Give two examples of instruments that belong to the percussion family.

Examples of percussion instruments include the snare drum, bass drum, marimba, glockenspiel, and timpani.

Describe how instruments in the string family produce sound.

Instruments in the string family produce sound when their strings are bowed or plucked.

Grade 4 · Music · 39 min

I can identify the four instrument families of the orchestra.

Ryan Deems · 3:26

Instrument Families

3 key concepts

1
The four instrument families are the woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings.
2
The woodwind family makes sound using wood or were once made of wood, while the brass family is made of brass and played by buzzing your lips.
3
The percussion family includes instruments that are hit, shaken, or scraped, and the string family instruments are bowed or plucked.

8 questions · Multiple choice & Short answer

Quick comprehension check

“Name the four instrument families of the orchestra.”

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