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Articles with musical instruments and musical expressions.
Use the before the name of a musical instrument after the verb play when referring to the ability or activity in general.
Examples include play the piano, play the guitar, play the violin, play the flute and play the drums.
She plays the piano.
Она играет на пианино.
The is used after play when referring to the activity of playing the instrument.
My brother plays the guitar.
Мой брат играет на гитаре.
The guitar refers to the activity or skill in general.
She plays the violin in the school orchestra.
Она играет на скрипке в школьном оркестре.
Play the violin is the standard form for the musical activity.
He learned to play the drums when he was ten.
Он научился играть на барабанах, когда ему было десять.
The is used with the name of the instrument after play.
I have always wanted to play the saxophone.
Я всегда хотел играть на саксофоне.
The saxophone is treated as the name of the instrument as a musical activity.
Their daughter plays the flute in her high school band.
Их дочь играет на флейте в школьном ансамбле.
The flute is used with play in the standard way.
He started playing the trumpet in college.
Он начал играть на трубе в колледже.
The trumpet is used with play when referring to the skill or activity.
She can play the piano beautifully, but she has never played the violin.
Она прекрасно играет на пианино, но никогда не играла на скрипке.
The standard article pattern applies to both instruments.
Use a/an or the when referring to a particular instrument rather than playing it generally.
Compare "She plays the piano." and "She bought a piano yesterday." The first refers to the activity, while the second refers to a specific object.
She bought a piano for her new apartment.
Она купила пианино для своей новой квартиры.
A introduces one non-specific physical piano.
The piano in the living room is very old.
Пианино в гостиной очень старое.
The identifies a particular piano by the phrase in the living room.
He found a guitar at a local music store.
Он нашел гитару в местном музыкальном магазине.
A guitar introduces one physical instrument.
The guitar he bought has a beautiful sound.
У гитары, которую он купил, красивое звучание.
The guitar is specific because the relative clause identifies it.
We saw a violin in the window.
Мы увидели скрипку в витрине.
A introduces an unidentified physical violin.
The violin on the table belongs to Sarah.
Скрипка на столе принадлежит Саре.
The identifies one particular violin.
They rented a drum set for the concert.
Они арендовали ударную установку для концерта.
A introduces one particular but not previously identified drum set.
The trumpet that was repaired yesterday is ready for the performance.
Труба, которую отремонтировали вчера, готова к выступлению.
The identifies a specific trumpet through the relative clause.
When a musical instrument is treated as an object, use articles according to the normal rules for countable nouns.
Examples include "I need a guitar.", "The violin is expensive." and "She sold her old piano."
I need a guitar.
Мне нужна гитара.
A is used with a singular countable instrument when it is not specific.
She owns a piano.
У нее есть пианино.
A introduces the instrument as an object she owns.
The violin is expensive.
Скрипка дорогая.
The can refer to a specific violin known from the context.
She sold her old piano last year.
Она продала свое старое пианино в прошлом году.
Her is a determiner, so no article is used.
We bought a new keyboard for the band.
Мы купили новую клавишную установку для группы.
A is used because one new physical instrument is introduced.
The keyboard we bought has weighted keys.
У клавишного инструмента, который мы купили, взвешенные клавиши.
The identifies the particular keyboard through the relative clause.
His guitar is worth more than mine.
Его гитара стоит дороже моей.
His is a possessive determiner, while mine is a possessive pronoun.
The trumpet in the display case is part of the museum collection.
Труба в витрине является частью музейной коллекции.
The is used because the display case identifies a particular physical instrument.
Using the after play is the standard form in both British and American English.
Although informal variations occasionally occur, "play the piano" and similar expressions are considered standard English.
She plays the piano every evening.
Она играет на пианино каждый вечер.
Play the piano is standard in both American and British English.
He plays the guitar in a local band.
Он играет на гитаре в местной группе.
The standard article is used in both major varieties of English.
My daughter is learning to play the violin.
Моя дочь учится играть на скрипке.
Play the violin is standard American as well as British English.
He plays the drums in a jazz group.
Он играет на барабанах в джазовой группе.
The article remains part of the standard expression.
She learned to play the flute as a child.
Она научилась играть на флейте в детстве.
Both American and British English normally use the after play.
The article is not normally omitted in standard English: she plays the piano.
В стандартном английском артикль обычно не опускается: она играет на пианино.
The sentence explicitly contrasts standard usage with the nonstandard omission of the.
American and British speakers both normally say, “He plays the trumpet.”
Американцы и британцы обычно говорят: «Он играет на трубе».
The article pattern is not a major American/British distinction.
In both American and British English, “play the piano” is the standard form for the musical activity.
И в американском, и в британском английском “play the piano” является стандартной формой для обозначения игры на пианино.
This rule is consistent across the two major varieties.
Do not omit the after play when referring to a musical instrument in general.
Incorrect: "She plays piano." Correct: "She plays the piano." Use normal article rules when the instrument is a physical object.
She plays the piano.
Она играет на пианино.
Use the after play when referring to the musical activity.
He plays the guitar.
Он играет на гитаре.
The guitar is the standard form after play.
She bought a guitar yesterday.
Она купила гитару вчера.
A is used because guitar is a physical object being introduced for the first time.
The guitar she bought is made of solid wood.
Гитара, которую она купила, сделана из массива дерева.
The identifies the particular guitar through the relative clause.
My son plays the drums.
Мой сын играет на барабанах.
Do not normally omit the article after play.
I need a new keyboard for my band.
Мне нужна новая клавишная установка для моей группы.
A is used because a physical keyboard is being introduced as an object.
The piano in the rehearsal room needs tuning.
Пианино в репетиционной комнате нужно настроить.
The is required because in the rehearsal room identifies a specific piano.
She plays the violin, but she is saving money to buy a better one.
Она играет на скрипке, но копит деньги, чтобы купить скрипку получше.
The violin refers to the activity; a better one refers to a specific replacement instrument.