Brain Teasers
Favorite Instrument
One day in music class, the teacher said, "Today we're going to talk about our favorite string instruments. All you have to do is tell me your favorite string instrument and you'll get an A." The teacher asked one kid and he said piano. He got an F. Why?
Answer
The piano is a percussion instrument because of the hammer that hits the strings.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
That doesn't matter, it is percussion, but it is also s trings, so that answer is false
Actually it can't be both. It would be strings, but when something is struck to make noise, it's percussion. I thought it was strings at first too, but I asked my piano and band teacher and they both said percussion.
If it hits the strings isn't it a string instument?
Ya know, that answer is kind of obvious that it's not a string instrument if the kid got an F...
The Piano is classified as a Chordophone, NOT a percussion instrument. Look at www.cantos.org/Piano/History/classification.html
I actualy heard that along with the harp, the piano is the only instrument in 2 catigories(string and precussion)
yeah, very easy, but why would a harp be in two catagories?
this teaser is very very confusing!!!!
The piano is classified as percussion because it is not capable of sustaining a note beyond a standard full-count (at least, not without use of the sustain pedal). Besides, this question belongs in trivia - there is no trick to it.
there is a lot of debate here about what exactly the piano is. It is neither String nor Percussion. to stop the debate, instruments fall into the following categories:
STRING - includes:
violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp (is actually string), guitar and electric guitar.
The vibration of strings produce a fundamental frequency and all harmonies.
WOODWIND:
flute, piccolo, recorder, clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon
BRASS:
trumpet, trombone, tuba, euphonium, french horn and flugelhorn
PERCUSSION:
bells, cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, drum kit, xylophone, tubular bells, glockenspiel and timpani - ...(NO piano!)
PIANO AND OTHERS: are in fact uncategorised in the traditional instrument sections. The fall into their own category and include the harpsichord and the organ.
Just to set it out clearly for people what instruments fall into which categories.
have a great christmas!!
STRING - includes:
violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp (is actually string), guitar and electric guitar.
The vibration of strings produce a fundamental frequency and all harmonies.
WOODWIND:
flute, piccolo, recorder, clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon
BRASS:
trumpet, trombone, tuba, euphonium, french horn and flugelhorn
PERCUSSION:
bells, cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, drum kit, xylophone, tubular bells, glockenspiel and timpani - ...(NO piano!)
PIANO AND OTHERS: are in fact uncategorised in the traditional instrument sections. The fall into their own category and include the harpsichord and the organ.
Just to set it out clearly for people what instruments fall into which categories.
have a great christmas!!
That was a bit too obvious! I got it straight away.
In the WOODWINDS you forgot to mention cntrabasoon and english horn! And in PERCUSSION you forgot a lot more things!
Oh Great teaser by the way... I still think piano is a percussion instrument.
I\'d have to agree with something said ealier... belongs in trivia!
too easy. Make a harder one.
The kid should have just said violin and he could have avoided the whole thing
Wow. I play in band and I didn't get that!! Good trick question!
Thanks to those of you who gave compliments. And to the rest of you, well, sorry you didn't like it. That's ok.
I feel bad for the teacher for giving a student an F at that early age for giving an answer that many people consider correct. Just because there is a (useless?) debate on what classification a piano is is no reason to say, "No Timmy, that's WRONG, you get an F!"
I teach my music students that a piano can be both percussion and a stringed instrumet. The fact that there are "chordophones" is irrelevant to the fact that the piano has the properties of these two groups.
I'm a rambler!
I teach my music students that a piano can be both percussion and a stringed instrumet. The fact that there are "chordophones" is irrelevant to the fact that the piano has the properties of these two groups.
I'm a rambler!
I dont care what category the piano is in. that was an ez teaser.
As a pianist playing for almost nine years, I know that a piano isn't a string instrument, yet my teacher said it wasn't categorized in any major group...but great teaser!
it's a trick question! should have not been his favorite
Does it really matter that people have different opinions on the category of a piano? Everyone comes here to have fun, instead some people are being horrible to the submitter!
I loved this teaser. It was easy, but who cares! It talks about a piano! I LOVE the piano.
I play the fiddle (not violin) s o that would of been my first choice
I would specify the piano as a soloist in the orchestra!
I play the fiddle (not violin) s o that would of been my first choice
I would specify the piano as a soloist in the orchestra!
Thanks linlou. And everyone who liked it! Everyone has their own opinion, though. And I respect that, but some people are just rude about it sometimes.
Any teaser that generates this much discussion is a great teaser! Keep up the good work!
Good teaser, but I cannot see how this is a trick question.
The editors put it in the trick category.
I'm so confused!
I thought he got an F chord!
pianofox, i hope you know better than to listen to those who have nothing better to do than be mean...
i think most people assume that a piano is a percussion instrument. that's a pretty mean teacher, tho, and one not-so-bright kid!
good teaser
i think most people assume that a piano is a percussion instrument. that's a pretty mean teacher, tho, and one not-so-bright kid!
good teaser
Actually it is also a string instrument! Be cuase it uses strings to produce to sound, but is percussion b/c it uses hammers, it is both!
As many have said, the piano is not really classified as a percussion instrument, but there's enough information in the teaser to at least hint at the answer that it's not a string instrument. Good teaser.
Any instrument with strings is a string instrument. The kid's right.
First of all, I was with pating, I thought the teacher played an F for him, and 2nd of all, I've been playing the Piano for 7 years and I didn't know it wasn't a string instrument.
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