ARTS & HUMANITIES Musical Instrument Families

Timbre Timbre (a.k.a. tone color) is the special sound that makes one instrument or voice different from another.

VOICE PARTS SopranoHighest female vocal range AltoLowest female vocal range TenorHighest male vocal range BassLowest male vocal range

STRINGS Instruments that make sounds by vibrating the string in one of the following ways: 1) Drawing a bow across them 2) Plucking them 3) Striking them

STRINGS Guitar Harp Violin family

WOODWINDS Instruments originally made from wood that are now often made of metal or plastic. They set a column of air into vibration by wind moving: 1)Across a mouthpiece 2) Into a whistle-like mouthpiece 3) Over 1 reed 4) Over 2 reeds

WOODWINDS Flute Recorder Clarinet Oboe

BRASS Instruments usually made of brass. They create sound from the vibration of the performer’s lips buzzing into a cuplike mouthpiece. They have 2 ends. 1) Mouthpiece end 2) Bell shaped end (to amplify sound)

BRASS Trumpet Trombone French Horn Tuba

PERCUSSION These are the most ancient instruments. They are used to make rhythm. There are two groups of percussion instruments.

PERCUSSION Membranophones Also known as the drum family. An instrument with a membrane (drum head) stretched across a form (drum body). The membrane is struck by a hand or with a stick.

PERCUSSION Membranophones Tambourine Snare Drum Bass Bongo

PERCUSSION Idiophones Make sounds by striking rubbing, shaking, or rattling the materials they are made of.

PERCUSSION Idiophones Xylophone Chimes Triangle Cymbals