Families of the Orchestra: Free KS2 Music Worksheet

The four families of the orchestra

Orchestral instruments are grouped by how they make their sound, not just by what they look like. Strings (the violin, viola, cello and double bass, plus the harp) make sound when their strings vibrate, either bowed or plucked with the fingers. Woodwind instruments (flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon) make sound from a vibrating column of air, often set off by a reed; the flute is still counted as woodwind even though modern ones are made of metal. Brass instruments (trumpet, trombone, French horn and tuba) are played by buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece. Percussion instruments (snare drum, timpani, triangle, cymbals and xylophone) are struck, shaken or scraped.

Why we group instruments by family

Sorting instruments into families gives children a simple framework for an otherwise large and unfamiliar group of objects. Once a child knows the four families, they can predict roughly how an instrument is played and what it might sound like, which supports careful, attentive listening. The families also explain how a composer builds texture: a passage might begin with gentle strings, add a bright brass fanfare, then bring in percussion for a strong rhythm. Recognising the families by ear is a real musical skill, and it grows with repeated listening.

How to use this worksheet at home or in class

Begin by talking through the four family headings and the instruments in the word bank, drawing on any instruments the child has seen or heard. Children then write each instrument under the correct family. To deepen the activity, play a short recording and pause to ask which family is playing. Two pieces were written for exactly this: Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, which shows off each family in turn, and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, where the bird is a flute, the cat a clarinet and the wolf three French horns. The colouring suits children who finish quickly, and gives a calm way to talk about the shape of each instrument: the violin’s curved body, the flute’s keys, the trumpet’s three valves. There is no need for any musical training to lead this; the answers are provided below.

Common mix-ups to watch for

A few instruments regularly catch children out. The flute is woodwind, not brass, even though it is shiny metal — it belongs with woodwind because of how the sound is produced. The piano is sometimes met as a percussion or string instrument and is often treated separately, so it is best left out of this first sort. The saxophone is brass-coloured but is classed as woodwind because it uses a reed. Pointing out the how it is played rule — bowed, blown through a reed, lip-buzzed, or struck — helps children reason their way to the right family rather than guessing from appearance.

Frequently asked questions