Ready to turn your brain up to fortissimo? 🎵 Each of the 31 riddles below describes a musical instrument using rhythm, rhyme, and a dash of word‑play. Click for a hint if you’re stuck—then reveal the answer (and a fun fact) when you’re ready to see if you hit the right note!
I have six metal voices, stretched across my frame,
Strummed or picked, I set hearts aflame.
From rock to folk, I steal the show—
Amplified or acoustic, I’m good to go.
What am I?
Hint
Think of campfire sing‑alongs.
Answer
Answer: Guitar
Fun Fact: The world’s largest playable guitar is over 43 feet long!
Eighty‑eight teeth in rows of black and white,
I roar like thunder or whisper at night.
With hammers and strings hidden under my hood,
Composers and crooners both think I’m good.
What am I?
Hint
I can be grand—or upright in a living room.
Answer
Answer: Piano
Fun Fact: A modern concert grand has about 230 strings, adding up to 20 tons of tension!
I’m a wooden soprano, tucked under your chin,
With horsehair I sing—let the bowing begin.
In orchestral tales, I’m first to lead,
My four tuned strings can make hearts bleed.
What am I?
Hint
The smallest member of the string family.
Answer
Answer: Violin
Fun Fact: Some Stradivarius violins are valued at over $20 million.
Skin stretched tight on a hollow shell,
I thunder in rhythms audiences know well.
Beat me with sticks or with palms that pound,
Your feet will tap when you hear my sound.
What am I?
Hint
I anchor a rock band’s backbeat.
Answer
Answer: Drums
Fun Fact: The earliest drum found dates back over 7,000 years.
I’m slender and silver, held to the side,
With airy breaths I glide and slide.
No reeds for me—just an open tone,
In bird‑like trills my magic is shown.
What am I?
Hint
Common in marching bands and orchestras but not a clarinet.
Answer
Answer: Flute
Fun Fact: The oldest known flutes are over 40,000 years old and made of bird bone.
Curved like a question mark, but brass in hue,
I croon smoky jazz or a bluesy blue.
With keys and a reed I bend each note—
In late‑night solos I make hearts float.
What am I?
Hint
Think Charlie Parker or Kenny G.
Answer
Answer: Saxophone
Fun Fact: Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone in 1846.
I’m bright and brassy with valves of three,
My bold fanfare declares victory.
From jazz parades to royal halls,
My blazing sound commands all calls.
What am I?
Hint
Louis Armstrong’s main squeeze.
Answer
Answer: Trumpet
Fun Fact: Some trumpets are made of plastic for beginner players.
Larger than my violin kin,
I rest on spikes, warm and thin.
My mellow voice sings rich and low,
In concert halls my deep notes flow.
What am I?
Hint
Played seated with the body between the knees.
Answer
Answer: Cello
Fun Fact: Yo‑Yo Ma’s cello was crafted in 1712 by Domenico Montagnana.
I’m an angel’s frame with strings so many,
Pluck me gently, I sound like heaven’s penny.
From Greek myths to modern stage,
My shimmering glissandos steal the page.
What am I?
Hint
Usually taller than the person who plays it.
Answer
Answer: Harp
Fun Fact: A full‑size concert harp has 47 strings and 7 pedals.
Woodwind cousin with single reed,
Black‑and‑white keys help fingers speed.
Jazz and orchestra prize my tone—
Licorice stick is my nickname known.
What am I?
Hint
Benny Goodman’s favorite.
Answer
Answer: Clarinet
Fun Fact: The modern clarinet has a range of over three octaves.
I slide instead of press to change my song,
My hose‑like shape is extra‑long.
From jazz growls to orchestral might,
I’m the only brass that glides just right.
What am I?
Hint
My slide goes wah‑wah.
Answer
Answer: Trombone
Fun Fact: “Trombone” comes from Italian for “large trumpet.”
Double‑reed voice, nasal and sweet,
I lead the tune with pastoral beat.
My wooden pipe is slim and true,
In symphonies I set the cue.
What am I?
Hint
Famous for its plaintive duck‑like timbre.
Answer
Answer: Oboe
Fun Fact: The orchestra tunes to an oboe’s A‑440 because its pitch is very stable.
I’m the tuba’s cousin with coils untold,
My mellow curves gleam burnished gold.
Horn in F, heroic and round,
I blend the brass with woody sound.
What am I?
Hint
Hand in my bell helps control pitch.
Answer
Answer: French Horn
Fun Fact: The tubing uncoiled would stretch over 12 feet.
I’m big and bold and bass so deep,
An oompah fellow who seldom leaps.
Marching bands love my broad grin,
I anchor chords with rumbling din.
What am I?
Hint
Largest standard brass instrument.
Answer
Answer: Tuba
Fun Fact: A sousaphone is a wearable version of the tuba, created for marching.
Buttons and bellows, polka supreme,
I squeeze out melodies like a dream.
Portable organ with reeds inside,
I roam the streets where folk tunes ride.
What am I?
Hint
Staple of tango and zydeco.
Answer
Answer: Accordion
Fun Fact: The accordion is nicknamed the “squeezebox.”
I’m twangy and round with a drum‑like face,
Bluegrass pickers set me apace.
A five‑string neck and open back,
I keep the hoedown right on track.
What am I?
Hint
Famous for “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”
Answer
Answer: Banjo
Fun Fact: The banjo originated from West African instruments brought to America by enslaved people.
I’m tiny and cheery with four nylon lines,
Island breezes strum my sunny designs.
From Hawaii I spread my grin so wide,
In coffee shops I now reside.
What am I?
Hint
My name means "jumping flea" in Hawaiian.
Answer
Answer: Ukulele
Fun Fact: President Franklin D. Roosevelt collected ukuleles.
Palm‑sized harp with reeds of steel,
Slide me and bend me for bluesy feel.
Pocket‑friendly with breath I play,
Train‑like wails or a bright hooray.
What am I?
Hint
Also called a “mouth organ.”
Answer
Answer: Harmonica
Fun Fact: NASA astronaut Chris Hadfield played harmonica on the International Space Station.
Shake me and rattle, beads hit my skin,
Latin rhythms begin to spin.
A pair in hand keeps salsa tight,
I’m small but spice up every night.
What am I?
Hint
Often made from gourds.
Answer
Answer: Maracas
Fun Fact: Ancient maracas were filled with seeds or pebbles.
Keys like stairs of wooden bars,
I’m struck with mallets, bright as stars.
A rainbow of tones in orchestra’s land,
Metal cousin’s called a glockenspiel grand.
What am I?
Hint
Think elementary music class, name starts with X.
Answer
Answer: Xylophone
Fun Fact: "Xylophone" translates from Greek as “wood sound.”
A tartan roar of pipes and drone,
Scottish hills claim me their own.
Bag of air and chanter’s call,
Parades and weddings—hear me bawl.
What am I?
Hint
You squeeze the bag under your arm.
Answer
Answer: Bagpipes
Fun Fact: Evidence of bagpipes dates back to ancient Mesopotamia.
Jingle my rings against a frame so slim,
Shake or strike for rhythmic vim.
From folk to pop, I fit the jam,
My mirrored name is quite the slam.
What am I?
Hint
Stevie Nicks twirls one on stage.
Answer
Answer: Tambourine
Fun Fact: Ancient tambourines have been found in Egyptian tombs.
I’m just a single metal shape,
One ting and silence drapes.
Small but crisp, I cut the air,
Orchestras cue when I am there.
What am I?
Hint
My simple geometry makes me sound.
Answer
Answer: Triangle
Fun Fact: Despite its size, a triangle can be heard over a full orchestra.
Long wooden pipe with buzzing growl,
An Aussie drone like ancient howl.
Circular breathing keeps me free—
A dreamtime voice of history.
What am I?
Hint
Indigenous to Australia, starts with D.
Answer
Answer: Didgeridoo
Fun Fact: Some didgeridoos can create over a dozen distinct animal imitations.
I’m twinkly keys set in a box,
Thumb‑piano tones that gently talks.
African roots, lamellaphone,
Pocket lullabies are my zone.
What am I?
Hint
Also called a “thumb piano.”
Answer
Answer: Kalimba
Fun Fact: Traditional kalimbas are often tuned to pentatonic scales.
I’m a steel drum you strike with sticks,
My West African heartbeat quickly clicks.
Carved from a log or goat‑skin top,
I lead the circle—no plans to stop.
What am I?
Hint
Rhymes with "jem‑bay."
Answer
Answer: Djembe
Fun Fact: The djembe can produce three distinct tones: bass, tone, and slap.
Electric ether I control with waves,
Hands in mid‑air create my staves.
Sci‑fi squeals and eerie cries,
I’m played without a single touch—surprise!
What am I?
Hint
Invented by Léon in 1920; no strings, no keys.
Answer
Answer: Theremin
Fun Fact: The theremin was the first electronic instrument mass‑produced.
Double reeds and bulk so stout,
I belch low notes that lumber out.
Long and wooden, curving round,
I anchor woodwinds with my sound.
What am I?
Hint
Name begins with B and rivals the cello’s range.
Answer
Answer: Bassoon
Fun Fact: A bassoon’s tubing uncoiled would stretch nearly 9 feet.
Mand-o‑lin, that’s my rhyme,
Eight string courses keep me in time.
Bluegrass chop or Italian song,
My teardrop body rings all night long.
What am I?
Hint
Often paired with the violin in folk duets.
Answer
Answer: Mandolin
Fun Fact: Antonio Vivaldi composed concertos for mandolin in the 1700s.
Wood‑slatted trapezoid struck with sticks,
Eastern Europe loves my licks.
A cousin of the hammered dulcimer clan,
In folk‑dance flair I lead the band.
What am I?
Hint
Its name sounds like "san‑toor."
Answer
Answer: Cimbalom
Fun Fact: The cimbalom appears in Brahms’ "Hungarian Dances."
Sit and pick me, I’ll raga your mind,
My gourd‑shaped body is one of a kind.
Sympathetic strings shimmer below,
In Indian concerts I steal the show.
What am I?
Hint
Ravi Shankar’s signature instrument.
Answer
Answer: Sitar
Fun Fact: A sitar can have up to 21 strings—only 6 or 7 are plucked.
How Many Notes Did You Nail?
Did these riddles hit the right chord? Share how many tunes you cracked—and your favorite instrument—in our community! Join the jam on X, Facebook, or Pinterest and keep the music going!