Musical Instruments

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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 or f)
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 / 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

 Related lessons

• Music vocabulary
• Jouer conjugations
• Jouer de vs jouer à
• Hobbies

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