There are many musical instruments to choose from, but students usually begin with the clarinet, flute, oboe, violin, guitar, or piano when learning to play an instrument. These six classical instruments are the most used instruments in western music.
The violin is the most versatile instrument of the primary six and frequently accompanies vocalists or other instruments. The clarinet is equally versatile and is often used to accompany other instruments, such as strings.
That said, the flute, oboe, and clarinet are often grouped together as the woodwind family since they are all used to transpose melodies of other instruments.
Clarinet
The clarinet is a small, single-reed woodwind instrument that emerged in the western music industry. They are the only members of the saxophone family designed to be played without valves (a restriction that places its range considerably lower than, for example, the saxophone). Moreover, their wide dynamic range makes them one of the most common concert instruments and are particularly suited for chamber music.
These instruments are commonly seen in jazz bands, where they are sometimes substituted for saxophones. They are also featured prominently in marches and other military music.
Flute
The flute, which can be found in different sizes and materials, is one of the primary musical instruments. Also known as the piccolo, it is a woodwind that produces beautiful music when blown through. It can be made from metal, wood, or plastic. Note that, unlike other instruments, the flute has undergone minimal changes in its appearance over the years. Flute players typically wear black dresses with tights, and they always blow air through a mouthpiece.
That said, the flute family has been in existence since the time of the ancient Egyptians. It was a popular musical instrument in Native American cultures as well as early European cultures.
Oboe
The oboe is one of the four main musical instruments in the orchestral band. In most cases, an oboist plays a solo with their main instrument. When struck by a bow, a reed tucked inside produces a mellow sound. The instrument, however, can be difficult to play due to its many moving parts and the fact that performers need to learn multiple techniques to play different notes.
Violin
Violin, as said earlier, plays an integral role in the music industry. This instrument has been popular since ancient ages. Among its components are a neck, a soundbox, a bridge, a fingerboard, a peg box, a tailpiece, tuning pegs, a bow, and strings that are stretched along the fingerboard. These strings are one of the most important components as they act as a deciding factor of the instrument’s size. Besides this, the soundbox has holes that are opened and closed by the bow.
Guitar
A guitar is a fretted musical instrument with a hollow sound box, played by strumming or plucking the strings or by picking and bending individual strings. It is classified as a chordophone that has the unique ability to simultaneously play chords, melodic lines, and melodies. It was first developed in the 15th century and had its origins in the lute family—a family of stringed instruments with back and sides made from wood, along with one or more strings running from one sound hole to the other.
Piano
If you’re someone who likes to listen to music, you have probably heard at least one song that features a piano. It was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1655 and was introduced to the UK in 1709. However, not long after this, in 1810, the Steinway piano company was founded.
Mostly, the piano is featured in classical or traditional songs, but contemporary musicians like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Madonna also use this instrument in their concerts.