Which instrument sounds up one octave from written?

• A. Xylophone
• B. Glockenspiel
• C. Euphonium
• D. Contra bassoon

Answer: (A)

Understanding how written music relates to what an instrument actually sounds helps you read parts accurately. Some pitched percussion parts are notated in a way that keeps the music readable on the staff, even though the instrument’s actual sounding pitch is higher. In this case, the xylophone is notated one octave lower than it sounds, so the pitch you see on the page is read as a lower note, but when played the instrument sounds up an octave from that written pitch. For example, a written C5 on the page would sound as C6. The Glockenspiel, by contrast, sounds two octaves higher than written, which moves its sounding pitch even further up. The Euphonium is a B-flat instrument that sounds a whole step lower than written, and the Contra bassoon sounds an octave lower than written. So, the xylophone is the one where the actual sounding pitch is higher by one octave compared to what is written.