Instrument Atlas
Every instrument, mapped
Ranges, transpositions, clefs and practical writing notes, grouped by section and family so you can see how instruments relate. We start with the symphony orchestra; early, world, folk and electronic instruments follow.
- 33 instruments
- 5 orchestral sections
- 16 families
- More families in preparation
Every range on one keyboard
Click a section name to see the instrument families inside it, or an instrument to open its page.
Sound comes from a vibrating air column, started by an edge (flutes) or a reed. Pitch changes by opening and closing tone holes. The section is made of four families, each with its own higher and lower members.
Clarinet family
Clarinet in B♭D3 – B♭6Bass Clarinet in B♭D♭2 – F5Also: E♭ clarinet, Clarinet in A, Basset horn, Contrabass clarinetThe player's lips buzz into a cup-shaped mouthpiece. Valves or a slide change the tube length, and the lips select notes of the harmonic series. Horns, trumpets, trombones and tubas are separate families.
Tuba family
TubaD1 – F4EuphoniumB♭1 – B♭4Also: Contrabass tuba, Wagner tuba (horn family), Baritone hornInstruments that are struck, shaken or scraped. Timpani and keyboard percussion play definite pitches; drums and cymbals add rhythm and colour.
Instruments that play chords and several lines at once. In the orchestra they add colour, sparkle and definition rather than sustained tone.
Keyboard instruments
PianoA0 – C8CelestaC4 – C8HarpsichordF1 – F6OrganC1 – C7Also: Keyboard glockenspiel, Spinet, Virginal, Clavichord, HarmoniumBowed strings over a hollow body. Violin, viola and cello form the violin family, tuned in fifths. The double bass descends from the violone and keeps its tuning in fourths.