In a orchestra there is 4 families; brass, woodwind, strings and percussion. Together they make an orchestra.

The Brass Family

The brass family insists of many different instruments. They are the loudest family in the orchestra as their job is to create a loud harmony sound. In a orchestra the brass section usually has 4 French horns (which play the important role of melody, harmony and rhythm), two trumpets ( has the brightest and most vivid sound), a  cornet (the most popular in the brass instrument with 30% of brass players playing it!), two trombones (which are approximately 2.7m long) and one tuba (which is an astonishing 6m long and is said to have descended from heaven!) During a performance the brass section sits at the back as they can project their instruments a lot more then the other families.  

The Woodwind Family 

The woodwind family consists of two main types of instruments: flutes and reed instruments. Although 'woodwind' suggests that all the instruments are made from wood some are in fact also made from a tube of brass or metal. In this family there are 4 main instruments; The Flute ( this is the most popular amongst the family for its high pitch and low pitch.), The Oboe (this is a double-reed instrument therefore needs a lot of wind to play and is mainly played by more experienced players), The Clarinet ( this is assembled in 4 parts) and the Piccolo (this is the highest pitched and smallest instrument in the whole of the orchestra!) There are many other instruments in the woodwind family which are also played in orchestras but those are some of the main! Did you know the saxophone (although in the woodwind family) isn't played in the orchestra as it isn't as traditional as the other instruments and is instead used in more modern day music?

 The String Family

The string family is very popular and has the biggest section in a orchestra and is located at the front of the stage. However this family only consists of 5 main instruments! These include; the Violin (this is the baby of family and makes the highest pitch), the Viola (this is slightly larger then the violin and creates a warmer tone with its thicker strings), the Cello (this is a very large violin and there can be up to 12 cellos in a orchestra) and finally the double bass (which is over 6 feet tall and plays the very low notes!)

The Percussion Family 

The percussion family is the largest family and insists of any instrument that makes a sound when you hit it. Some of the most common instruments in this family include: Piano (people disagree whether this is a string or percussion but it is sometimes in a orchestra and play solos) and Timpani ( this bowl shaped drum helps create a rhythm). There  are many different types of drums like the snare drum and tambourine and even  other sounds like the xylophone and triangle (these instruments create a high pitched "ding" sound).