Instrument Families

Musical instruments are sorted into four main families based on how they make their sound.

Reading is good — doing is better. Practice Instrument families as an interactive lesson.

Definition

An instrument family is a group of instruments that all make sound in the same way. Just like people in a family are related to each other, instruments in a family are related because they share the same way of producing sound.

Remember the rule

Ask HOW does it make sound? Strings = pluck or bow. Woodwinds = blow through a reed or hole. Brass = buzz lips into metal. Percussion = hit, shake, or scrape.

Key words

Instrument family: A group of instruments that make sound the same way
Strings: Instruments that make sound when strings are plucked or bowed
Woodwinds: Instruments that make sound when you blow air through them
Brass: Instruments that make sound when you buzz your lips into a metal mouthpiece
Percussion: Instruments that make sound when you hit, shake, or scrape them
Bow: A stick with hair stretched across it, used to rub string instruments to make sound
Mouthpiece: The part of a wind instrument that you put your mouth on
Vibrate: To shake back and forth very fast, which is what makes sound

Worked examples

Which family does a violin belong to?

→ Strings family · A violin makes sound when you draw a bow across its strings, or pluck them with your finger.

Which family does a trumpet belong to?

→ Brass family · A trumpet is made of metal and you buzz your lips into the mouthpiece to make the sound.

Which family does a drum belong to?

→ Percussion family · You hit the top of the drum with a stick or your hand, and that makes it vibrate and sound.

Which family does a flute belong to?

→ Woodwinds family · You blow air across a hole in the flute to make sound, just like blowing across the top of a bottle.

A guitar makes sound when you pluck its strings. What family is it in?

→ Strings family · Any instrument that uses strings plucked or strummed belongs to the strings family.

A xylophone makes sound when you hit its bars with a mallet. What family is it in?

→ Percussion family · Hitting or striking to make sound is the key sign of a percussion instrument.

Common mistakes

Thinking brass instruments must be made of brass-colored metal — a saxophone looks like brass but it is actually in the woodwinds family because it uses a reed.
Putting the piano in the strings family only — the piano is often called percussion because hammers hit the strings inside it.
Forgetting that percussion includes instruments you shake (like maracas) or scrape, not just instruments you hit.
Confusing woodwinds and brass just because both use your breath — the key difference is brass players buzz their lips, woodwind players blow through a reed or a hole.
Thinking a guitar is in the same family as a trumpet because both are in an orchestra — always check HOW the sound is made, not where the instrument is played.

FAQs

Why is it called woodwinds if some woodwind instruments are made of metal?

Long ago, all instruments in that family were made of wood. Today some, like the flute, are metal, but they still use the same way of making sound — blowing air — so they stay in the woodwinds family.

How many instrument families are there?

There are four main families: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Some teachers also add a fifth family called keyboards, which includes the piano and organ.

Is a piano a string instrument or a percussion instrument?

It is a little of both! The piano has strings inside, but small hammers hit those strings to make sound. Most music teachers place it in its own keyboard family or in percussion.

Can one instrument belong to two families?

Usually an instrument belongs to just one family based on its main way of making sound. The piano is a special case because it uses both strings and hitting.

Why do instruments get grouped into families?

Grouping them helps musicians, teachers, and listeners understand and talk about instruments more easily. Instruments in the same family often sound similar and are played in similar ways.

What is the easiest way to remember the four families?

Think about what your body does: pull or push a bow on strings, blow soft air through a woodwind, buzz your lips hard into brass, or hit and shake for percussion.

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