboe is the instrument that the orchestra tunes
Preface:
to, which you hear before every concert starts. It
The woodwind members of the orchestra are the
looks very similar to the clarinet, but it has a very
flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. There can be two, small ‘double’ reed that sticks out from the end. In
three, or four, of any of these woodwinds in an
this piece, the oboe is playing with a harpsichord
orchestra, playing at the same time. All of the
which is an ancestor of the piano!
modern woodwinds are played by blowing into them
and creating different notes by placing your fingers
CLARINET
on the keys, or buttons, that cover various holes.
The clarinet uses only a single reed to make its
sound. Although it has a very smooth, mellow tone,
Exercise 1: The Family
the clarinet has a very wide range (low notes to high
Play the sound sample of the woodwind instrument
notes) and is often featured in solos. There are
many sizes of clarinets, including bass and
family
playing together, and discuss with the
contrabass.
class the difference in tone and range.
BASSOON
The bassoon, like the oboe, is a double reed and is
by far the biggest and lowest sounding woodwind. If
you were to unfold a bassoon, it would
be almost nine feet tall! You can
usually see the tops of bassoons over
the string section. The bigger, lower
sounding brother of the bassoon is the
Contrabassoon. In this music piece,
the bassoon starts at about 0:40; it’s
the lowest sound in the piece. Can you
hear it?
The woodwinds sit in two rows in the middle of the orchestra! This allows them to hear
each other and allows their sound to travel throughout the orchestra.
Exercise: 3 The Instruments
After listening to each instrument’s sound sample,
linked in Exercise 2, discuss the following
questions:
Exercise 2: The Brass Section
TRUMPET
The trumpet is the smallest, highest-sounding brass
1) What woodwind instrument can play the highest instrument. Because of its small size and shape, it
has a very clear, direct sound. The military uses a
note? (Flute)
form of trumpet called the bugle which has no
2) What woodwind instruments are played with a
valves and requires the player to rely upon the
reed? (Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon)
3) What is the only woodwind instrument that does shape of his mouth to create different pitches.
not use a reed? (Flute)
FRENCH HORN
The French Horn, or horn, has a velvety, round and
deep tone color. It has the largest range of all the
brass instruments. The horn’s unique sound has
been a favorite of composers for centuries, so it is
no surprise that it is used for solos often.
TROMBONE
The trombone is the only brass instrument
without valves that you will find in the orchestra. To
change pitch, the trombone uses a piece of tubing
called the slide. The slide makes the instrument
shorter or longer, making the pitch higher and lower.
What other instruments are playing with the
trombones in this piece of music?
Bassoon and Contrabassoon
(left to right) Alto clarinet, bass clarinet,
contra-bass clarinet, sub-contrabass
clarinet
Brass
Preface:
The orchestral brass instruments are made of
metal, although the metal can be silver instead of
brass. Brass instruments produce sound by
‘buzzing’ the lips against the mouth piece; the rest
of the instrument amplifies and refines the sound.
There are two ways to change pitch on a brass
instrument, using slides or valves in combination
with changing the shape of the lips against the
mouthpiece.
Exercise 1: The Family
Play the sound example of a brass family
Pavane Pour Une Infante defunte; Lorin Maazel,
and discuss with the class the difference in tone and
range.
TUBA
The tuba is the largest, lowest-sounding brass
instrument. It has a much mellower, distant sound
than the trombone. The tuba, like the double bass
and the bassoon, is crucial in an orchestra because
it provides the lowest notes for the brass section.
Can you tell when the tuba plays in this music?
Raise your hand when you hear it, and put it down
when the tuba is no longer playing!
Exercise 3: The Instruments
After listening to each instrument’s sound sample,
linked in Exercise 2, discuss the following
questions:
1) Which brass instrument can play the highest
notes? (Trumpet)
2) Which brass instrument can play the lowest
note? (Tuba)
3) Which brass instrument uses a slide to change
notes, instead of using valves or keys?
(Trombone)
General Rule of All Instruments: Longer (bigger)
instruments have lower pitches. Shorter (smaller)
instruments have higher pitches!
Percussion
Preface:
The percussion family is huge! It includes any
instrument that produces sounds when struck,
scraped, or shaken. A percussionist in an
orchestra may play as many as a dozen different
instruments in one concert!
Exercise 1: The Family
Play the sound example of the percussion
instrument family
This is a Percussion
Ensemble; it is possible to make music only with
percussion instruments! Can you think of another
time when music was made only with percussion
instruments?
TEACHER NOTE:
Vic Firth, an international percussion stick
company, was founded by Vic Firth when he
began playing with the Boston Symphony
Orchestra and believed that a higher quality stick
could drastically improve the sound quality for the
orchestral percussionist. The Vic Firth company
has produced a series of videos that detail the
proper playing and maintenance of percussion
instruments. Playing percussion is more than
simply hitting an instrument, there are small
changes that a percussionist can make that result
in a large change in sound. If you have access to
YouTube, you are welcome to utilize the Vic Firth
videos to demonstrate the proper way to play each
of the percussion instruments.
Exercise 2 The Percussion Section
PITCHED PERCUSSION
The following common percussion instruments can
produce different notes (pitches). The only drum in
this group is the timpani because each drum is
tuned to a different note.
BELLS (glockenspiel)
A set of flat metal bars tuned like a piano and
played with hard mallets.
CHIMES
A set of tubular bells hit with a hammer.
TIMPANI
Sometimes called kettle drums because they are
shaped like kettles. Timpani are very important
because they underline important, big chords.
XYLOPHONE
The xylophone, like the bells, is tuned like a piano.
The xylophone is different from the bells because it
is made of many wooden bars.
PIANO
The piano is a large stringed instrument played with
a keyboard. A ‘hammer’ strikes the strings when
the player hits the keys and makes the strings
inside the piano vibrate.
UNPITCHED PERCUSSION
The following are common percussion
instruments that do not provide different
pitches.
CYMBALS
Cymbals are thin metal disks that are clashed
together or struck with sticks. They come in
many sizes.
SNARE DRUM
The ‘snare’ is a set of wires strung across the
bottom of the drum that vibrate when the drum
is played.
TRIANGLE
The triangle is a steel rod bent in the shape of a
triangle and hit with a mallet.
TEACHER NOTE:
We encourage you to utilize other resources to
educate your students on the different orchestral
instruments and their families. We know that
some classes will enjoy more challenging
information and activities. The Philharmonia
Orchestra in London has a fantastic resource for
your students to explore online the different
Instruments and families in a more in depth
manner. This resource provides information on
the history of each instrument, playing techniques,
and tips for players and future players!
Please click here
to access this resource.
TAM-TAM
The tam-tam is a large circular metal plate,
usually suspended from a frame, which is
struck with a heavy mallet.
Exercise 3: The Instruments
After listening to each instrument’s sound
sample, linked in Exercise 2, discuss the
Following questions:
ACTIVITY VARIATION:
Materials: Worksheet included in this packet and audio
files from Exercise 2 in every instrument family.
1) What famous percussion instrument is also Instructions:
1) Play a sound file from one of the instruments in
a type of string instrument? (Piano)
Exercise 2 without telling students which instrument
2) What is another name for the kettle drums?
you are playing.
(Timpani)
3) What are some things you could use as
2) Have students write down which instrument they think
percussion instruments? (open discussion)
was played and what family that instrument belongs
to.
3) When you have played ten different instrument sound
files, have the students check their work against what
you played.
4) Discuss the instruments and instrument families with
your students.
Objective: Students will use their
TEKS: 117.12, 15, 18 (B) 1A, 2A, 3B, 4A, 4B
pre-acquired knowledge of instruments to
MENC: standards 2, 8
demonstrate how sound is made.
Students will use simple materials to make
simple instruments.
Materials: Varies from instrument to instrument, see below.
CHOOSE YOUR INSTRUMENT
5 -NOTE WATER XYLOPHONE
(PERCUSSION)
Materials:
• (5) 20 oz. Sobe juice bottles
• Tap water (you can choose to
color it, if preferable)
 Measuring cup
 Metal Spoon
Instructions:
1. Fill each bottle with the
approximate amount of water:
1. 19 oz, 570 mL
2. 13 oz, 390 mL
3. 11 oz, 330 mL
5. 8 oz, 240 mL
6. 6 oz, 180 mL
2. Check to make sure relative
tuning is accurate.
3. Label each bottle accordingly
(1,2,3,5,6)).
4. Fill each bottle with a different
food coloring.
THE AEROPHONE (BRASS)
Materials:
• Plastic Water Bottle
• Scissors (Careful supervision)
• Duct Tape
• Large Sheets of Paper
(Construction paper if possible)
You have not created a
‘pentatonic’ , or five note major
scale, with the notes F, G, A, C, D.
You can play a number of songs
with these notes, try these examples:
Rain, rain, go away:
(5 3, 5 5 3, 5 5 3 6 5 5 3)
Camptown ladies:
(5 5 3 5 6 5 3, 3 2 3 2)
Mary had a little lamb:
(3 2 1 2 3 3 3, 2 2 2, 3 5 5)
The sound is produced by the
vibrations in the glass bottle when
struck by the spoon.
Activity Variation:
There are many ways to discuss
the science of music by varying
the length of an instrument or the
speed at which vibrations
happen. In the orchestra, all
instruments vary their tone by
increasing or decreasing the
length of the instrument or
changing the speed at which the
musicians lips or strings vibrate!
A great way to demonstrate this
is to take a rubber band and
increase and decrease its length
while students “strum” the band.
Music is all about vibration and
length!
Notice that the less water you have,
the higher the sound, and the more
water you have the lower the sound.
Instructions:
1. Cut the bottle straight across at the middle.
2. Duct Tape the paper into a rounded, tube form at the
end of the cut section of the bottle.
3. ‘Buzz’ into the end of the bottle like a trumpet or
trombone, using your lips to change pitch. Think about doing a
“raspberry” into the instrument to achieve the ‘buzz.’
The sound is produced by the buzzing of the lips vibrating
against the narrow, plastic bottle opening. When you tighten
your lips the sound gets higher, and when your lips are more
flabby, the sound gets lower.
Teacher Worksheet 1
OBJECTIVE: Students will distinguish different instruments of the orchestra by sound.
TEKS: 117.12 (B) 1A, 1B, 6A
117.15,18, (B) 1A, 1B, 6A, 6B
Materials: Student Worksheet, Teacher Worksheet, Music files from links
Before we begin, let’s test your knowledge of the instruments! Listen to the instrument sound files
played by your teacher and write down the name of the instrument playing and the family (brass, string,
woodwinds, or percussion) that each instrument belongs to.
Remember, some instruments sound similar, like the violin and the viola or the trumpet and the
trombone. Try to listen for the different, special features, like high notes and low notes of each
instrument.
TEACHERS: Randomly choose ten of the instrument samples and record there order here for your
reference:
1) __________________________________________________________________
2) __________________________________________________________________
3) __________________________________________________________________
4)
__________________________________________________________________
5) __________________________________________________________________
6) __________________________________________________________________
7) __________________________________________________________________
8) __________________________________________________________________
9) ___________________________________________________________________
10) __________________________________________________________________
The four families of the orchestra are very different, aren’t they? On a separate sheet of paper, list the
four different instrument families and the instruments that belong to them. Next to each instrument,
write a short description of how the instrument sounds to you, and to you only. Look at this paper again
after you hear our concert and see if you still have the same opinion of the instruments sound!
NAME: ________________________________________ Date: ____________________________
THE INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Before we begin, let’s test your knowledge of the instruments! Listen to the instrument sound files
played by your teacher and write down the name of the instrument playing and the family (brass,
strings, woodwinds, or percussion) each instrument belongs to.
Remember, some instruments sound similar, like the violin and the viola or the trumpet and trombone.
Try to listen for the different, special features, like high notes and low notes of that instrument. Be sure
to use complete sentences!
Example: The trumpet which belongs to the brass family.
1) _________________________________________________________________________
2) _________________________________________________________________________
3) _________________________________________________________________________
4) _________________________________________________________________________
5) _________________________________________________________________________
6) _________________________________________________________________________
7) _________________________________________________________________________
8) _________________________________________________________________________
9) _________________________________________________________________________
10)_________________________________________________________________________
The four families of the orchestra are very different, aren’t they? On a separate sheet of paper,
list the four different instrument families and the instruments that belong to them. Next to each
instrument, write a short description of how the instrument sounds to you, and only to you.
Directions: Draw a line connecting the sound clip heard with the correct instrument!
Sound #1
Sound #2
Sound #3
Sound #4
Sound #5
Sound #6