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Basic Orchestral Instruments

What are the basic strings, brass, and woodwind instruments found in most pieces of music performed by a symphony orchestra?
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Quizmaster
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Last updated: October 14, 2024
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First submittedJanuary 27, 2013
Times taken165,604
Average score83.3%
Rating4.27
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Strings
Cello
Double Bass
Viola
Violin
Brass
French Horn
Trombone
Trumpet
Tuba
Woodwinds
Bassoon
Clarinet
Flute
Oboe
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23 Comments
Quizmaster
+21
Level ∞
Oct 14, 2024
This quiz has been redone to include only the basic instruments. The number of possible other instruments, including percussion, is almost too numerous to mention, and there is no "official" instrumentation.
cathlete
+21
Level 78
Oct 14, 2024
I think that’s a fair fix! Though I think the Music Badge requirements now need to be tweaked
FreeStater
+7
Level 81
Oct 14, 2024
Yeah, you still need twenty to make progress on the badge.
OfficerDibble
+10
Level 86
Oct 14, 2024
Yes, I just saw that! This quiz is simultaneously very easy (and given it took me 21 seconds, I think the time limit could probably be reduced a bit from 5 minutes...) and at the same time, the hardest quiz on the site right now, given that you need to score 20 out of 12 on it for the music badge.
Quizmaster
+5
Level ∞
Oct 14, 2024
Fixed
GlassMonkeyOLD
+5
Level 69
Oct 14, 2024
You should have kept timpani.
Raustaklass
+8
Level 50
Oct 14, 2024
[Spoiler Alert] There's a particular order in which these should be listed in: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, [Add timpani, it's the one percussion standard in the orchestra most of the time], Violin, Viola, Bass
Aegidrom
+1
Level 43
Oct 15, 2024
Yes! Some much needed direction in this lost alteration. You missed Cello thought, between Viola and Bass.
81928128
+2
Level 63
Oct 15, 2024
It certainly threw me off when violin appeared at the bottom.
mf3
+2
Level 90
Oct 14, 2024
I think that there's too much time given the amount of answers. Whaddaya think?
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Oct 14, 2024
Yes. Reduced the time.
theenforcer22
+1
Level 70
Oct 17, 2024
Full marks for The Robbster.
theenforcer22
+2
Level 70
Oct 17, 2024
Note: if you type bassoon, you automatically get the answer correct for double bass first as you accept 'bass'.
PeregrineFalcon
+1
Level 79
Nov 5, 2024
I would add the timpani to this list. Arguably more basic than the tuba, which didn't even exist yet in Beethoven's time.
yud27
+1
Level 45
Jun 10, 2025
percussion isn't on here

if it were to be, a lot of things would likely be added

mildroaster
+1
Level 32
Dec 11, 2024
you should add the saxophone maybe im biased tho
Samdunker34
+2
Level 38
Feb 19, 2025
Sax usually isn't in full symphony orchestra pieces, since it wasn't invented until long after most were written. Modern concert band pieces do feature it though.
MalyJacus
+1
Level 60
Sep 23, 2025
Contrabasoon??
NeirolVeritas
+1
Level 35
Sep 30, 2025
what about harp?
Kingsfisher
+1
Level 69
Oct 9, 2025
I had a problem with spelling 'bassoon', always forget its English name. In Russian, we call it... 'fagot'. I think this name was taken from another language, but I still find it quite awkwardly funny.
Kingsfisher
+1
Level 69
Oct 9, 2025
Really, this word has Italian origin ('fagotto'), probably, Old French roots, and Russian language took it from German (where it called Fagott). Many other European languages, like Polish, Turkish, Serbian, Spanish, also use this name.
Gaara2706
+1
Level 44
Nov 13, 2025
Fun Fact: Bassoon in german means F*gott. Not kidding.
SupBroDude
+1
Level 56
Mar 3, 2026
You mean that's what Bassoon is called in German. also you don't have to censor it since it's not the slur and also is spelled different
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