Instrument Families
How we classify (sort) instruments We classify instruments based on how they make sound.
Percussion Family
Instruments that you play by:
Percussion Family: Strike
Claves
Xylophone
Bass Drum
Snare Drum
05:00
Percussion Family: Shake
Maracas
Egg shaker
Tambourine
04:00
Percussion Family: Scrape
Güiro
Sandblocks
03:00
Playing an Instrument
You strike the snare drum with drumsticks.
The word "bass" before any instrument means that it will be bigger and lower. Bass drums can rest on a stand or hang on your body. You strike the bass drum with a mallet.
Xylophones have pitched wooden bars. You strike the xylophone with a mallet.
Claves are common in the Caribbean and Latin America, especially in Cuba. They are made of wood. You strike the claves together to make sound.
Maracas are popular in the Caribbean and Latin America.You play the maracas by shaking them.
You can shake OR strike the tambourine to make sound.
You shake an egg shaker to make sound. They are similar to the Easter eggs that were filled with coffee beans, popcorn kernels, rice, and pennies in our timbre lesson!
Sandblocks are usually made of wood. Each piece of wood has a sheet of sandpaper on one side. You rub the sandpaper sides together to make sound.
Traditionally, the güiro is an open-ended, hollow gourd.It is popular in the Caribbean and Latin America.You play the güiro by scraping it with a stick.
Develops your musicianship!
Musicianship: The practice and study of musical skills, such as singing, reading music, or playing an instrument
It's good for your brain!
Remember this from Module 1?Learning an instrument makes you use multiple parts of your brain. You might: -Develop better fine motor skills -Perform better on listening tests -Develop better reasoning skills
Percussion Family
Middle School
Created on November 4, 2025
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Transcript
Instrument Families
How we classify (sort) instruments We classify instruments based on how they make sound.
Percussion Family
Instruments that you play by:- Striking
- Shaking
- Scraping
Percussion Family: Strike
Claves
Xylophone
Bass Drum
Snare Drum
05:00
Percussion Family: Shake
Maracas
Egg shaker
Tambourine
04:00
Percussion Family: Scrape
Güiro
Sandblocks
03:00
Playing an Instrument
You strike the snare drum with drumsticks.
The word "bass" before any instrument means that it will be bigger and lower. Bass drums can rest on a stand or hang on your body. You strike the bass drum with a mallet.
Xylophones have pitched wooden bars. You strike the xylophone with a mallet.
Claves are common in the Caribbean and Latin America, especially in Cuba. They are made of wood. You strike the claves together to make sound.
Maracas are popular in the Caribbean and Latin America.You play the maracas by shaking them.
You can shake OR strike the tambourine to make sound.
You shake an egg shaker to make sound. They are similar to the Easter eggs that were filled with coffee beans, popcorn kernels, rice, and pennies in our timbre lesson!
Sandblocks are usually made of wood. Each piece of wood has a sheet of sandpaper on one side. You rub the sandpaper sides together to make sound.
Traditionally, the güiro is an open-ended, hollow gourd.It is popular in the Caribbean and Latin America.You play the güiro by scraping it with a stick.
Develops your musicianship!
Musicianship: The practice and study of musical skills, such as singing, reading music, or playing an instrument
It's good for your brain!
Remember this from Module 1?Learning an instrument makes you use multiple parts of your brain. You might: -Develop better fine motor skills -Perform better on listening tests -Develop better reasoning skills