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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