Instruments of the Orchestra Word Search

About this puzzle

A symphony orchestra is arranged in four families, and this list includes all of them: strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp), woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), brass (trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba) and percussion (timpani). In a concert, the strings usually sit at the front, nearest the conductor, with the woodwinds behind them and the brass and percussion at the back.

The default layout is Medium on a 13×13 grid. Easy, Medium and Hard each use their own checked layout of the same words, and every one can be printed in standard or large print on US Letter or A4.

Word notes

Violin

The smallest and highest-pitched member of the string family; orchestras divide violinists into first and second sections.

Cello

Played sitting down, with the instrument held between the knees; its range is close to that of the human voice.

Oboe

Traditionally plays the note the orchestra tunes to.

Bassoon

A low woodwind with a long, folded tube and a double reed.

French Horn

A coiled brass instrument; players often rest a hand inside the bell to shape the sound.

Timpani

Large kettle drums that can be tuned to specific pitches.

Harp

A concert harp has 47 strings and seven pedals that change the pitch of the strings.

Try this after the puzzle

Draw a seating plan of an orchestra and place each instrument from the list in its family's section. Then listen to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, where each character is played by a different instrument — the bird by the flute, the duck by the oboe, the cat by the clarinet — and try to name three instruments by ear.

All 14 words

Violin · Viola · Cello · Double Bass · Flute · Oboe · Clarinet · Bassoon · Trumpet · Trombone · French Horn · Tuba · Timpani · Harp