The Keyboard Family

The Keyboard Family

By Mrs. Reyes

What is the keyboard family?

Good question! :)

The keyboard family is made of any instrument that is played by pushing keys with your fingers.

There are a few instruments that define the family, but there are many more!​

Cool beans :) Who's in the keyboard family?​

​​Piano

​​Organ

Harpsichord

Synthesizer

​The Keyboard Family

Piano

The piano is an instrument that has 88 keys and a wooden frame that holds metal strings and felt hammers.

Sound is made by the ​felt hammers hitting the strings.

Piano is used in many genres of music from jazz to classical to rock.​

The Keyboard Family | Music

Fun fact: piano is the one instrument that Mrs. Reyes is bad at. :(

Organ

The organ is an instrument that uses pumped-up air to blow through whistle-like pipes to make a sound.

There are two commonly used organs: pipe organ (think Dracula) and electric organ, which is used commonly in soul music and R&B.​

The Keyboard Family | Music

Fun fact: churches used to have an organ boy, a boy whose job it was to make sure the organ had enough air throughout a service!

Harpsichord

The harpsichord is a precursor to the piano in that it eventually evolved into the piano.

The harpsichord makes a sound by hitting metal strings with metal hammers.

This makes the harpsichord only able to play one dynamic.​

The Keyboard Family | Music

Fun fact: the harpsichord is Mrs. Reyes's least favorite instrument. :~)

Synthesizer

The synthesizer is an electronic keyboard that plays exactly like a piano, but has a number of different timbre options.

Some synthesizers even have percussion timbres, making them usable as a drum kit!

Synthesizers can be programmed to use any sound.​

Subject | Subject

Cool beans

Multiple Choice

What instrument is NOT a member of the keyboard family?

• Marimba

• Piano

• Synthesizer

• Electric organ

Multiple Choice

What sound can a synthesizer NOT use?

• Dog barking

• Guitar

• None, it can play any sound.

• Laser zaps

Multiple Choice

What kind of hammers does a piano use?

• Metal

• Rubber

• Plastic

• Felt

Multiple Choice

What kind of hammers does a harpsichord use?

• Metal

• Rubber

• Plastic

• Felt

Multiple Choice

What is the worst instrument?

• Recorder

• Accordion

• Ukulele

• Harpsichord