1. Work in pairs. What kind of musical instruments do you know? Make a list of them.

Listen to the
lists the other pairs have made and add the missing items to your list.

Here's a list of musical instruments I know:

Piano
Guitar
Bass guitar
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double bass
Flute
Clarinet
Saxophone
Trumpet
Trombone and others

2. Work in pairs. How can you classify the musical instruments on your list. Listen to the other pairs'
opinion and define the categories that seem most logical.

String instruments: Piano, Guitar, Bass guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double bass, Harp, Mandolin, Banjo,
Sitar, Guzheng, Erhu, Pipa, Shamisen
Wind instruments: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, French horn, Tuba
Percussion instruments: Drums, Tambourine, Maracas, Congas, Bongos, Djembe, Xylophone,
Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Accordion, Bagpipes

3. Work in pairs. Match the categories below with their definitions on the right.

The bassoon is a woodwind musical instrument.

The bassoon plays in the tenor and bass registers.
The bassoon has a long, thin shape with a flared bell at the bottom. Its length is approximately 1.34
meters.
The bassoon evolved from the dulcian, a Renaissance-era woodwind instrument.
The bassoon evolved during the Baroque period, around the 17th century.
The specific feature of the bassoon often used by composers is its expressive and melancholic tone.
The contrabassoon's range is lower than the bassoon's range, and it produces a much deeper sound.
The similar feature of the bassoon and contrabassoon is their double reed.
The bassoon is an essential member of the orchestra and often plays a prominent role in the woodwind
section.
The bassoon was improved in the 19th century when Heckel, a German instrument maker, developed a
new design that greatly improved its tone and intonation.
The bassoon was improved in Germany, France, and Italy.
The main difference between the French and German bassoons is the bore shape, with the French
bassoon having a narrower bore.
The bassoon is used in classical, chamber, and orchestral music, as well as in jazz, rock, and popular
music.
The bassoon can be used as a solo instrument, and it is often featured in concertos and other solo
works.
The length of the contrabassoon's tube is approximately 5.5 meters.
The contrabassoon was first made by Johann Adam Heckel in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1870.
Famous composers that used the contrabassoon in their works include Beethoven, Berlioz, and Mahler.
The modern model of the contrabassoon was made by Wilhelm Heckel in Wiesbaden, Germany in the
early 20th century.
The modern French bassoon was made by the Buffet Crampon company in 1950.
The German bassoon was improved by Carl Almenräder.

11. A – 14, B – 13, C – 15, D – 2, E – 11, F – 5, G – 12, H – 6, I – 1, J – 13, K – 4, L – 3.

12. Distribute the instruments from exercise 11 into pneumatic and percussion categories.

Pneumatic instruments: Concertina, accordion, organ

Percussion instruments: Drum, gong, timpani, campanelli, castanets, xylophone, maracas, tambourine,
cymbals, triangle, bongo.

Note: Bagpipes are actually a type of aerophone, not a pneumatic instrument.

13. Read the beginning of an article by Emma Thompson from the Sunday Times. What is the article
about?

The article, written by Emma Thompson for the Sunday Times, is about the difficulties of getting children
to practice and learn musical instruments.