Information about Musical Instruments for School Music Teachers
This section of the website contains information about the musical instruments
that are used in bands, ensembles, orchestras and solo performance.
It does not include any electronic instruments such as synthesizers as these are listed in the Music Hardware tab.
The musical instruments included here have been grouped into their instrument families of Woodwind,
Brass, Percussion and Strings. The Age column gives an indication of when a student can realistically
begin to learn each instrument and depends on factors such as weight and finger size to reach keys.
Each instrument's written transposition and staff is included to indicate how it is normally written in musical notation.
Woodwind
Instrument Name |
Age |
Pitch |
Written Transposition |
Staff |
Sopranina Recorder |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Descant Recorder |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Treble Recorder |
7 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Tenor Recorder |
9 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Bass Recorder |
11 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Piccolo |
10 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Flute |
8 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Oboe |
10 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Clarinet |
8 |
Bb |
Up Major 2nd |
Treble |
Soprano Sax |
8 |
Bb |
Up Major 2nd |
Treble |
Alto Sax |
8 |
Eb |
Up Major 6th |
Treble |
Tenor Sax |
10 |
Bb+1 |
Up Major 9th |
Treble |
Baritone Sax |
11 |
Eb+1 |
Up 1 Octave + Major 6th |
Treble |
English Horn |
10 |
F |
Up Perfect 5th |
Treble |
Bassoon |
10 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Bass |
Brass
Instrument Name |
Age |
Pitch |
Written Transposition |
Staff |
Trumpet |
8 |
Bb |
Up Major 2nd |
Treble |
Trombone |
8 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Bass |
French Horn |
11 |
F |
Up Perfect 5th |
Treble |
Tuba |
11 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Bass |
Strings
Instrument Name |
Age |
Pitch |
Written Transposition |
Staff |
Violin |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Treble |
Viola |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Alto |
Cello |
8 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Grand |
String Bass |
11 |
C |
Up 1 Octave |
Bass |
Harp |
11 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Grand |
Guitar |
5 |
C |
Up 1 Octave |
Treble |
Piano |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Grand |
Percussion
Instrument Name |
Age |
Pitch |
Written Transposition |
Staff |
Glockenspiel |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Grand |
Vibraphone |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Grand |
Marimba |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Grand |
Xylophone |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Grand |
Drums |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Drum |
Tambourine |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Percussion |
Maracas |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Percussion |
Cabasa |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Percussion |
Triangle |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Percussion |
Bongos |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Percussion |
Congas |
5 |
C |
Non-transposing |
Percussion |