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Instruments de musique
Do you play a musical instrument? Here are the most common ones, in French, along with the grammar you need to play them.
To play (the instrument) = Jouer de (+ definite article + instrument). The normal rules about de + definite article contractions apply.
Par exemple …
| to play the violin | jouer du violon | |
| to play the guitar | jouer de la guitare | |
| to play the viola | jouer de l’alto | |
| to play the cymbals | jouer des cymbales |
Keyboard instruments – Instruments à clavier
| accordion | l’accordéon | (m) | |
| keyboards | les claviers | (m) | |
| organ | l’orgue | (m*) | |
| piano | le piano | ||
| synthesizer | le synthétiseur le synthé |
(apocope) |
Percussion Instruments – Instruments de percussion
| bass drum | la grosse caisse | ||
| brush | le balai | ||
| cowbell | la cloche de vache la cloche à vache |
||
| cymbals | les cymbales | (f) | |
| drum | le tambour | ||
| drums, drum kit | la batterie | ||
| drumsticks | les baguettes | (f) | |
| pedal | la pédale | ||
| snare drum | la caisse claire | ||
| triangle | le triangle |
Stringed instruments – Instruments à cordes
| cello | le violoncelle | ||
| double bass | la contrebasse | ||
| guitar | la guitare | ||
| harp | la harpe | (h aspiré) | |
| viola | l’alto | (m) | |
| violin | le violon |
Wind instruments – Instruments à vent
| bassoon | le basson | ||
| clarinet | la clarinette | ||
| English horn | le cor anglais | ||
| flute | la flûte | ||
| French horn | le cor d’harmonie | ||
| harmonica | le harmonica | (h aspiré) | |
| oboe | le hautbois | (h aspiré) | |
| saxophone | le saxophone | ||
| trombone | le trombone | ||
| trumpet | la trompette | ||
| tuba | le tuba |
* When it’s singular, orgue is always masculine. When it’s plural, it can be either:
- les orgues (m) indicates organs in general
- les orgues (f) refers to a specific instrument, especially les grandes orgues
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