Instruments
The contrabassoon: the orchestra’s deepest voice
Meet the contrabassoon: classical music’s deepest voice and unsung hero of the orchestral underworld
The celesta: the magical instrument that adds a touch of enchantment to music
Meet the celesta, whose delicate, filigree sound lends such magic to the world of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker
Hardest instruments: 11 most devilishly difficult musical instruments
Hannah Nepilova dodges practice time to come up with the 11 most challenging instruments to master
Paul McCartney's first bass guitar was lost for 50 years - and turned up a few miles away
Million-dollar violins stolen from cafes - and more: our guide to some of the most famous stolen musical instruments in history
This is now the most expensive violin in history
For some 12 years, the position of world's most expensive violin was occupied by a famous Guarneri violin from 1741. Now that's all changed - and Stradivarius is back at the top
Weirdest instruments: 14 gloriously strange musical instruments
From the hydraulophone to the Wintergatan Marble Machine, we introduce ten of the most delightfully weird instruments out there
Oboe: the rich, soulful instrument that can give you playful, melancholy and anything in between
Our guide to the woodwind instrument, which has played everything from classical to jazz
These are the most famous pianos in the world
From Casablanca to Lang Lang via Marilyn Monroe, here's our guide to 11 of the most famous pianos in the world
Ondes Martenot: a guide to this early, eerie electronic musical instrument
We explain the workings of the unusual instrument, the Ondes Martenot, that takes centre stage in Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony
Clarinet: our guide to the mellow woodwind instrument heard everywhere from Mozart to Benny Goodman
Our guide to the mellow-sounding woodwind instrument used in everything from jazz to klezmer
How the world's biggest pipe organ ended up in a Philadelphia department store
In 1911 John Wanamaker decided what his famous department store needed was a pipe organ - and not just any pipe organ, he wanted the biggest in the world
Ouch! Five terrible treatments of the piano
Bassoon: all you need to know about the orchestra's biggest wind instrument
Like its cousin the oboe, the bassoon has a double reed which gives it a particularly distinctive sound
Medieval instruments: 11 atmospheric musical instruments from the Middle Ages
Our guide to some of the most important instruments of the medieval period
Christmas ukulele songs: nine festive classics you can easily master on the uke
Our roundup of the easiest Christmas songs to play on the ukulele
The percussion family: meet 5 important instruments played by hitting, scraping or shaking
The marimba: all you need to know about the 'flutey' sounding percussion instrument
Our guide to the marimba, the atmospheric percussion instrument that has been gaining a foothold in the repertoire over the last 50 years
This is the instrument New York doesn't want you to hear
Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs laments the absence of a pipe organ from America's biggest city
What instrument should I learn? Here are five key questions to ask yourself before you commit
We've all heard the benefits of learning an instrument – but sometimes the choice can be overwhelming. Decide which instrument you or your child should learn with our handy guide
How do you choose the right music teacher for you? Follow these seven simple steps...
You've decided you want to learn a musical instrument, but what's next? You need a music teacher! Consult our guide for how to find a music teacher – and what you should be looking for
Hate music practice? How you can learn to love your instrument again in 100 days
Amateur violinist Ariane Todes reveals how, after losing the will to practise during the pandemic,
she was inspired by Hilary Hahn on social media
to reconnect with her beloved four-stringed friend
Most expensive instruments of all time: 11 musical treasures that fetched eye-watering sums
How much? From a lavish pipe organ to Charlie Parker's saxophone, these are the most expensive musical instruments of all time.
The saxophone: the essential jazz instrument that has sprinkled its soulful magic across classical music
Our guide to the saxophone: What it is, who invented it and the best works for it
The trombone: the unique-sounding instrument that you'll hear everywhere from classical to reggae
Our guide to the trombone: what it is, how to play it and the best works written for it