Spanish Musical Instruments
Language Resources

Musical Instruments / Los instrumentos musicales

Have you ever heard works by composers like Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz or Joaquín Rodrigo at some point in your life? These people are all internationally acclaimed composers who took Spanish music to the top, and who lived their lives speaking Spanish as their national language. If you have the chance, we encourage you to go to one of their concerts – and then there are modern pop singers who have used the Spanish language in their hit songs too, such as Shakira or Enrique Iglesias, who have managed to go all the way to the top of the charts in many different countries.

Of course, we are started off talking about orchestras, which use traditional instruments, and then moved on to more modern songs which are likely to use a different set of instruments entirely. Do you know how to say the names of the various musical instruments in Spanish? It is not a problem at all if you do not yet, as we have you covered with the translations that we have prepared for you below. This list of terms will help you to know what a cymbal or a flute is so you can get the most out of Spanish music while also being able to discuss it with friends who are native speakers –and if you are a musician yourself, it may be of the utmost importance that you are able to describe just what it is that you play. Whether you are listening to the radio to hear about the latest popular Spanish songs, or settling back to a performance of a classic orchestral piece, you will be able to talk about just what you are hearing with this vocabulary list.

Do not forget that if you are interested in music and both listening to it and playing it, you can find a great way to explore this side of things by joining one of our Spanish and music courses. These will teach you all about the traditional ways that music has been played in Spanish speaking cultures, so that you can play it for yourself and also enjoy learning about the vibrant past of this side of life for Spanish speakers. Plus, it really adds the chance to have a lot of fun and unwind to your week, so that if you prefer to carry on studying as much as possible you can enjoy yourself too!

Piano
Keyboard
Organ

Saxophone
Trumpet
Cornet
Trombone
Tuba
Flute
Clarinet
Oboe
Bagpipes

Percussion
Drum
Cymbal

Guitar
Violin
Cello
Viola
Double bass
Harp

To play (an instrument)

Band
Symphony
Orchestra
Sympony orchestra

El piano
El teclado
El órgano

El saxofón
La trompeta
La corneta
El trombón
La tuba
La flauta
La clarineta
El oboe
La gaita

La percusión
El tambor
El címbalo / El platillo

La guitarra
El violín
El violoncelo
La viola
El contrabajo
La arpa

Tocar

La banda / El grupo
La sinfonía
La orquesta
La orquesta sinfónica

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