Which Family is That? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Woodwind

The piccolo is a woodwind instrument which can play the highest notes in the orchestra.

Answer: Woodwind

This woodwind instrument fits between its cousins, the oboe and the bassoon. Its original name was "cor anglée", which means "angled horn", but which sounds like "cor anglais" which means "English horn", and that is the name which stuck.

Answer: Brass

The tuba is the largest and lowest voiced of the brass instruments. It is so large that it's hard to carry around in a marching band, so the Sousaphone, a more portable version, was invented.

Answer: Woodwind

The bassoon is sometimes called "the clown of the orchestra" because it can play very low notes very quickly, which sounds funny. The bassoon has a big brother, the contra-bassoon which can play even lower.

Answer: Woodwind

The clarinet is often the first woodwind instrument students learn to play. It is used in all kinds of music, from classical orchestras to jazz bands.

Answer: Woodwind

The recorder is a very old instrument. The first ones we know of are over 700 years old! Recorders were popular instruments in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, but they are not found as often in modern orchestras.

Answer: Brass

The trombone is unusual because the player moves its slide out and in to change notes, instead of pressing keys or buttons to change notes.

Answer: Brass

You can find trumpets in all kinds of music. They are the brass instruments which play the highest notes, and often play the main tune in marches and jazz pieces.

Answer: Brass

The horn is sometimes called the French Horn, but it's not French, it's German. Hunters used to play notes on smaller horns when they were hunting. Gradually the horn grew larger and more complicated, and valves were added to make changing notes easier.

Answer: Brass

A bugle looks like a trumpet without keys. It is mostly used by the military to wake soldiers up and send them to bed. You will often hear a bugler play "Taps" at funerals.

Answer: String

The violin is the smallest member of the orchestral string family, and plays the highest notes. Violins can also be called fiddles, depending on the style of music that they are playing. Stradivarius was a very famous violin maker who lived in Italy about 400 years ago.

Answer: String

The viola is the violin's bigger brother. It's often used in orchestras to fill out the sound and help make harmony. There aren't as many viola players in an orchestra as there are violin players - there may be two or three people playing violin for every person playing viola.

Answer: String

People play violins and violas with the instrument tucked under their chins. The cello is too big for that! You have to sit down to play the cello, and you hold it between your knees. Yo Yo Ma is a very famous cello player.

Answer: String

The double bass can play the lowest notes of any stringed instrument. They are very large instruments, so large that players often have wheels that they attach to it when they want to move the bass around!

Answer: String

All the other string instruments in this quiz are played with a bow, but the harp is not. The harpist plays it by plucking the strings one at a time to make the notes. Harps come in many different sizes and are played in many different kinds of music. The harp is so important to Irish music that it is the symbol of Ireland, and appears in its coat of arms.

Answer: Percussion

The snare drum has several springs or cords, called snares, stretched across its bottom. These rattle when the drum is hit, giving it a very different sound from other drums. The snare drum has been used in marching bands and orchestras throughout the world.

Answer: Percussion

There are many kinds of cymbal, all of which look like flat metal dishes. They can be played either by crashing two of them together or by hitting them with a drum stick.

Answer: Percussion

The xylophone and its cousins the marimba, the vibraphone, and the bells, are played by hitting individual keys with mallets. The sound which it produces varies depending on the kind of mallets used. Harder mallets make a very crisp sound, while softer mallets make a softer sound.

Answer: Percussion

The Djembe is a drum which was first made in Africa. Instead of sticks or mallets, players usually use their bare hands when they play the Djembe.

Answer: Percussion

Maracas used to be made from hollowed out, dried, gourds. Seeds or pebbles would be put inside and a handle attached. The player usually has two, one in each hand, and plays them by shaking them. Now, I think that they are made more often out of wood or plastic than gourds.