Musical Instruments

Music is a universal language. It is an art form that speaks to our emotions, touches, and souls, and brings us together. For English learners, who are passionate about music, building a strong vocabulary of musical instruments is an excellent way to expand their English language skills. In this post, we provide a list of musical instruments along with example sentences. 

Don't miss the video for the pronunciations of the musical instruments on the list.

List of Common Instruments of Music

accordion

An accordion is used in different music genres.

harp

The harp produces a soothing and relaxing sound.

acoustic guitar

Many famous songs were written and performed on acoustic guitars.

electric guitar

Electric guitars are commonly used in rock, metal, and blues music.

violin

I've always wanted to learn how to play the violin.

viola

The viola's bow moved smoothly across the strings.

cello

The cello's deep tones added depth to the music.

double bass

The double bass is the largest instrument in the string family.

 

trumpet

He took a deep breath and blew into the trumpet.

trombone

The trombone has a distinctive slide mechanism.

tuba

The tuba adds a unique flavor to the music.

French horn

The brass section included a skilled French horn player.

saxophone

A saxophone is a popular instrument in many musical genres.

clarinet

A clarinet has a complex fingering system.

recorder

A recorder is often used for teaching music to beginners.

bagpipes

Bagpipes are a traditional musical instrument from Scotland.

maracas

Maracas are popular in genres such as salsa, samba, and rumba.

tambourine

The sound of a tambourine is produced by shaking or striking the instrument.

triangle

A triangle is often used in orchestral music.

xylophone

A xylophone is a percussion instrument.

cymbals

The cymbals clashed loudly in the middle of the song.

pan flute

A pan flute is made of several pipes of different lengths.

microphone

The singer held the microphone close to her mouth.

bongo drums

The sound of the bongo drums is often associated with Latin music.

conga

I love the rhythm of the conga.

snare drum

The snare drum is an essential part of any drum kit.

mandolin

The strings on the mandolin need to be tuned regularly.

balalaika

He learned to play the balalaika during his visit to Russia.

banjo

He played the banjo with great enthusiasm at the bluegrass festival.

sitar

She bought a handmade sitar from a music shop in Mumbai.

keyboard

Keyboards have keys that are used to produce different notes.

piano

He learned to play the piano at a young age and became a professional pianist.