Learn string, wind and percussion instruments, including their Spanish articles.
String instruments in Spanish
Tocar is the usual verb for playing an instrument: tocar la guitarra. It is different from jugar, used for games.
Review common verbs alongside these instrument names.
Wind instruments in Spanish
Los instrumentos de viento include woodwinds and brass. La flauta and la trompeta are feminine; el clarinete is masculine.
The Spanish letter j in bajo and banjo has a breathy sound in many Latin American accents.
Keyboard and percussion instruments in Spanish
A batería is a drum kit, while a tambor is an individual drum. Platillos normally appears in the plural when naming a pair of cymbals.
A piano has strings inside, but the player uses a keyboard; these groups follow how learners encounter the instruments.
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Quick answer: guitar is la guitarra, violin is el violín, viola is la viola, cello is el violonchelo, double bass is el contrabajo, harp is el arpa, ukulele is el ukelele, and banjo is el banjo.
| English | Spanish | Say it | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| guitar | la guitarra | lah gee-TAH-rrah | |
| violin | el violín | el byoh-LEEN | |
| viola | la viola | lah BYOH-lah | |
| cello | el violonchelo | el byoh-lohn-CHEH-loh | |
| double bass | el contrabajo | el kohn-trah-BAH-hoh | |
| harp | el arpa | el AHR-pah | Feminine: el arpa pequeña; plural las arpas. |
| ukulele | el ukelele | el oo-keh-LEH-leh | |
| banjo | el banjo | el BAHN-hoh |
| English | Spanish | Say it | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| piano | el piano | el PYAH-noh | |
| organ (instrument) | el órgano | el OR-gah-noh | |
| accordion | el acordeón | el ah-kor-deh-OHN | |
| drum | el tambor | el tahm-BOR | |
| drum kit | la batería | lah bah-teh-REE-ah | |
| cymbals | los platillos | lohs plah-TEE-yohs | |
| xylophone | el xilófono | el see-LOH-foh-noh | |
| tambourine | la pandereta | lah pahn-deh-REH-tah | |
| maraca | la maraca | lah mah-RAH-kah |
Musical instruments is instrumentos musicales. A single instrument is un instrumento musical.
Use tocar la guitarra. Spanish uses tocar for playing an instrument, rather than jugar.
A tambor is a drum; a batería is a drum kit. Batería can also mean a battery in other contexts.
Use el arpa directly before the singular noun because arpa starts with stressed a. The noun remains feminine: las arpas.
Violonchelo is the full name, and chelo is a common shorter form. Both are masculine.
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Updated · Pronunciation guides use Latin American Spanish.