MEET THE INSTRUMENT FAMILIES!Did you know that instruments are divided into groups called Families? There are 4 Instrument Families in a symphony orchestra. The instruments in each family share certain characteristics, such as their shape, what material they are made of, and how they are played.

Let’s meet the Instrument Families!

STRING FAMILY These family members:• have a similar shape, are

made of wood, and come indifferent sizes

• have strings stretched acrossthe front

• make their sound by drawinga bow across the strings, or bypulling the strings with yourfingers

WOODWIND FAMILY These family members:• have a similar shape—long

tubes that you blow air into• originally, all woodwinds were

made of wood. Today, themodern flute is made of metaland other woodwinds havesome metal parts

• all woodwinds except theflute use a small piece ofwood called a reed. The reedvibrates and produces soundwhen you blow across it

VIOLIN

FLUTE

VIOLA

OBOE

CELLO

CLARINET BASSOON

DOUBLE BASS

fam·i·ly [‘fam(ə)lē] Noun

· A group of peoplerelated to one another

· A group of objectsthat share a significantcharacteristic

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MEET THE INSTRUMENT FAMILIES! (CONTINUED)

BRASS FAMILYThese family members:• are all made of long brass

tubes curled up intodifferent shapes.

• have cup-shapedmouthpieces that you buzzinto to create sound

• all have a bell—that’s theflared end of the brass tube.That’s where the soundcomes out!

PERCUSSION FAMILYThese family members:• make sounds when they

are hit, shaken, scraped, orrubbed

• many are played by strikingthe instrument with a stickor mallet

• most are used to keepthe rhythm and to createspecial sounds

TRUMPET FRENCH HORN

TIMPANISNARE DRUM

BASS DRUM

TROMBONE

CYMBALS

TUBA

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