Instrument Families Definition & Examples | What are The 4 Instrument Families?

Shawn Custer, Liz Diamond-Manlusoc, Jenna Clayton

Learn about the 4 musical orchestra instrument families. Explore what makes the
4 instrument families unique and how different musical instruments are
grouped. Updated: 11/19/2021
Table of Contents

• The 4 Instrument Families

• How Are Musical Instruments Grouped?
• Lesson Summary

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The 4 Instrument Families

There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of instruments that make a wide variety of
sounds; from the birdlike flute to the deep resonating bassoon; from the crashing
cymbals to the mournful standing double bass. But within this vast array of sounds
are similarities. Instruments can be grouped based on how they are made, how they
look, and how their sounds are produced. These instrument groups make up
the four orchestra instrument families, and they include:

• Strings
• Woodwinds
• Brass
• Percussion

A full-size orchestra consists of 80-100 musicians playing about 12 different

string, woodwind, and brass instruments, plus a wide variety of percussion
instruments. Specialty instruments may also be incorporated based on the needs of
the musical piece.
How Are Musical Instruments Grouped?

Musical instruments are typically grouped based on the materials they

are made with, how they look, and how their sounds are produced.
Musicians are seated in an orchestra based on the four primary
instrument families; then they are usually further organized based on
the size and shape of the instruments as well. For example, all of the
string instruments will be seated together, beginning with the violins
toward the front, the large cellos behind them, and the double bass
instruments standing in the back of the section. The woodwinds will be
seated together, usually with flutes and clarinets toward the front,
followed by the larger oboes and then the largest bassoons. The brass
instruments will be seated together, beginning with the smaller
trumpets and French horns, followed by the large tubas and
trombones. The percussion section, with the timpani and bass drums,
chimes, cymbals, and other large instruments, is usually at the back of
the orchestra.

The Strings Instrument Family

The strings instrument family is the oldest group in the orchestra and
is usually the largest as well. Instruments in the strings family, ranging
in size, are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass, and the harp.
Strings often make up about half (sometimes more) of the entire
orchestra, with up to 30 violins, 10 to 14 violas, 8 to 12 cellos, and 6 to 8
double basses.

As their name implies, string instruments are typically made of wood

with metal strings across an opening in a curvy, hollow instrument
body. A bow is drawn across the strings, causing them to vibrate, which
reverberates in the hollow wooden body of the instrument, creating the
sound. While each instrument is capable of producing a range of
sounds, the smaller instruments are typically higher-pitched and larger
instruments are lower.
The musician holds certain strings at certain points along the neck of
the instrument, which creates different pitches (higher or lower
sounds). Different types of sound can also be created by plucking the
strings and by using the bow in different ways, such as using the
wooden part of the bow or by drawing the bow across two strings at
once.

The piano creates an interesting conundrum here. While often thought

of as a string instrument, the piano is actually more aligned with
percussion instruments. While it does use strings to pitch the sounds,
those strings are struck using keys connected to felt-covered hammers.
The striking aspect of creating the sound is more typical of percussion
rather than strings. Sometimes people include a fifth instrument family,
a keyboard family, and include the piano, organ, and electronic
keyboards here.

Violin
The Woodwinds Instrument Family

The next largest group in the orchestra is the woodwinds. Instruments

in this family, from smallest to largest, include the flute, the oboe, the
clarinet, and the bassoon. The piccolo and the saxophone (which is a
relatively new instrument created in the 1840s) are also woodwind
instruments but are not usually a permanent part of the orchestra and
are only included as needed for particular musical compositions. As
with the strings, the smaller instruments usually create higher-pitched
sounds while the larger instruments create lower sounds. There are
usually around 8 to 12 musicians in the woodwinds section of the
orchestra, with two to four playing each of the four primary
instruments.

The woodwinds instruments were originally, unsurprisingly, made of

wood, which is where they get their name. However, in this modern
age, these instruments can also be made of plastic or even metal. They
are typically narrow cylinders with a mouthpiece at the top, small holes
along the body of the instrument, and an opening at the bottom. Sound
is created by blowing across an open hole or into a reed on a
mouthpiece. A reed is a small, thin piece of wood that vibrates when air
passes over it. Different pitches are created by covering small holes in
the body of the instrument either with one's fingers or by depressing
small, felt-covered keys over the holes. The air vibrates down the
instrument, either by being blown across the opening, as with a flute or
a piccolo, or through the use of a single or double reed in the
mouthpiece, such as with a clarinet (single reed) or an oboe (double
reed).
 Clarinet

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• FAQs
• Activities

Instruments in an Orchestra
Multimedia Presentation Activity

For this activity, you are going to pick any instrument commonly played
in an orchestra to further research. With this information, you will
create a multi-media presentation. For this presentation, you can use
Google Slides, Prezi, VoiceThread, PowerPoint, or any other similar
platform. First, you need to choose an instrument to research. This
instrument can be part of the string family, the woodwind family, the
brass family, or the percussion family. Next, you need to research the
below information about your instrument to include in your
presentation. Once you have your information, create your
presentation. It would also be a good idea to include pictures of your
musical instrument as well as a video of the instrument being played.

Information to include in your presentation:

• Your instrument name

• Historical information about your instrument (when it was first
created and played) as well as how it has evolved over time
• Other common instruments in your instrument's family
• A description of your instrument
• An explanation of how the instrument is played
• Your instrument's specific role in the orchestra
An example of information to include in a slide:

Description of a Violin

• Has four strings

• Shaped like an hourglass
• Made out of wood (usually spruce, maple, and ebony)
• Played with a bow
• Is the smallest of the string instruments

What instruments are in the orchestra family?

There are 12 main instruments in the orchestra family. They include the
violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, trumpet,
French horn, trombone, and tuba. Also included is a percussion section
with instruments like the timpani, snare drum, xylophone, and
tambourine. Orchestras can also sometimes use specialty instruments
like the piccolo and the saxophone.

What are the 4 instrument families?

There are four instrument families in the orchestra. They are the
strings, the woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

The strings are the oldest and usually largest section of the orchestra
and consist of violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. Flutes, clarinets,
oboes, and bassoons are in the woodwinds family, while the brass
includes trumpets, French horns, trombones, and tubas. The
percussion section includes the fewest musicians but the most
instruments, such as the timpani, bass and snare drums, xylophones,
and tambourines.
Orchestral Instrument Types

Brass instruments amplify the lip vibrations of the player. Trumpets,

trombones and didgeridoos are brass instruments. A didgeridoo is made of
wood. It is a brass instrument. Being brass has nothing to do with copper
and zinc. Brass instruments amplify the lip vibrations of the player.

Woodwind instruments set in motion a column of air. The orchestral

woodwinds include flute, clarinet and bassoon. Yes a flute is often made of
brass, but because the sound is created by setting in motion a column of air
flutes are classified as woodwind.
Saxophones
orchestrate
two alto saxophones,
them
are woodwind
in a two
section.
tenor
instruments
A saxophones
completemade
saxophone
and
ofabrass.
baritone
section
Yousaxophone.
usually
is five piece,
String instruments sound through a stretched string. The string is bowed,
plucked or strummed. The harp and violin are members of the string family.

Bb Trumpet Range:

The Bb trumpet is standard for jazz. Symphonic players own a range of

trumpets ( Bb, C, D and Eb).

If you are using symphonic players choose your trumpet for its sound color.
C trumpet is brighter than Bb.

The C trumpet was used to record the Star Wars opening theme.
D and Eb trumpets are brighter again. So much so they lack the warmth of
the C and Bb trumpets. D and Eb trumpets are more for solos, less suited to
ensemble work.

Transposing instrument (Bb).

Transposition up a diatonic 9th from concert (an octave and a diatonic
2nd).
Scored in treble or bass clef. The parts are extracted to treble clef.

Bb Tenor Saxophone Range:

Eb Baritone Saxophone

Transposing instrument (Eb).

Transposition up a diatonic 13th from concert (an octave and a diatonic
6th).
Scored in bass clef. The parts are extracted to treble clef.

Eb Baritone Saxophone Range:

Scored in bass clef.

The parts are extracted (an octave higher) to treble clef.
Bass Flute Range:

Oboe

Non transposing instrument.

Scored in treble clef.
The parts are extracted to treble clef.

Oboe Range:

The lowest 4 notes Bb to C# are difficult to play in tune.

Scored in bass clef. The parts are extracted to bass clef.

Double Bass Range:

Double bass is most effective (and required) as support to the higher violin
family members. It can play high though usually at the expense of the
section. Keep bass in bass register.

Double bass strings are tuned up in 4ths. While the other violin member’s
strings are tuned up in 5ths.
Electric Bass Tuning:

NB, If you orchestrate a rhythm section with a symphony orchestra, the

double bass of the symphony is orchestrated with the strings of the violin
family.

The bass of the rhythm section is orchestrated with the rhythm section,
independent of the symphonic strings.

Drum Kit

A kit of drums of indefinite pitch.

The basic items of the drum kit are:

• bass drum, struck by the bass pedal on the floor. Written stems

down on the first space of the bass clef.

• snare drum, struck by sticks or brushes. Written stems down

beamed to the bass drum on the 3rd space of the bass clef.

• tom toms, struck by sticks or mallets. There are 2 to 3 tom toms on

a standard kit. The tenor or tenor and alto tom toms are mounted

above the bass drum. We write alto tom on the 4th space, tenor

tom on the 4th line, and the deepest side tom (or floor tom) on the
 second space. Note, there is no universal standard for the

placement of tom toms on the stave. Always give the drummer a

legend, as with the stave above, so they know which tom tom to

play. Toms are written stems down beamed to the snare and bass

drum.

• hi hat cymbal, struck by sticks or clapped with feet. Hi hat may be

struck open (written 0) or closed (written +). When struck it is written

stems-up on the top line of the bass clef with note-head x. When

activated by the feet it is written stems down on the bottom line of

the bass clef.

• ride cymbal, struck by sticks or mallets. Written stems-up on the first

space above the bass clef. Both crash and ride are written on this

space, so write ride above the ride note. The note-head is x.

• crash cymbal, struck by sticks or mallets. Written stems up on the

first space above the bass clef. As the ride cymbal is also written on

this space, write crash above the note when you want crash. The

note-head is x.
Mandolin

Non transposing instrument

Played by ear. Write the chord symbols above the words of the song.

The 5 string banjo is associated with bluegrass country.

5-String Banjo Range:

On the 5 string banjo there are 4 long strings and one short string (the
drone).

The 5 string banjo is played with a thumb pick and a pick attached to each
of the 4 fingers.

There are 4 timpani. Only two may be available. The most common are the
23″ and 28″. The lower timpani is tuned to the root of the chord, the higher
timpani to the 5th. Rework your chords so a passage can be played without
re-tuning. It takes plenty of time to re-tune a timpani.

Overuse of the timpani lessons the impact of the arrangement.

Chimes (Tubular Bells)

Non transposing instrument.

Scored in treble clef.
The parts are extracted to treble clef.
Chimes Range:

The music director should check the notes required in advance of the gig
and notify the percussionist accordingly. Chimes are cumbersome to
transport.

Tuned Bongos (Boo Bams)

Non transposing instrument.

Scored in bass clef.
The parts are extracted (an octave higher) to treble clef.

Tuned Bongos (Boo Bams) Range:

Useful for staccato effects, tuned bongos have no sustain. Few percussionists own
this instrument so check it is available before you write for it.

Orchestral Instrument Ranges Chart

The following is a chart of the ranges various orchestral instruments shown over
the piano keyboard.
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