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Instruments
The xylophone belongs in the same family as the castanets.

Instruments

Discover KS2 instruments, how they make sound, and how they fit into an ensemble. Build confidence recognising families, timbre and roles, before testing yourself below.

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Fascinating Fact:

A keyboard instrument can play melody and chords, and the keys trigger sound in different ways depending on the instrument.

In KS2 Music, learning about instruments helps pupils describe what they hear and make better choices when performing. You explore how sounds are made, compare tone colours, and recognise which instruments suit a part in an ensemble.

Key Terms

  • Timbre: The tone colour of an instrument, which helps you tell different sounds apart, even on the same note.
  • Ensemble: A group of performers playing or singing together, where each part has a role in the overall sound.
  • Pitch: How high or low a sound is, which can be changed by length, tension, or air speed depending on the instrument.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are the main instrument families in KS2 music?

The main instrument families are strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. They are grouped by how they produce sound, for example vibrating strings or air moving through a tube.

How do different instruments make sound?

Instruments make sound when something vibrates. It might be a string, a drum skin, a column of air, or a reed, and the vibration travels through the air to your ears.

What does timbre mean in KS2 music?

Timbre means tone colour, the unique sound quality of an instrument or voice. It is why a flute and a violin sound different, even if they play the same pitch.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .
The xylophone belongs in the same family as the ____.
castanets
tuba
viola
saxophone
Xylophones and castanets both belong to the percussion family
2 .
Which of the following instruments is NOT a member of the brass family?
French horn
Trombone
Clarinet
Tuba
Although these instruments were often made of other materials such as horn, wood and shell, the modern members of the brass family are usually made of - brass!
3 .
Which of these is an untuned instrument?
Bass drum
Flute
Violin
Glockenspiel
An untuned instrument cannot be made to play a chosen pitch - you could not play a scale on an untuned instrument
4 .
Why are musical instruments organised into families?
Instruments in the same family were all made by the same craftsmen and craftswomen
An orchestra looks tidier when matching instruments are together
It helps musicians to work together better
The instruments in a family are related to each other
A family of instruments are similar to each other - they may look similar, be made of similar materials or be played in the same way
5 .
Which of these instruments belongs in the string family?
Oboe
Piccolo
Tambourine
Cello
The cello is a member of the traditional string quartet
6 .
To play a woodwind instrument, the musician must ____.
press the keys
open and close the holes with his or her fingers
blow air through the mouthpiece and open or close the holes with his or her fingers
make a buzzing sound into the mouthpiece
Remember to read all four answers before making your choice
7 .
Which of these instruments does NOT have strings?
Piano
Double bass
Bassoon
Harp
A piano has wire strings, although you can't always see them, unlike the strings of harps and the double bass
8 .
The flute is a member of the ____.
brass family
woodwind family
percussion family
string family
In the past, flutes were made of wood, as were the other members of the woodwind family
9 .
Which of these instruments would you need a lot of breath to play?
Violin
Tuba
Piano
Double bass
The tuba is a member of the brass family
10 .
Which of these instruments can play the highest pitch?
Bassoon
Oboe
Flute
Piccolo
The piccolo is the smallest member of the woodwind family and can therefore play the highest pitch

 

Author:  Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)
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