Know Your Instruments
From vibrating strings to columns of air, discover the ingenious ways instruments turn movement into music.
From vibrating strings to columns of air, discover the ingenious ways instruments turn movement into music. Take ten thoughtfully chosen questions at your own pace. Each answer comes with a short explanation to help you connect the facts and remember something new.
Which instrument typically has 88 keys?
Your question-by-question study guide
Prefer to read, or revisit what you learned? Explore every question below. Open an answer when you’re ready.
1. Which instrument typically has 88 keys?
- Piano
- Violin
- Trumpet
- Flute
Reveal answer and explanation
Piano — A standard modern piano keyboard has 52 white keys and 36 black keys.
2. Which family does the clarinet belong to?
- Brass
- String
- Unpitched percussion
- Woodwind
Reveal answer and explanation
Woodwind — A clarinet produces sound with a single reed and belongs to the woodwind family.
3. What vibrates to produce a guitar's sound?
- Glass bowls
- Metal reeds
- Strings
- Water
Reveal answer and explanation
Strings — Plucked strings vibrate, and the instrument's body or pickups help project the sound.
4. Which instrument uses a slide to change pitch?
- Timpani
- Trombone
- Oboe
- Harp
Reveal answer and explanation
Trombone — The trombone's slide changes the length of its air column.
5. Which instrument is normally played with a bow?
- Violin
- Trumpet
- Xylophone
- Accordion
Reveal answer and explanation
Violin — A bow draws across violin strings to sustain their vibration.
6. What family includes the timpani?
- Woodwind
- Brass
- Plucked strings
- Percussion
Reveal answer and explanation
Percussion — Timpani are pitched drums played by striking their heads with mallets.
7. Which instrument often has pedals that change string pitches?
- Snare drum
- Ukulele
- Concert harp
- Recorder
Reveal answer and explanation
Concert harp — Pedal harps use pedals to alter the pitches available on their strings.
8. Which woodwind instrument is usually held sideways?
- Recorder
- Concert flute
- Bassoon
- Oboe
Reveal answer and explanation
Concert flute — The concert flute is a transverse flute, held horizontally across the player's body.
9. How many strings does a standard violin have?
- Four
- Six
- Eight
- Twelve
Reveal answer and explanation
Four — A standard violin has four strings usually tuned G, D, A and E.
10. Which keyboard instrument generates sound by air flowing through pipes?
- Celesta
- Digital piano
- Clavichord
- Pipe organ
Reveal answer and explanation
Pipe organ — A pipe organ directs pressurized air through pipes of different lengths and shapes.