The Orchestra Families

An orchestra is a large group of musicians whose instruments are organized into four families based on how they make sound.

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Definition

An orchestra is a big group of people playing instruments together. To keep things organized, instruments are sorted into four families: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Each family makes sound in its own special way — by vibrating strings, blowing air through wood or metal, buzzing lips into a mouthpiece, or hitting and shaking objects.

Remember the rule

How does it make sound? Bow or pluck = Strings. Blow through a reed or hole = Woodwinds. Buzz your lips into metal = Brass. Hit or shake it = Percussion.

Key words

Orchestra: A large group of musicians who play together, usually led by a conductor.
Family: A group of instruments that make sound the same way.
Strings: Instruments that make sound when you pluck or bow their strings.
Woodwinds: Instruments that make sound when you blow air through them — many were once made of wood.
Brass: Instruments made of metal that make sound when you buzz your lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece.
Percussion: Instruments that make sound when you hit, shake, or scrape them.
Conductor: The person who stands in front of the orchestra and leads all the musicians with a baton.
Vibration: A fast back-and-forth movement that creates sound.

Worked examples

Which family does the violin belong to?

→ Strings — a player draws a bow across the violin's four strings, making them vibrate and produce sound. · The cello and double bass are also in the strings family and work the same way.

Which family does the flute belong to?

→ Woodwinds — a player blows air across a small hole, which makes the air inside the tube vibrate. · Even though the modern flute is made of metal, it is still called a woodwind because of how it makes sound.

Which family does the trumpet belong to?

→ Brass — a player presses their lips together and buzzes them into a metal mouthpiece, and that buzzing creates the sound. · The trombone and French horn are also brass instruments.

Which family does the snare drum belong to?

→ Percussion — a player hits the drumhead with a stick, making it vibrate and produce sound. · Percussion is the largest family and includes both pitched instruments like the xylophone and unpitched ones like the bass drum.

A student sees a clarinet in a picture. What family is it in?

→ Woodwinds — the clarinet player blows air through a thin piece of wood called a reed, which vibrates to make sound.

Which family does the tuba belong to?

→ Brass — the tuba is the biggest brass instrument. The player buzzes their lips into a large mouthpiece and air travels through a very long tube to make a deep, low sound.

Common mistakes

Thinking the flute is NOT a woodwind because it is made of metal. Family is about HOW the sound is made, not what the instrument is made of.
Putting the piano in the strings family just because it has strings inside. The piano's strings are struck by tiny hammers, so many music teachers classify it as percussion.
Mixing up brass and woodwinds because both use air. The key difference: brass players buzz their lips; woodwind players blow through a reed or across a hole.
Forgetting that percussion includes more than just drums — triangles, cymbals, xylophones, and maracas are all percussion instruments.
Thinking the orchestra only has a few instruments. A full orchestra can have over 100 musicians playing more than 30 different instruments.

FAQs

How many families are in the orchestra?

Four: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

Which family has the most instruments in the orchestra?

Strings — a typical orchestra has around 50 to 60 string players, more than any other family.

Why is the family called woodwinds if the flute is made of metal?

The name woodwind comes from how sound is made — by blowing wind through an instrument — and because most of these instruments were originally made of wood. Even today, flutes are grouped here because of how they produce sound.

What makes percussion different from the other families?

Every other family uses air or strings to make sound. Percussion instruments make sound when you physically hit, shake, or scrape them.

Is the piano in the orchestra?

Sometimes. The piano is not a regular member of the orchestra, but composers sometimes add it as a special instrument for a particular piece of music.

How do I quickly figure out an instrument's family?

Ask yourself: does it have strings you bow or pluck? Does the player blow through a reed or a hole? Does the player buzz lips into metal? Or do you hit or shake it? Your answer points you right to the family.

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