Orchestra Instruments Quiz

Can you name the instruments in a modern symphony orchestra?
According to Wikipedia
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: April 29, 2019
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First submittedJanuary 27, 2013
Times taken119,766
Average score58.8%
Rating4.02
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Strings
Cello
Double Bass
Harp
Viola
Violin
Brass
Bass Trombone
French Horn
Trombone
Trumpet
Tuba
Woodwinds
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Clarinet
Contrabassoon
English Horn
Flute
Oboe
Piccolo
Keyboards
Celesta
(or Pipe Organ)
Piano
Percussion
Bass Drum
Chimes
Cymbals
Glockenspiel
Gong
Marimba
Snare Drum
Tambourine
Tenor Drum
Timpani
Triangle
Vibraphone
Wood Block
Xylophone
+1
Level 24
Dec 9, 2015
Fortepiano should be accepted for piano.
+2
Level 24
Dec 9, 2015
Oops, actually pianoforte.
+1
Level 49
Jan 23, 2016
Why are you talking about dynamics in such a way? :P I didn't know it was called that until I saw this comment. That's rather interesting.
+2
Level 66
Aug 31, 2017
Yes, and sackbut should be accepted for trombone as well, if we're going with archaic names.
+1
Level 39
Sep 3, 2020
XD
+3
Level 49
Jan 23, 2016
I feel sad when I look at the stats and see that only 57% of people get bassoon...
+6
Level 93
Jul 29, 2017
It's up to 64% now! The bassoon and the viola are the most underrated instruments ever!
+6
Level 65
Aug 31, 2017
You should read about what violin players think about viola players. Not only are they unerrated, they are also mistreated and underappreciated!
+6
Level 83
Jan 28, 2018
Violas are gorgeous. The violin is just the viola's squeaky younger sibling.
+1
Level 63
Nov 20, 2022
as a viola player, i support this very much.
+1
Level 47
Apr 4, 2021
Spelling
+4
Level 82
Aug 17, 2016
Needs canons if it wants to perform the 1812 Overture. Also, in my experience the English Horn is more commonly called the Cor Anglais, while the French Horn is just called a French Horn, not Cor Français (or Cor d'harmonie as I believe the French themselves call it). This seems the wrong way around to me.
+1
Level 71
Feb 23, 2017
As I mentioned above the Cor Anglais / English Horn is not French or English, it originated in Silesia in the 18 Century.
+1
Level 79
Nov 29, 2019
This quiz asks for instruments commonly used in a full orchestra. Also, it's cannons*.
+4
Level 84
Sep 12, 2016
What, no bagpipes?!! Whoever heard of an orchestra without bagpipes?!! :-P
+4
Level 63
Sep 19, 2016
Hard to say. People outside of Scotland maybe? Though I can imagine that Scottish orchestra consist of only Bagpipes. :D
+1
Level 51
May 11, 2017
That, as the internet would lightly and forgivingly put it, is racist.
+1
Level 45
Sep 5, 2021
How?
+3
Level 65
Aug 31, 2017
I know right, and what about the accordion? Why wasn't that included!?
+3
Level 66
Dec 12, 2018
Hurdygurdy!! Definately needs to be on there...
+1
Level 66
Dec 12, 2018
I admit... I tried it.... I had too many blanks so started typing all the instruments I knew..
+1
Level 68
Feb 23, 2017
clave?
+8
Level 77
Jun 12, 2017
Wow...and I thought beer snobs were bad. You music snobs are WAY worse.
+8
Level 67
Aug 31, 2017
Beers snobs are the worst because they're trying to seem sophisticated without actually *doing* anything. At least band snobs learn their instruments and master difficult performance pieces, so they have some right to feel their opinion is superior. Beer snobs are people who love drinking and want to somehow make it seem cultured. I love a quality microbrew as much as anyone, but the snobbish culture that has developed around drinking beer, watching movies, and eating "artisanal" food in the past years is laughable.
+7
Level 90
Jun 13, 2017
How is cannon not accepted? No orchestra worth it's salt omits cannons from its ensemble.
+5
Level 65
Aug 31, 2017
Insurance became too expensive, and therefore cannons became a liability.
+3
Level 47
Nov 5, 2017
Good answer.
+1
Level 23
Jun 27, 2017
what about the sitar, banjo, or the glockenspiel?
+2
Level 46
Aug 24, 2017
Euphonium?
+2
Level 65
Aug 31, 2017
It's interesting that the baritone or euphonium are not included in a typical orchestral brass section. While they do mimic very closely the range of a trombone, they also provide a more mellow sound that is useful in situations where the trombone might be too brash. I wasn't aware they weren't included until coming across this quiz.
+1
Level 66
Aug 31, 2017
I was about to express my surprise at this as well. I played euphonium in high school band, and there were a lot of songs we played that had parts for me distinct from the trombones.
+1
Level 47
Nov 5, 2017
I was also surprised not to see baritones.
+11
Level 65
Aug 31, 2017
No Otamatone? Gutted.
+1
Level 49
Aug 31, 2017
Good quiz and it's good that many alternative words for these instruments are accepted
+1
Level 62
Aug 31, 2017
Whip must be added to the percussion section. Numerous pieces (notably Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major) use it prominently.
+2
Level 47
Nov 5, 2017
Not part of the traditional orchestra, buddy. We can't have everything that has been used before, otherwise the list would be pretty big.
+1
Level 65
Dec 12, 2018
Also Sleighride is known for its whip sound. Since it is the season, sleigh bells come to mind as another percussion instrument.
+1
Level 66
Dec 12, 2018
How about (bumble)bees... or what did they use for "flight of the bumblebees"?
+1
Level 67
Aug 31, 2017
I would not have known that "wooden block" was an orchestral instrument if I had not read https://chris-lamb.co.uk/posts/the-truth-about-orchestral-players the other day. It will deepen your appreciation of the orchestra to know something about the performers.
+4
Level 62
Sep 2, 2017
Why are the celesta and Pipe organ listed together. The celesta is like orchestral bells (or glockenspiel if you prefer) with a keyboard-while a pipe organ is a wind instrument with a keyboard.
+1
Level 57
Sep 2, 2017
Looked up the wikipedia article on orchestral percussion and the tenor drum is not listed. If you didn't use the orchestral percussion page, what reference did you use?
+1
Level 63
Nov 1, 2017
There are several pieces of classical music (most famously Rodriguez's Aranjuez Concierto) that use guitar, so if you are going to be overly pedantic with your "bass trombone" and "bass clarinet" - you may as well add in the guitar as well.
+1
Level 47
Nov 5, 2017
It is not "overly pendantic," bass trombones and (especially) bass clarinets serve their purpose just as well as any other instrument.

They are considered part of a traditional orchestra, whereas guitars are not.

+3
Level 65
Dec 12, 2018
Bass trombone is an official instrument in most orchestras. The guitar is not.
+8
Level 40
Dec 16, 2017
Cannons?
+6
Level 78
Mar 1, 2019
Okay Tchaikovsky.
+3
Level 71
Mar 8, 2018
Surprised not to see euphonium on there - there've been euphoniums in every orchestra I've played in.
+2
Level 34
Mar 18, 2018
Got 69% ;)
+1
Level 46
Apr 20, 2018
You should accept baritone for bass trombone.
+1
Level 46
Apr 20, 2018
And Wind Chimes for chimes
+1
Level 47
Apr 25, 2018
wind chimes and chimes are different; chimes are like a bigger and louder glockenspiel that you hit with a mallet that looks like a hammer, whereas wind chimes are just a bunch of metal sticks that hang off of a rod that you push and they cling all at once. Look them up.
+2
Level 65
Dec 12, 2018
Not the same at all. A baritone is not even a trombone. A bass trombone is a trombone with a larger bore and extra tubing for the lower notes. If you are confused, look for the long slide to determine if it is a trombone or not.
+1
Level 73
Aug 25, 2019
I hope you are joking. Bass Trombones are quite different from Baritones. Only similarity is that they are both low brass instruments, but baritones can be a more higher instrument sometimes. Do your research kid
+2
Level 95
Apr 25, 2018
What, no Lion's Roar, or Brake Drums, or Sirens?

Edgard Varese is rolling over in his grave!

+2
Level 65
Dec 12, 2018
vibraslap, finger cymbals, clave, gourd, cabassa, agogo bells, mark tree, maracas, slide whistle, temple blocks, I could go on.

There are so many percussion instruments it is hard to think of them all.

+1
Level 60
May 2, 2022
Yeah, I tried so many percussion instruments and so few were there. I can't believe they left out so many percussion instruments like the djembe, bongos, bulb horn, castanets, crotales, field drum, sleigh bells, or guiro!

Again, Percussion has a very large array of instruments.

(Also, responding to a comment from 4 years ago lets go)

+2
Level 51
May 9, 2018
What about the euphonium? I looked up the answers on Wikipedia, and euphonium was on the page. Why isn't it there?
+5
Level 68
Jul 30, 2018
Based on my guesses my Orchestra would be very interesting 😂

We've got the bongos, guitar, saxophone, digeridoo, drums, banjo and a rainstick......

+1
Level 66
Dec 12, 2018
Might I add a singing saw to that (or whatever it is called in english when you produce sound from a saw)
+1
Level 66
Dec 12, 2018
Tried some of those, also djembe, congos, panflute, sousaphone (I thought I read it somewhere that was an english name for a musical instrument)
+1
Level 31
Oct 24, 2018
There are a few things missing on here. e.g. Tubular bells and Saxophone. Yes, there are examples of their use in orchestral music.
+1
Level 49
Dec 18, 2023
the "chimes" listed here are simply another word for (tubular) bells, so both should be acceptable
+2
Level 73
Mar 6, 2019
When your instrument is the least guessed answer...
+1
Level 72
Apr 29, 2019
Ha! I just solved and you just update and changed the Harp's location!

Didn't read the comments, so if nobody wrote it before - you should add "Contrabass" for Double bass :)

+2
Level 47
Apr 29, 2019
I think obo should be acceptable for oboe.
+8
Level 50
Jul 6, 2019
The rest of us think you're wrong.
+1
Level 45
Apr 30, 2019
Why no cannons ? I want to play the cannons ! :P
+1
Level 50
Jul 6, 2019
Everyone's all like "cannon cannon cannon" and I'm wondering where the hammer is. It's used in more than just one piece, unlike the cannon. Mahler 6, the Ring Cycle, Il Trovatore off the top of my head, not sure what others if any.
+2
Level 62
Aug 3, 2019
No synthesizer? 🤪
+1
Level 21
Sep 23, 2019
Fyi saxophone is as much an instrument as any of the others so I am confused as to why it has been left out of the woodwind section
+1
Level 73
Feb 23, 2020
It's a WW Instrument yes; however, it's not a "common" orchestra instrument. The others listed are commonly seen in orchestras then and now, while saxophones aren't.
+1
Level 67
Jan 18, 2020
I got tenor drum when guessing tenor saxophone lol
+1
Level 61
Apr 9, 2020
how about the bass bass tuba?
+1
Level 40
Apr 28, 2020
As a musician, this quiz makes me nauscious.
+2
Level 76
Jul 11, 2020
This quiz is missing Euphonium/Baritone in the Brass section. If you include bass trombone, a prominent subdivision of trombone, you have to include baritone, a just-as-prominent subdivision of tuba.
+1
Level 95
Aug 2, 2020
The euphonium is not considered a standard part of the orchestra. The only well-known piece that I know of that has a part scored for it is Holst's The Planets.

The bass trombone is very commonly used in large orchestral works from the late Romantic period and later.

+1
Level 76
Nov 27, 2023
considered a standard part by whom? There is no governing body for this kind of thing. Euphoniums appear in *some* orchestras, and thus should be included
+2
Level 95
Aug 2, 2020
Fair warning, this comment is going to be very pedantic. Apologies in advance lol. As an orchestral musician (cellist), there are a couple of things that really bug me about this quiz. Why mention the pipe organ parenthetically along with the celeste? That pairing makes no sense whatsoever. If you want to include another keyboard instrument along with the piano I would have added the harpsichord before the organ, which is very commonly used as part of the continuo in Baroque/early Classical era music, and in some 20th century orchestral music as well. The organ does appear as a solo instrument occasionally, but it is rarely an integrated member of the orchestra.

My other quibble would be about the gong. A gong is a class of percussion instruments. The specific type that is common in orchestras is called a tam-tam, and that is typically how it is referred to in scores. I think "gong" would be acceptable is a type-in, but I'd prefer to see the tam-tam as the correct answer in the quiz.

+1
Level 58
Oct 7, 2020
I forgot French Horn... To be fair it is hard to play very very well
+1
Level 64
Aug 10, 2021
And therefore forgettable.
+1
Level 65
Oct 21, 2020
No octobass? Every good orchestra has one...
+2
Level 40
Dec 14, 2020
tenor drum, marimba, vibraphone and woodblocks aren't standard orchestral percussion instruments despite being used in some pieces.
+1
Level 76
Feb 28, 2021
Yeah, these should certainly be removed. Personally I would also remove the celesta, piano, chimes, glockenspiel, gong and xylophone. Definitely not as rare as the four you mentioned, but in my opinion more 'guests' than standard orchestra instruments.
+5
Level 74
Mar 1, 2021
*Murderous Euphonium Noises*
+5
Level 64
Aug 10, 2021
Thanks. You've given me the title for my next composition.
+2
Level 50
Jun 20, 2021
This quiz is very misleading. Though some of these instruments can be seen in a standard orchestra, a lot aren't used all the time like the quiz implies.
+1
Level 64
Aug 10, 2021
As many have pointed out, lots of other instruments have been used in various orchestral works. But the basic makeup of an orchestra has remained largely unchanged for 150 years. That's the list we see here. Orchestral musicians and composers have been content to stick with Romantic-era tradition even though many other instruments are available. The logistics of operating an orchestra are much simpler that way. But there is one recent addition to the list: the vibraphone, and electronic instrument invented in the 20th century. How did it ever land a spot on the list of "standard" orchestral instruments?
+1
Level 64
Oct 5, 2021
There are two types of clarinet in every symphony orchestra, A and Bflat.

As well as bass clarinet (which is much less common, except for example in Stravinsky), there is Eflat clarinet, for example Copland's Appalachian Spring.

You need to research your woodwind more thoroughly; we're much more important in a symphony orchestra than the various inanimate objects hit by percussionists!

+1
Level 35
May 2, 2022
drum set????
+2
Level 21
Jul 3, 2022
As a musician at conservatory, there are some things that bothered me about this quiz. To be honest, I feel like there's more pieces out there with saxophone than with some of the mentioned percussion instruments.
+2
Level 60
Nov 18, 2022
I feel like it's a bit strange that the bass trombone is included here but not the cornet, flugelhorn, or euphonium.
+2
Level 57
May 12, 2023
Euphonium Rights! I stand behind this as a Baritone/Euphonium player.
+3
Level 29
Jan 22, 2023
Why is there no sax or baritone?
+1
Level 43
Oct 11, 2023
Not typically used in an orchestra…
+1
Level 31
Feb 2, 2023
32/34 first try
+1
Level 48
Apr 4, 2023
This is ridiculous. If you're gonna have things like bass trombone, have contrabassoon, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, piccolo trumpet etc etc. or don't have bass clarinet as an answer at all.
+1
Level 50
Aug 19, 2023
Tenor drums are not used in orchestras. They are used in marching bands. They do use Tom drums in orchestra, if that’s what it meant. You should replace tenor drums with Tom drums
+1
Level 34
Sep 19, 2023
No sax?
+1
Level 76
Nov 27, 2023
missing euphonium
+1
Level 40
Dec 19, 2023
could you let bells (for glockenspiel), xylo (for xylophone), and vibes (for vibraphone) be accepted? i play percussion and that's what i usually call them :)
+1
Level 33
Feb 15, 2024
No euphonium or saxophone?