Percussion is designed to make unique noises when hit with a stick or hands. Membranophones are drum-stretched membrane or drum head covering a hollow shell. Idiophones are instruments without membrane that vibrate. A drum kit consists of bass drum, snare drum, toms and cymbals.

BRASS  Instruments made from brass don’t necessarily belong to this family. Brass instruments are long metal tubes.  The trombone is a slide instrument. Players can change pitch sliding the long tube up and down allowing smooth change of notes.  A bugle is a natural brass instrument it has neither a slide or valve, so it has a limited range of notes and not used.  The tuba hits lowest notes and sits on the musicians lap.

WOODWIND  Woodwinds instruments are not all made of wood, but require wind to make noise. They are tubes with holes along it. For example, flutes, saxophones, oboes and clarinets.  To make music with a mouthpiece air has to be blown into instruments through the reed. These types of instruments would be played without a mouthpiece.  The reed is often made of bamboo. It is the vibrating air produced inside the instrument, blown through the reed within the mouthpiece, then makes the sound.

STRINGS  The lyre is the oldest kind of stringed instrument, popular with ancient Greeks. Harp is also another kind of stringed instrument that has been around for a long time. It could be big or small.  Bowed is a technique when the string is rubbed over and played using a bow.  A bow is a strong flexible stick with ribbon of horsehair stretched onto it. Hair is rubbed with resin that produces friction on the strings.  Plucked means when the string is flicked with the thumb, finger or a small piece of plastic. Guitar is a stringed instrument that can be plucked. Pitch can be changed by pressing on the neck in different places.