Which instruments are in each Instrument Family?
Last updated: 4/6/2026
Instrument Family Overview
We are grouping instruments to improve the visualization and understanding of instrument families.
You’ll notice that some instruments belong to two or more families. For example,
- The piano is both a string instrument and a keyboard instrument.
- The organ is a wind instrument and a keyboard instrument.
- The synthesizer is an electronic instrument that can imitate all families.
- The voice is a hybrid instrument that fits into the wind, string, and percussion instrument families!
Instrument Families at a Glance
| Instrument Family | Common Examples |
|---|---|
| Brass | Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba more Brass instruments |
| Keyboard | Piano, Organ, Synthesizer more Keyboard instruments |
| Percussion | Drums, Marimba, Cymbals more Percussion instruments |
| String | Violin, Guitar, Harp, Piano more String instruments |
| Woodwind | Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone more Woodwind instruments |
Brass Instrument Family
How they make sound: Instruments in the brass family make sound by buzzing the player’s lips into a mouthpiece.
Common brass instruments are:
- Trumpet
- Cornet
- Trombone
- Bass Trombone
- French Horn
- Tuba
- Euphonium
- Sousaphone
Keyboard Instrument Family
How they make sound: Instruments in the keyboard family produce sound in various ways, depending on the instrument, and are grouped by their playing method rather than sound production.
Common keyboard instruments are:
Percussion Instrument Family
How they make sound: Instruments in the percussion family are struck, shaken, or scraped to produce sound.
There are two main categories of percussion instruments: Pitched Percussion and Unpitched Percussion
Common Pitched Percussion instruments are:
- Xylophone
- Marimba
- Vibraphone
- Glockenspiel
- Timpani
- Tubular Bells
Common Unpitched Percussion instruments are:
- Snare Drum
- Bass Drum
- Cymbals
- Triangle
- Tambourine
- Congas
- Bongos
- Shakers
String Instrument Family
How they make sound: Instruments in the string family produce sound through vibrating strings, which may be bowed, plucked, or struck.
Common string instruments are:
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Double Bass
- Acoustic Guitar
- Electric Guitar
- Bass Guitar
- Ukulele
- Harp
- Banjo
- Mandolin
- Piano (strings struck by hammers)
Woodwind Instrument Family
How they make sound: Instruments in the woodwind family create sound as air passes through a tube, either across an opening (flute and piccolo) or with a reed (clarinet and saxophone).
Common woodwind instruments:
Navigate
- Concord
- Lexington
- Lincoln
- Natick
- Sudbury
- Wayland
- Wellesley
- Weston