Which instrument does not belong to the percussion family?

The bassoon does not belong to the percussion family because it is classified as a woodwind instrument. Woodwind instruments produce sound through the vibration of air in a tube and usually have a reed or a mouthpiece. The bassoon specifically uses a double reed, which distinguishes it from instruments in the percussion family, where sound is produced by striking, shaking, or scraping.

In contrast, timpani are tuned drums, and the piano, while it may seem like a string instrument because of its hammers and strings, is technically classified as a percussion instrument because sound is generated when the hammers strike the strings. The harp, primarily a string instrument, also does not belong to the percussion family. Thus, the bassoon, being a woodwind instrument, is correctly identified as the one that does not fit within the percussion category.