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Musical instruments
A. Put the musical instruments into the families they belong to. Write 1. for Wind Instruments, 2. for
Percussion Instruments, 3. for Keyboard Instruments, and 4. for String Instruments.

violin _____ trumpet _____ harp _____ harpsichord _____ organ _____

clarinet _____ guitar _____ piano _____ flute _____ maraca _____

xylophone _____ tambourine _____ harmonica _____ drum _____ erhu _____

Name one other musical instrument that you have learned about that doesn’t appear in the box above:

_____________________

B. Fill in the missing words. Use the words in the box.

blowing pluck reed shaking sounds

families across vibrations signals bow
strings hitting hammers different beaters

1. Musical instruments make ____________________ and the vibrations make ____________________.

2. We divide musical instruments into ____________________.

3. In each family vibrations are made in a ____________________ way.

4. String instruments, such as the violin and harp, have ____________________.

5. You play wind instruments by ____________________ them.

6. You play percussion instruments by ____________________ or ____________________ them.

7. You hit a xylophone with __________________.

8. A piano has strings inside it. Small ____________________ make the strings vibrate.

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 9. A clarinet has a ____________________. You make it vibrate with your lips.

10. An electronic keyboard uses electrical ____________________ to make sounds.

11. You can play the strings of a violin with a ____________________, or you can ____________________ the
strings with your fingers.

12. You play a flute by blowing ____________________ the hole.

C. Answer the questions in full sentences.

1. Which two instruments that you have learned about can be played with beaters? ______________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which musical instrument has keys, strings and hammers? ________________________________________________

3. Which musical instrument can be played with a bow or with one’s fingers? ___________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Is a maraca usually played by hitting or shaking it? _______________________________________________________

5. Which do you think came first, the piano or the harpsichord? ______________________________________________

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Answer Key:
A. Put the musical instruments into the families they belong to. Write 1. for Wind Instruments, 2. for Percussion Instruments, 3.
for Keyboard Instruments, and 4. for String Instruments.

violin __4__ trumpet __1__ harp __4__ harpsichord __3__ organ __3__
clarinet __1__ guitar __4__ piano __3__ flute __1__ maraca __2__
xylophone __2__ tambourine __2__ harmonica __1__ drum __2__ erhu __4__

Name one other musical instrument that you have learned about that doesn’t appear in the box above:

recorder/gong/electronic keyboard (are all acceptable answers)

B. Fill in the missing words. Use the words in the box.

1. vibrations, sounds

2. families

3. different

4. strings

5. blowing

6. hitting, shaking

7. beaters

8. hammers

9. reed

10. signals

11. bow, pluck

12. across

C. Answer the questions in full sentences.

1. The drum and xylophone can be played with beaters.

2. A piano has keys, strings and hammers.

3. A violin can be played with a bow or with one’s fingers.

4. A maraca is usually played by shaking it.

5. I think the harpsichord came first.