Musical Instrument Classification Quiz

Answer: Woodwind

The accordion is a type of aerophone, or wind instrument. Although it has a keyboard, it is still classified as a woodwind because the sound is produced by bellows which produce air as they pass through reeds. The hand creates the airflow since the hand opens and closes while playing the instrument.

The origin of this instrument can be attributed to Friedrich Buschmann who patented the Handäoline in Berlin in 1822. A few years later Cyrill Demian patented his version, the Accordion, the name by which it is commonly known.

Answer: Brass

Invented by Sommer of Weimar in 1843, the euphonium is closely tied to military bands. In fact, it's the leading instrument in the tenor-bass range. It's closely related to the tuba, with the bell held up vertically, facing forward.

While it's related to the tuba, there are some differences. The euphonium is smaller in size and, while both instruments use piston valves, the tuba also uses rotary valves. The euphonium is tenor-pitched while the tuba is bass-pitched.

Answer: String

Dating back to the 10th century, this instrument is basically a fiddle with a wheel replacing the bow. At one time it was played in churches with one person fingering the keys and another turning a wheel. It became fashionable during the reign of Louis XIV.

The hurdy-gurdy is operated by a crank, not an organ grinder and monkey as in a barrel organ. The instrument consists of four drone strings in all. In descending order from highest to lowest are the trompette, mouche, petit bourdon, and gros bourdon. Chanterelles play the melody.

Pressing different keys will change the pitch of the melody by pushing up pieces of wood called tangents. The musician turns the crank with one hand and plays the keyboard with the other.

Answer: Woodwind

This woodwind instrument is known as an "internal duct flute" because it has a whistle mouthpiece. It is generally believed to date back to western Europe during the Middle Ages. Most recorders today are made of wood.

Recorders produce an ethereal sound with accompanying tone colors. I have played this instrument and the sweet sounds it produces reminds me of nature.

The recorder comes in five main sizes and ranges. The sopranino is the smallest, highest, and least common recorder. The soprano is the most common and is generally used for playing melodies. The alto is the largest and looks exactly like the soprano but is longer. It is lower than the soprano but higher in range than the tenor. The tenor is played an octave lower than the soprano and uses the same fingerings. The bass is the lowest and uses keys to reach all the holes.

The recorder is often taught in elementary schools because it teaches hand dexterity and fine motor skills.

Answer: String

This stringed instrument has its origins in Africa. During the 19th century the instrument was popularized by slaves brought to the U.S. and eventually made its way to Europe. The membranes were originally made of animal skins. Today clear plastic is generally used.

Modern banjos have five strings, four tuned from the head. The body uses a hoop and screw to attach the vellum, or membrane, to the frame. The strings pass over a bridge attached to the tailpiece. A pick, plectrum or fingers are used to pluck the strings.

Banjos have long been associated with bluegrass and country music. Earl Scruggs and Roy Clark are examples of exceptional banjo players. Actor/comedian Steve Martin is also known for his banjo-playing skills.

Answer: Percussion

The glockenspiel is a percussion instrument that is German for "glocken", meaning bells, and "spiel", meaning play. The instrument originally used bells tuned with a drumstick. They were replaced by sound plates during the 17th century.

Nowadays tuned steel bars are used. Wood or metal mallets are used to strike the bars which have different pitches. The bars of the glockenspiel consist of two rows, the second row corresponding to the black keys of a piano.

A bell lyre is a type of glockenspiel used in marching bands. The player straps the instrument over one shoulder, positioning it vertically and using a mallet to strike the metal bars.

Answer: String

The viola first appeared in Italy around the turn of the 16th century. At that time the viola referred to any bowed, classical and stringed instrument. It was originally called viola da braccia, or viola played in the arms. Luthier Andrea Amati was among the first to create the modern violin family.

The viola is similar to the violin but is larger, wider and lower in tone. The viola strings are C3, G3, D4, and A4. A is highest and C is lowest. The viola is played in the alto clef, or C clef.

Modern symphony orchestras use 6 to 10 violas. Now an important member of a string quartet or chamber music ensembles, during the 18th century the viola doubled the cello parts.

Answer: Brass

The trombone is different from other brass instruments in that it uses a slide which changes the pitch of the instrument. The modern trombone often uses a double slide to keep the instrument more stationary with less movement needed to change the pitch of a note.

Most music historians believe that the trombone was created in the mid-15th century. It was called a sackbut until the 18th century. At that time the trombone was generally played in church settings and was seen as more of a religious instrument.

There are seven categories of trombone. From the highest to lowest they are piccolo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass.

The piccolo trombone is rarely used because it tends to produced a shrill, high-pitched sound. The sopranino is rare and generally only played in trombone choirs. The alto trombone is smaller in size but brighter in sound. A rotary valve can transpose the alto down from Eb to Bb. The tenor is the most commonly used trombone. It's pitched in Bb. The bass is the second most popular trombone, after the tenor. It's also pitched in Bb. Finally, the contrabass is the lowest and largest of the trombone family. The low-pitched sound is produced by a long length of tubing. The contrabass is occasionally used in an orchestras to add a certain depth of sound.

Answer: Percussion

The humble triangle dates back centuries. Made from a piece of metal, the instrument was initially cast from iron. Steel was later used. If you look closely, there's one corner where the sides don't join. This allows the triangle to vibrate. Different sizes affect the sound produced.

Smaller triangles sound higher than larger ones. Orchestras and bands tend to use triangles that are between 6 and 9 inches. The triangle itself is suspended by a loop, or triangle holder.

Playing the triangle seems deceptively simple. However, there is a tonal complexity to playing the instrument that takes a long time to master.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Schumann's 1st Symphony, and Haydn's 100th Symphony all effectively use the triangle.

Answer: Brass

This brass instrument dates back to the 1820s and evolved from the cornet-de-poste, similar to a French horn. Jean Asté was one of its first makers.

Th shape of the cornet is a conical tube that tapers to a detachable shank. This is where the mouthpiece is placed. This tapering produces a mellow sound and flexibility, particularly suited for military bands. Although it's built in the Bb key, it's written a tone above the actual sound. A soprano Eb cornet produces a higher sound than the Bb cornet.

Cornets and trumpets are easily confused. In comparing the cornet to the trumpet, the cornet has a deeper, broader sound while the trumpet is lively and produces a clearer sound. The cornet has a conical bore while the trumpet has a bore with a cylindrical shape. In addition, the cornet is smaller in size than the trumpet.