To decide what instrument you would like to learn can often be overwhelming if not at least just too much. There are so many different kinds of instruments in the world, each one with there own specialties and play styles, music directions and difficulties. Sets of a similar kind are called “families”. With this article I try to bring some order in the gigantic world of music instruments by showing their different kinds and possibilities.

The woodwind family

The woodwind family consists of all instruments that split air flow over a sharp edge to produce sound. For this they often use wooden reeds, for example with the clarinet and the saxophone. You might wonder why the saxophone is an woodwind instrument, even though it is mostly made out of brass. Well woodwind instruments do not have to be made out of wood. They can be made out of any material. Just like the flute or the saxophone. What makes them a family is ,that they split the air over a sharp edge and most likely were made out of wood in former times or that they use a wooden reed. Famous woodwind instruments are the clarinet, the saxophone, the flute, the oboe and the bassoons. Those instruments are excellent if you want to play in an modern orchestra or in a folklore band. They can nearly produce any style of music, with some exceptions of course. Also often used as solo instruments for solo performances but also as lead instruments they give you an variety of possibilities to use them.

String family

The string family consists of all the instruments that use strings to produce sound. The strings are brought to vibrate by different reasons and produce sound. You can divide string instruments into three groups. The instruments with strings that are plucked like the guitar, the instruments with strings that are rubbed with a bow like the violin and the instruments, which strings are hit with little hammers like the piano. The instruments like the piano are perfect for solo performing because they can provide the bass line and the melody at the same time due to their each hand one line ability. These instruments are also perfect for accompanying other melody instrument to create a wonderful sound. The normal piano is perfect for classical music and Jazz but with the addition of the E- piano it has also the possibility now to play Pop, Rock and all other play styles. If comes to instruments like the guitar you have nearly endless possibilities. Guitarists can play classical music by plucking the strings of a acoustic guitar but also rock on stage by strumming and using an e-guitar. Only playing in an orchestra should be a little more complicated for guitarists and are only rarely used in modern orchestras. This doesn’t of course count for string instruments like the violin. If you like very emotional music that can express a lot of emotion this group of instruments is exactly right for you. Playing solo and playing in an orchestra or only with an piano as company is perfectly fine for those instruments.

Brass instruments

Brass instruments produce sound by amplifying the vibrations of the musicians lips and move the vibrating air through special sound chambers. Just like with the woodwind instruments the name doesn’t mean that the instruments of this family are only made of brass. Its more like that the early instruments that used this technique to produced sound were made out of brass. Those instruments are very famous in folk brass bands. Certain instruments out of this family are also used in modern symphonic orchestras like the trumpet and the natural horn. Instruments like trumpet are also very commonly used in Jazz if you want to play this style of music. Instruments of this kind are very popular in marching music or festive music, anything that is used for celebrating or presenting. I recommend you this type of instrument family if you want to play instruments that sound very impressive and loud.

Keyboard family

Instruments of the keyboard family have in common that they are played with a keyboard. In the early times the musician pressed a key and a small hammer responded with hitting a string that starts to vibrate and produces a sound. That is very similar to the string family. In the modern times these hammers are not in every keyboard instrument, because the e-piano and the harmonium work completely without them, but the instruments that have given this family its name still use those like the piano, the grand piano or the harpsichord.
These instruments like the piano are perfect for solo performing because they can provide the bass line and the melody at the same time due to their each hand one line ability. These instruments are also perfect for accompanying other melody instrument to create a wonderful sound. The normal piano and the grand piano are perfect for classical music and Jazz but with the addition of the E- piano the musician has also the possibility to play Pop, Rock and all other play styleswith instruments of the keyboard family.

The percussion family

The percussion family is a family of instruments that are beaten or scratched,rattled or hit to produce vibrations and sound. Some of them are supposed
be some of the oldest instruments of time. If you choose this family of instruments you are perfectly fit to play in any type of band or even to play the big drums in orchestras. If you like rhythm or bands, if you cant stop moving with the rhythm if a song plays than this family is perfect for you. It is also a very great way to loose some energy or to power yourself out. Famous instruments of this family are the drum set, the big drums, the rattle and the bell.