Instruments

concertina

English and German; bellow-driven free reed instrument lacking keys but having buttons that produce a single note

glockenspiel

German for "bell's play" or "musical bells;" metal bars struck by mallets

fife

German for "pipe;" used in military bands; pitched higher than a piccolo

xylophone

Greek for "wooden sound;" wooden bars struck by mallets

ram's horn

Shofars are traditionally made from what object?

calypso

Steel drums are a large part of which type of music?

flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and FRENCH horn (not English horn)

instruments found in a traditional woodwind quintet

bass drum

introduced to the orchestra by Mozart in 1728; sits on its side so both heads can be struck

maracas

invented by Mexican natives; dried gourds containing seeds, which rattle when shaken

marimba

its long resonating tubes are sometimes gourds; African; larger range and softer mallets than a xylophone

autoharp

its name was originally a trademark of the Oscar Schmidt company; an American folk instrument with chord bars, dampers, and 36 strings

viola

larger and pitched lower than the violin

tin whistle

made of inexpensive metal with six finger holes and a metal or plastic mouthpiece; Celtic; also called the pennywhistle

shakuhachi

modern form has four finger holes and one thumb hole; associated with Buddhism; Japanese end-blown flute traditionally made of bamboo

harpsichord

often used in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but fell out of popularity in the late 18th century; when keys are pressed, corresponding strings are plucked

English horn

only woodwind in Haydn's "Philosopher" Symphony; represents voice of Harry Burleigh in the song "Goin' Home;" represents a birl in Sibelius's The Swan of Tuonela; plays a solo in the "Largo" section of the "New World" Symphony; "cor anglais;" middle pitched double reed

koto

originally only used in the Royal Court; descended from the Chinese guzheng; plucked with the right hand while the left changes string length; kneel while playing; a Japanese instrument with a hollow wooden body and 13 silk strings

calliope

patented by Joshua Stoddard in 1855; often used at circuses and fairs or on steamboats; used steam blown whistles; shares its name with a muse

trombone

played by Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller; brass, but no valves; evolved from the sackbut ; uses a slide

balalaika

primas and altos are played with the hands, while basses are played with thick leather picks; three-stringed triangular guitar

tambourine

shaken or struck; calfskin stretched across a shallow wooden hoop with metal discs set inside the hoop

ruan

short fretted neck and a circular body; plucked strings traditionally silk, but now steel; Chinese instrument also called the yuequin and moon guitar

euphonium

silver tuba whose name means "good sound"

bodhran

similar to a tambourine, but with goatskin and no metal disks; an Irish drum

clarinet

single reed; closed cylindrical bore; wooden body and metal keys; played by Benny Goodman

piccolo

smallest and highest pitched orchestral woodwind; Italian for "little flute"

gong

solid, hanging brass disc struck with a mallet

bouzouki

sometimes called an octave mandolin; metallic tone; pear-shaped body and a long neck with three to four courses of metal strings; Greek origin, but used in Ireland and popular in Celtic music

carillon

stick-like batons are played with the fists while the feet play a pedal keyboard, which trigger bells

triangle

struck with a metal beater; metal tube in a particular shape

bachi

the plectrum used to play a shamisen

dulcimer

three or four strings over an hourglass-shaped body; played by plucking or strumming while being held in the lap; Appalachian instrument of the zither family

shamisen

three strings stretched across a long neck and a rounded rectangular body; Japanese instrument played by the leader of a Bunraku play

snare drum

two animal skin heads stretched over a metal frame; namesake metal strands on the bottom head rattle when struck with a drumstick

clavichord

used during the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods; comes from two Latin words meaning "key" and "string;" wasn't loud, so mainly used for practice and as a composition aid; produces sound by stringing brass or iron strings with small metal blades called tangents

guitarron

used in Mariachi bands; large, fretless bass guitar with very deep sides

ocarina

usually made of terracotta; toy flute with a mouthpiece and finger holes

chimes

usually struck with wooden mallets or hammers; large, hanging metal tubes of decreasing length

celesta

when keys are pressed, hammers strike a graduated set of medal plates suspended over wooden resonators

oboe

wooden with metal keys; highest pitched double reed

bassoon

"clown of the orchestra;" air travels over nine feet within the instrument; lowest pitched double reed

saxophone

"soul of jazz;" played by Charlie Parker and John Coltrane; a woodwind made of brass

double bass

a string instrument with sloped shoulders rather than rounded; played standing up

Tibetan Singing Bowls

according to tradition, don't make a sound when played incorrectly; played by striking the edge or rubbing/stirring the inside surface; associated with Buddhist monks of the Himalayas

bagpipe

aerophone; uses enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air; Scottish

harmonium

also called a melodeon; a free-reed pump organ that's more portable than a pipe organ

panpipe

also called a syrinx; considered the first mouth organ; ancestor to the pipe organ and harmonica; Ancient Greek instrument associated with its namesake god

synthesizer

an electronic instrument often controlled by a keyboard that has the ability to imitate other sounds

theremin

an electronic instrument that doesn't require touch; instead, it uses two antennae that sense the position and location of the hands to control pitch and volume

shofar

ancient trumpet used by the Hebrews in battle, but now sounded in the synagogue during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

accordion

associated with the polka; bellow-driven free reed instrument with keys and buttons that play chords

ukulele

based on the instruments of Portuguese immigrants; name means "jumping flea;" Hawaiian

erhu

body is a drum-like case made of wood and snake skins; two strings; Chinese lute played with a curved horse-hair bow

cymbals

brass plates that can be suspended and struck with a stick or attached to handles and crashed together

mandolin

can be Neapolitan (bowl-backed), carved-top, or flat-top; round, tear-drop, or pear-shaped with four to six pairs of strings

kalimba

change tone with pressure; invented by African slaves in the Caribbean; small wooden box with a central sound hole and a row of metal bars suspended above; thumb piano

didgeridoo

classified as a brass aerophone; described as a natural wooden trumpet or drone pipe; developed by the Aborigines

sitar

gourd for a resonating chamber; pear shaped guitar with a long neck and 18-20 sympathetic strings; featured in the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood;" played by Ravi Shankar

harp

has a resonator, neck, and seven pedals; 45 plucked strings stretched across a triangular frame

cello

held between the knees; shaped like a violin but much larger; played by Yo Yo Ma

vuvuzela

horn; most likely African; also known as the lepatata Mambu; made popular at South African soccer games

French horn

12 feet of narrow tubing; right hand often placed inside bell; circular body

tuba

16 feet of tubing; four or five valves; largest and lowest brass instrument

flute

16 holes and keys; air is blown across the mouthpiece; originally wooded, now silver or gold; held horizontally

trumpet

6.5 feet of tubing; played by Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, and Dizzy Gillespie; bell is smaller than a French horn and appears longer than a coronet

shekere

African percussion instrument consisting of a gourd covered with a net that has beads woven into it

tortoise shell

Ancient Greek lyres were traditionally made from what object?

zither

Bavarian; originally with four melody strings and no more than 15 accompaniment strings; trapezoidal body

guiro

Mexican; grooved surface of a gourd scraped with a wooden stick to create a rasping sound

Bill Monroe

The mandolin is associated with which bluegrass musician?

Tiny Tim

The ukulele is associated with which 1960's performer?

two violins, a viola, and a cello

What instruments make up a string quartet?

flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and FRENCH horn

What instruments make up a wind quintet?

organ

a famous one is housed in the Meyerson Symphony Center; often used by Bach; air flows into corresponding pipes when the player presses keys

cornet

comical tubing; thicker and wound tighter than a trumpet

violin

common solo instrument; smallest and highest pitched string in the orchestra; Italian for "small viola"

lute

evolved from ancient Middle Eastern stringed instruments and comes from an Arabic word meaning "wood;" originally plucked with a quill, but now played with fingers; bent neck, deep pear-shaped body, and a flat top that features a sound hole that's usually intricately carved into the shape of a vine or knot

castanets

featured in Wagner's Tannhäuser, Strauss' Salome, and Bizet's Carmen; handheld concave shells usually made of chestnut wood used for clicking accompaniment

steel drums

first developed in the 1930's and 40's; played with rubber-headed sticks; made from oil barrels on the island of Trinidad

timpani

first drums to be used in the orchestra; struck with felt-tipped wooden mallets; head is tunable; sheep skin stretched across a metal shell or cauldron; also called a "kettle drum"

harmonica

free reed; also called a mouth organ

hurdy-gurdy

from Western Europe and/or the Middle East; often used alongside bagpipes in French, Hungarian, and Galician folk music; sound is produced by a crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings

piano

full name is Italian for "soft and loud;" hammers strike strings; 88 black (ebony) and white (ivory) keys