Musical Instruments

Music 929 clues

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top 50

Memorize these and recognize 47.7% of all Musical Instruments clues.

#	Answer	Count	Sample Clue
1	the harp	19	In "Jack & the Beanstalk", it cried out "Master! Master!" & gave jack away
2	the guitar	18	Eric Clapton, aka Slowhand
3	the trumpet	18	Herb Alpert, tooting (& toting) his own horn
4	the clarinet	16	Perfected by Johann Denner, this woodwind now comes in many pitches, including the B-flat soprano
5	player piano	15	Free from worry about too-slow human hands, Stravinsky wrote a 1917 etude for this now seldom-seen instrument
6	the banjo	15	Plucked instrument brought to U.S. by slaves, now a fixture in bluegrass
7	the ukulele	14	In 1997 David Kalakaua became the first inductee into the Hall of Fame for this instrument
8	the violin	13	Itzhak Perlman
9	the bagpipes	13	Paul Burns of the Royal Regiment of Scotland played this instrument for Queen Elizabeth II each morning & at her funeral
10	the sitar	13	The Ravi Shankar & Vilayat Khan are methods of teaching this instrument
11	steel drums	12	Nothing says tropical vacation like this instrument
12	the cello	12	Cancel long periods praciticing with this string instrument or your fingers will get tired
13	the harpsichord	12	The strings of the clavichord were struck by small blades; this "chord" was the first keyboard instrument to work by plucking
14	the balalaika	11	This triangular Russian instrument is normally played with the fingers or a leather plectrum
15	the trombone	11	This brass slide instrument became firmly established in the orchestra around 1850
16	the saxophone	10	Sonny Rollins & Bill Clinton
17	the mandolin	10	It 's a part of Irish music, American bluegrass & the Baroque concerto repertoire
18	the bass	10	The Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious (as much as Sid could)
19	a harmonica	9	This instrument also known as a mouth organ can be traced back to the Chinese sheng of 1100 B.C.
20	the accordion	9	In German, Harmonika can also mean this other wheezy instrument, possibly invented by the same guy
21	the viola	9	This string quartet instrument that's deeper pitched & slightly larger than a violin has a similar name
22	cymbals	8	Percussive "plates" that serve up a din
23	a triangle	8	Classically, it's featured in Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1; folksily, it's been called the cowboy dinner bell
24	the tuba	8	Patented in 1835, this instrument was designed to provide a suitable valved brass bass for a wind band
25	the oboe	8	The cor anglais, or English horn, is in the family named for this double-reed instrument
26	the bassoon	8	Barabas soon learned this Western instrument was like nothing he had ever seen before
27	a tambourine	8	The metal discs around the edge of this hand-held percussion instrument are called jingles
28	castanets	7	In classical style, these are attached to the thumbs with one hand clicking a simple rhythm, the other a more complicated one
29	a flute	7	It's the instrumental name of the wine glasses seen here
30	the organ	7	Neither Bilbo nor Gandalf knew any cool tunes on this
31	a piccolo	7	Fife & drum corps often use this higher-pitched woodwind whose name means "small"
32	a bass drum	7	Purdue says it has "the world's largest drum" with this type used in the marching band, & yep, it sure is big, weighing 315 pounds
33	the bugle	6	The first official list of military calls for this trumpet-like valveless instrument was issued in 1798
34	the fife	6	Often played with drums, it's held horizontally, has 6 finger holes & was developed in Switzerland
35	sleigh bells	6	In the song "Winter Wonderland", these "ring, are you listening"
36	the zither	6	Big in Austria, this end-of-the-alphabet instrument is flat & wooden & has 30 or more strings
37	the lute	6	The name of this stringed instrument is derived from Arabic al-ud
38	the Glockenspiel	6	A portable version of this German-named percussion instrument used in a marching band is called a bell lyre
39	a sousaphone	6	This tuba was developed by & named for the "March King"
40	Stradivarius	5	Trumpets made by Vincent Bach are so well-respected, this violin maker's name was added to the name of some models
41	a xylophone	5	"X" marks the spot in the ency. where you'll find this instrument, the only one commonly under "X"
42	the dulcimer	5	This instrument comes in 2 types: the Appalachian one is played with wooden hammers; the other, with fingers
43	a concertina	5	Sir Charles Wheatstone patented this instrument that was largely replaced by the accordion
44	a calliope	5	The last vehicle in a circus parade often carried this steam-powered musical instrument
45	maracas	4	Modern versions of these Latin American rattles contain lead shot rather than beads or seeds
46	a marimba	4	An orchestral one of these African instruments looks like a xylophone mounted on legs
47	a kazoo	4	The kids' product Band in a Bucket includes this short tube you blow into to make a buzzy sound
48	timpani	4	When told he'd be playing these drums with the band, Tim panicked
49	a lyre	4	Carefully replace the strings on this ancient instrument
50	a fiddle	4	The album titled "True Bluegrass" this 4-string instrument features greats like Bobby Hicks & Kenny Baker

Sub-Areas

Must-Know Answers

These appear 8+ times. Memorize these first.

the harp 19 the guitar 18 the trumpet 18 the clarinet 16 the piano 16 the banjo 15 the ukulele 14 the violin 13 the bagpipes 13 the cello 13 the sitar 13 the balalaika 12 steel drums 12 the harpsichord 12 the saxophone 11 the trombone 11 the bass 11 the mandolin 10 a harmonica 9 the accordion 9 the viola 9 cymbals 8 a triangle 8 the tuba 8 the oboe 8 a flute 8 the organ 8 the bassoon 8 a tambourine 8

Answers by Category

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General

99 answers | 569 clues

Must-Know (29)

the harp 19x 16.7% stumper $767 avg J:8 DJ:10 FJ:1

J $300 1994 With 7 pedals & over 40 strings, it has one of the largest ranges of any orchestral instrument

DJ $600 1987 Instrument with strings & pedals that you tilt towards you to play

J $1,000 2022 As a visual aid, all the C's are red & the F's are black on the many strings of a standard type of this instrument

the guitar 18x 16.7% stumper $483 avg J:7 DJ:11

J $300 1987 Christopher Parkening, Django Reinhardt, & Joan Jett

J $600 2010 Its 6 strings are traditionally tuned to E-A-D-G-B-E

DJ $1,000 DD 1987 19th century instrument maker Antonio Torres is responsible for the modern design of this

the trumpet 18x 22.2% stumper $550 avg J:14 DJ:4

J $200 1994 The cornet has declined as an orchestral instrument since the advent of the valved type of this horn

J $500 1992 If the valves weren't added to this in 1813, Wynton Marsalis would be playing a bugle today

J $1,000 2025 Wynton Marsalis & Cynthia Robinson of Sly & the Family Stone

the clarinet 16x 6.2% stumper $594 avg J:9 DJ:7

J $100 2000 When Benny Goodman was doing his swinging, it was usually with this woodwind in his mouth

DJ $800 2009 Benny Goodman

DJ $2,000 2025 Köchel 581 is Mozart's quintet using this orchestral woodwind

the piano 16x 6.2% stumper $700 avg J:9 DJ:7

J $100 1994 A veteran of Waterloo, Henry Steinway began manufacturing this instrument in the 1830s

J $500 1988 Beethoven wrote many solo pieces for this instrument which can be 7-10 feet long

DJ $2,000 2006 John Cage came up with the "prepared" type of this instrument by placing objects on, between & under its strings

the banjo 15x 20.0% stumper $587 avg J:5 DJ:10

DJ $200 1991 "Oh! Susanna, do not cry for me; I come from Alabama with" this instrument "on my knee"

DJ $800 2009 This guitar family member's circular body is covered in front with tightly stretched plastic or parchment

DJ $1,000 1984 Plucked instrument brought to U.S. by slaves, now a fixture in bluegrass

the ukulele 14x $486 avg J:10 DJ:4

J $100 1999 Derived from a Portuguese guitar called a machete, it was introduced into Hawaii in the late 19th century

DJ $600 1996 The Portuguese machete is the ancestor of this Hawaiian instrument

DJ $2,000 2017 The song "My Dog Has Fleas" is often used to tune its 4 strings, G-C-E-A

the violin 13x 15.4% stumper $708 avg J:9 DJ:4

J $200 2025 Anne-Sophie Mutter & then there's Hilary Hahn, stringing you along

DJ $800 2017 Presidents Thomas Jefferson & John Tyler were both skillful players of this instrument

DJ $1,000 1997 Midori is one of the most celebrated players of this instrument

the bagpipes 13x 7.7% stumper $615 avg J:6 DJ:7

J $100 1998 Instrument you're most likely to hear at the Braemar Gathering & other Highland Games

J $500 1995 This instrument consists of a chanter, drones & an air reservoir

DJ $1,200 2013 An old joke says that golf was invented by the same people who think that music comes out of these

the cello 13x 7.7% stumper $685 avg J:7 DJ:6

J $400 2022 Dvořák wrote a Concerto in B minor for this 4-stringed instrument, which not just anyone can play like a Yo-Yo

J $500 1991 Born in Paris of Chinese parents, Yo-Yo Ma is a virtuoso on this instrument

J $1,000 2011 Jacqueline du Pre made an acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut May 14, 1965 playing Elgar's concerto for this instrument

the sitar 13x $808 avg J:7 DJ:6

J $400 2006 This long-necked lute of India is played with a plectrum

J $500 1996 This long-necked, plucked Hindu instrument with 5 melody strings is a type of lute

J $1,000 DD 2015 The Ravi Shankar & Vilayat Khan are methods of teaching this instrument

the balalaika 12x $1,042 avg J:5 DJ:7

J $400 1991 This 3-stringed, Russian instrument comes in 6 sizes from piccolo to double bass

J $500 DD 1997 This triangular Russian instrument is normally played with the fingers or a leather plectrum

J $1,000 DD 2022 Seen here, it's often considered the national instrument of Russia

steel drums 12x 8.3% stumper $433 avg J:7 DJ:5

J $100 1996 Types of these used in Latin American music include bongos & congas

J $800 2012 Nothing says tropical vacation like this instrument

DJ $1,000 1987 Considered the national instrument of Trinidad, types include cello, guitar, bass & ping pong

the harpsichord 12x 8.3% stumper $883 avg J:5 DJ:7

J $300 1993 Before it meant a small piano, a spinet was a small one of these earlier keyboard instruments

J $500 1989 On "The Addams Family", Lurch was known for his recitals on this piano-like instrument

DJ $1,200 2020 It 's a plucky early relative of the piano

the saxophone 11x $600 avg J:5 DJ:6

DJ $400 2009 John Coltrane

J $600 2013 Clarence Clemons, of Bruce's E street Band; we miss you, big man

DJ $1,000 1993 Freddy Martin, Boots Randolph & John Coltrane

the trombone 11x 10.0% stumper $1,050 avg J:3 DJ:7 FJ:1

DJ $200 1993 Versions of this instrument have been made with valves instead of a slide

DJ $800 2020 Heard here, this instrument has a bell joint that passes over the player's left shoulder

DJ $1,200 2016 Bandleader Glenn Miller was also a virtuoso on this brass instrument

the bass 11x 9.1% stumper $500 avg J:9 DJ:2

J $400 2014 The Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious (as much as Sid could)

J $600 2012 About 6 feet long, it's sometimes called a bull fiddle

J $200 1993 The bull fiddle is also known as the double this

the mandolin 10x 30.0% stumper $1,000 avg J:4 DJ:6

J $600 2005 In Bruce Hornsby's "___ Rain"

J $1,000 2009 Pear-shaped? Abso-lute-ly: NIL NOMAD

DJ $800 1996 Neapolitan folk songs often feature the Neapolitan type of this lutelike instrument

a harmonica 9x 37.5% stumper $625 avg J:3 DJ:5 FJ:1

DJ $400 2016 This wind instrument has a long blues tradition with players like Little Walter

DJ $600 1993 Toots Thielmans, Larry Addler & Stevie Wonder

DJ $1,600 2020 Hohner makes the Bob Dylan signature model of this instrument that Bob plays

the accordion 9x 33.3% stumper $822 avg J:3 DJ:6

J $400 1992 A standard piano type has 41 keys, 120 bass buttons, from 2 to 15 registers & a bellows

J $800 2009 Oh, it bellows: RANCID COO

DJ $1,200 2014 In 1829 Cyrill Demian patented this portable reed organ & coined its name

the viola 9x 11.1% stumper $500 avg J:6 DJ:3

J $400 2008 This string quartet instrument that's deeper pitched & slightly larger than a violin has a similar name

J $500 1996 It's the alto voice in the violin family

J $1,000 2013 In "Twelfth Night", she's Sebastian's twin

cymbals 8x $375 avg J:6 DJ:2

J $100 1994 Tiny versions of these metal instruments are worn on the fingers of belly dancers

J $500 1992 The Zildjian family in Turkey have made these instruments for more than 300 years; they're sold in pairs

J $100 1994 The American Heritage Dictionary entry for "clash" mentions these instruments

a triangle 8x $500 avg J:7 DJ:1

J $200 2000 This bent steel rod struck by a small metal rod is used in the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth

J $800 2025 Classically, it's featured in Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1; folksily, it's been called the cowboy dinner bell

DJ $1,600 2013 The balalaika of Russia has a body of this shape

the tuba 8x $575 avg J:3 DJ:5

J $300 1994 Used in military bands, the large-bored euphonium is a type of this brass instrument

DJ $600 1991 The Sousaphone is basically the same as this instrument but coiled in a circle

DJ $1,000 1987 This is the bass voice in the brass section of a concert band

the oboe 8x 25.0% stumper $1,238 avg J:5 DJ:3

J $200 1988 One name for this woodwind, "hautboy", is from the French meaning "high wood"

J $800 2009 On film, Danny Kaye called this reed instrument "an ill wind that no one blows good"

DJ $3,000 DD 2004 An old word for this wind instrument is spelled H-A-U-T-B-O-Y

a flute 8x 28.6% stumper $700 avg J:5 DJ:2 FJ:1

J $300 1993 Popular with amateur musicians, the recorder is a type of this woodwind

DJ $600 1989 Herbie Mann could tell you the recorder is a type of this instrument

J $1,000 2009 In a 1791 opera, Tamino is given this musical instrument

the organ 8x 25.0% stumper $525 avg J:5 DJ:3

J $200 1992 Blind 16th century composer Antonio de Cabezon was famous for playing this instrument found in churches

J $500 1988 On this "wind" instrument, tone quality is set by depressing tabs or by pulling out stop knobs

J $1,000 2005 Neither Bilbo nor Gandalf knew any cool tunes on this

the bassoon 8x 12.5% stumper $750 avg J:5 DJ:3

J $300 1987 This woodwind, called the clown of the orchestra, "plays" the grandfather in "Peter & the wolf"

J $600 2022 It's the low-end woodwind seen here that's held aslant on a sling when played

J $1,000 2007 Of the woodwinds in a standard symphony orchestra, it's the closest to the size of the person playing it

a tambourine 8x $625 avg J:6 DJ:2

J $300 1998 This percussion instrument with small jingling disks is often used to provide a gypsy effect in musical pieces

DJ $800 2021 "Mr. ____ Man " by The Byrds

J $1,000 2005 In The Byrds' "Mr. ___ Man"

Should-Know (23)

castanets 7x $471 avg J:4 DJ:3

J $100 1990 From Spanish for "chestnuts", they put the beat in flamenco

DJ $800 2004 The name of these paired concussion instruments is from the Spanish for "chestnut"

DJ $1,200 2002 This shell-shaped instrument is more than an accompaniment to flamenco dancing, it's a part of the dance itself

a piccolo 7x $514 avg J:3 DJ:4

DJ $200 1987 Orchestral scores in French might refer to this instrument as the "petit flute"

DJ $600 1997 This orchestral instrument is an octave higher than an ordinary flute

DJ $400 1997 James Galway has performed in several orchestras playing the flute & this smaller relative

the fife 7x 14.3% stumper $557 avg J:5 DJ:2

J $200 2020 During the Revolutionary War, drums were usually paired with this four-letter tooter

DJ $800 2022 In 1861 Harper's Weekly reported Major Anderson left Fort Sumter with "Yankee Doodle" being played by drum & this

DJ $1,600 2006 Often played with drums, it's held horizontally, has 6 finger holes & was developed in Switzerland

a bass drum 7x 14.3% stumper $386 avg J:4 DJ:3

DJ $400 2017 Songs by both Emmylou Harris & Todd Rundgren instruct "bang" this instrument (slowly for her, all day for him)

J $800 2005 In Linda Ronstadt's "Different ___"

J $100 2001 Porky popped out of this type of drum at the end of many a Looney Tune

Stradivarius 6x $600 avg J:2 DJ:4

DJ $400 1987 2 weeks before dying in 1985, Julian Altman confessed his violin was a hot one of these, worth $800,000

DJ $600 1992 He made his last violin in 1737 at the age of 93 in Cremona, Italy

J $200 1991 Both Andrea Guarneri & this most famous violin maker were trained by Nicola Amati

the bugle 6x $450 avg J:4 DJ:2

J $200 1994 It's a valveless horn used for military calls

DJ $1,600 2021 "Boogie Woogie ____ Boy" by Bette Midler

J $200 2011 The first official list of military calls for this trumpet-like valveless instrument was issued in 1798

sleigh bells 6x 16.7% stumper $467 avg J:4 DJ:2

J $200 2006 In the song "Winter Wonderland", these "ring, are you listening"

DJ $600 1996 Grelots are these bells; "Are you listening?"

DJ $200 1991 As Mike Oldfield proved in his 1974 best-selling album, these instruments can be "Tubular", man

the zither 6x 16.7% stumper $817 avg J:4 DJ:2

J $100 1993 Common instruments run from A-accordion to Z- this fretted instrument with 22-45 strings

J $800 2022 Head to the end of the alphabet for this stringed instrument that has a fretted fingerboard

DJ $1,000 1992 In 1950 Anton Karas had a hit with his recording of "The Third Man" theme on this instrument

the lute 6x 16.7% stumper $2,500 avg J:2 DJ:4

J $300 1997 The name of this stringed instrument is derived from Arabic al-ud

DJ $800 1992 The name of this instrument popular in the Renaissance is from the Arabic ud, meaning "wood"

DJ $2,000 2021 A renaissance man known as "Il Divino" was a master of this round-bodied 4-letter instrument that often has 2 G strings

the Glockenspiel 6x 50.0% stumper $3,783 avg J:1 DJ:5

DJ $800 2007 If you're a master with a glock, you could be an assassin or a player of this percussion instrument

J $1,000 2012 In "The Magic Flute" the music for Papageno's magic bells is performed on this German-named instrument

DJ $15,700 DD 2017 German for "play of bells", it has 2 rows of metal bars with the upper row corresponding to the black keys on a piano

a sousaphone 6x $650 avg J:5 DJ:1

J $200 1986 The large tuba common to marching bands, it was invented by John Philip Sousa

J $800 2026 Named for a band conductor, it's the marching band instrument being played here

J $1,000 2020 This tuba was developed by & named for the "March King"

a xylophone 5x $620 avg J:4 DJ:1

J $200 1993 The name of this instrument consisting of different-size bars is from the Greek for "wood sound"

J $500 1991 A marimba is a large, more mellow-sounding one of these instruments

DJ $1,600 2024 The gambang is an Indonesian version of this percussion instrument that's struck with sticks or mallets

the dulcimer 5x 40.0% stumper $900 avg J:1 DJ:4

DJ $200 1989 Its name comes from the Latin words "dulce melos" meaning sweet song

J $500 1993 The name of this stringed instrument, which is played on the lap, is from the Latin for "sweet song"

DJ $1,000 1996 The Appalachian this is a 3-stringed zither that's played in the lap

a concertina 5x 40.0% stumper $1,480 avg DJ:5

DJ $600 1991 This small bellows instrument was patented by Sir Charles Wheatstone

DJ $2,000 2007 A short sonata is a sonatina; a keyboardless accordion is this

DJ $2,000 2005 This type of accordion has hexagonal or octagonal ends & button keys

timpani 5x $660 avg J:4 DJ:1

J $400 2005 When told he'd be playing these drums with the band, Tim panicked

DJ $800 1991 Among orchestral drums, they're the only type tuned to specific pitches

J $1,000 2022 This set of big drums gets its name from the Italian for "kettledrums"

a calliope 5x 20.0% stumper $540 avg J:3 DJ:2

J $300 1996 The last vehicle in a circus parade often carried this steam-powered musical instrument

DJ $800 1993 Powered by steam & used on riverboats, this keyboard instrument's sound can carry over 10 miles

J $1,000 2011 This steam-whistle organ was often used on 19th century Mississippi steamboats to announce their arrival at ports

maracas 4x $525 avg J:3 DJ:1

J $100 1993 Almost always played in pairs, these rattles originated among the Indians of South America

J $600 2009 Modern versions of these Latin American rattles contain lead shot rather than beads or seeds

DJ $1,000 1989 Typically, these Latin American rattles contain seeds or beads, but some modern ones are filled with lead shot

a marimba 4x 25.0% stumper $1,850 avg J:1 DJ:3

J $1,000 2021 An orchestral one of these African instruments looks like a xylophone mounted on legs

DJ $1,600 2012 ( Kelly of the Clue Crew presents the clue from the Lesedi Cultural Village in South Africa.) This word that's now associated with Latin American music comes from Africa, where it describes many types of xylophones like these

DJ $2,000 2020 A man of many instruments, Brian Jones used this African xylophone for the hook on The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb"

a kazoo 4x 25.0% stumper $375 avg J:3 DJ:1

J $100 1986 All you need to play this is your voice vibrating the tissue paper membrane inside it

J $500 1999 Toy instrument played by Paul McCartney on Ringo Starr's 1974 hit "You're Sixteen"

DJ $400 2014 The kids' product Band in a Bucket includes this short tube you blow into to make a buzzy sound

synthesizer 4x $625 avg J:2 DJ:2

DJ $400 2020 The Fairlight CMI type of this electronic instrument is heard on many '80s songs like "Shock the Monkey" & "Shout"

J $800 2021 An engineer named Robert Moog developed this instrument in the 1960s

J $500 2000 Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman, Thomas Dolby

gong 4x 25.0% stumper $625 avg J:2 DJ:2

J $400 1993 So as not to be confused with a tom-tom, a Chinese tam-tam is generally called this

J $500 1985 If you put J. Arthur Rank's, Donald Duck's, & Chuck Barris' together, you might have a bonang

DJ $1,200 2021 "Bang A ____(Get It On)" by T. Rex

a lyre 4x $500 avg J:1 DJ:3

DJ $400 2006 Terpsichore, the muse of dance, is usually depicted holding this stringed instrument

J $800 2005 Carefully replace the strings on this ancient instrument

DJ $400 2004 No, it's true! A crwth is a Welsh version of this ancient stringed instrument

a fiddle 4x 25.0% stumper $450 avg J:2 DJ:2

J $200 2013 Proverbially, if you're in perfect health, you're "fit as" one of these

DJ $1,200 2025 The album titled "True Bluegrass" this 4-string instrument features greats like Bobby Hicks & Kenny Baker

DJ $200 1991 When it's used to play folk music, a violin is popularly called this

Worth Knowing (47)

Wales 3 Japan 3 bongos 3 Benjamin Franklin 3 the ocarina 3 the bow 3 an electric guitar 3 a steel drum 3 a reed 3 a clapper 3 the vibraphone 3 the slide 3 a soprano sax 3 the didgeridoo 3 violins 2 Triangular 2 the French horn 2 the flugelhorn 2 spoons 2 silk 2 reeds 2 player piano 2 pianoforte 2 Jew's harp 2 India 2 bouzouki 2 banjos 2 bamboo 2 a Tom Tom 2 a snare drum 2 a drum 2 a cymbal 2 4 2 76 trombones 2 the recorder 2 the kettledrums 2 the clavichord 2 the bagpipe 2 the Alpenhorn 2 a steel guitar 2 Spanish guitars 2 Pan flute 2 an elephant 2 a contrabassoon 2 a conga 2 a bell 2 an autoharp 2