General MIDI instrument list
The 128 instruments of General MIDI, in order, with the program number that recalls each one. Two number columns, because the standard counts from 1 and the message itself counts from 0. Search by name, number or family.
| Program (1 to 128) | Program (0 to 127) | Instrument | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | Acoustic Grand Piano | Piano |
| 2 | 1 | Bright Acoustic Piano | Piano |
| 3 | 2 | Electric Grand Piano | Piano |
| 4 | 3 | Honky-tonk Piano | Piano |
| 5 | 4 | Electric Piano 1 | Piano |
| 6 | 5 | Electric Piano 2 | Piano |
| 7 | 6 | Harpsichord | Piano |
| 8 | 7 | Clavinet | Piano |
| 9 | 8 | Celesta | Chromatic Percussion |
| 10 | 9 | Glockenspiel | Chromatic Percussion |
| 11 | 10 | Music Box | Chromatic Percussion |
| 12 | 11 | Vibraphone | Chromatic Percussion |
| 13 | 12 | Marimba | Chromatic Percussion |
| 14 | 13 | Xylophone | Chromatic Percussion |
| 15 | 14 | Tubular Bells | Chromatic Percussion |
| 16 | 15 | Dulcimer | Chromatic Percussion |
| 17 | 16 | Drawbar Organ | Organ |
| 18 | 17 | Percussive Organ | Organ |
| 19 | 18 | Rock Organ | Organ |
| 20 | 19 | Church Organ | Organ |
| 21 | 20 | Reed Organ | Organ |
| 22 | 21 | Accordion | Organ |
| 23 | 22 | Harmonica | Organ |
| 24 | 23 | Tango Accordion | Organ |
| 25 | 24 | Acoustic Guitar (nylon) | Guitar |
| 26 | 25 | Acoustic Guitar (steel) | Guitar |
| 27 | 26 | Electric Guitar (jazz) | Guitar |
| 28 | 27 | Electric Guitar (clean) | Guitar |
| 29 | 28 | Electric Guitar (muted) | Guitar |
| 30 | 29 | Overdriven Guitar | Guitar |
| 31 | 30 | Distortion Guitar | Guitar |
| 32 | 31 | Guitar Harmonics | Guitar |
| 33 | 32 | Acoustic Bass | Bass |
| 34 | 33 | Electric Bass (finger) | Bass |
| 35 | 34 | Electric Bass (pick) | Bass |
| 36 | 35 | Fretless Bass | Bass |
| 37 | 36 | Slap Bass 1 | Bass |
| 38 | 37 | Slap Bass 2 | Bass |
| 39 | 38 | Synth Bass 1 | Bass |
| 40 | 39 | Synth Bass 2 | Bass |
| 41 | 40 | Violin | Strings |
| 42 | 41 | Viola | Strings |
| 43 | 42 | Cello | Strings |
| 44 | 43 | Contrabass | Strings |
| 45 | 44 | Tremolo Strings | Strings |
| 46 | 45 | Pizzicato Strings | Strings |
| 47 | 46 | Orchestral Harp | Strings |
| 48 | 47 | Timpani | Strings |
| 49 | 48 | String Ensemble 1 | Ensemble |
| 50 | 49 | String Ensemble 2 | Ensemble |
| 51 | 50 | Synth Strings 1 | Ensemble |
| 52 | 51 | Synth Strings 2 | Ensemble |
| 53 | 52 | Choir Aahs | Ensemble |
| 54 | 53 | Voice Oohs | Ensemble |
| 55 | 54 | Synth Voice | Ensemble |
| 56 | 55 | Orchestra Hit | Ensemble |
| 57 | 56 | Trumpet | Brass |
| 58 | 57 | Trombone | Brass |
| 59 | 58 | Tuba | Brass |
| 60 | 59 | Muted Trumpet | Brass |
| 61 | 60 | French Horn | Brass |
| 62 | 61 | Brass Section | Brass |
| 63 | 62 | Synth Brass 1 | Brass |
| 64 | 63 | Synth Brass 2 | Brass |
| 65 | 64 | Soprano Sax | Reed |
| 66 | 65 | Alto Sax | Reed |
| 67 | 66 | Tenor Sax | Reed |
| 68 | 67 | Baritone Sax | Reed |
| 69 | 68 | Oboe | Reed |
| 70 | 69 | English Horn | Reed |
| 71 | 70 | Bassoon | Reed |
| 72 | 71 | Clarinet | Reed |
| 73 | 72 | Piccolo | Pipe |
| 74 | 73 | Flute | Pipe |
| 75 | 74 | Recorder | Pipe |
| 76 | 75 | Pan Flute | Pipe |
| 77 | 76 | Blown Bottle | Pipe |
| 78 | 77 | Shakuhachi | Pipe |
| 79 | 78 | Whistle | Pipe |
| 80 | 79 | Ocarina | Pipe |
| 81 | 80 | Lead 1 (square) | Synth Lead |
| 82 | 81 | Lead 2 (sawtooth) | Synth Lead |
| 83 | 82 | Lead 3 (calliope) | Synth Lead |
| 84 | 83 | Lead 4 (chiff) | Synth Lead |
| 85 | 84 | Lead 5 (charang) | Synth Lead |
| 86 | 85 | Lead 6 (voice) | Synth Lead |
| 87 | 86 | Lead 7 (fifths) | Synth Lead |
| 88 | 87 | Lead 8 (bass + lead) | Synth Lead |
| 89 | 88 | Pad 1 (new age) | Synth Pad |
| 90 | 89 | Pad 2 (warm) | Synth Pad |
| 91 | 90 | Pad 3 (polysynth) | Synth Pad |
| 92 | 91 | Pad 4 (choir) | Synth Pad |
| 93 | 92 | Pad 5 (bowed) | Synth Pad |
| 94 | 93 | Pad 6 (metallic) | Synth Pad |
| 95 | 94 | Pad 7 (halo) | Synth Pad |
| 96 | 95 | Pad 8 (sweep) | Synth Pad |
| 97 | 96 | FX 1 (rain) | Synth Effects |
| 98 | 97 | FX 2 (soundtrack) | Synth Effects |
| 99 | 98 | FX 3 (crystal) | Synth Effects |
| 100 | 99 | FX 4 (atmosphere) | Synth Effects |
| 101 | 100 | FX 5 (brightness) | Synth Effects |
| 102 | 101 | FX 6 (goblins) | Synth Effects |
| 103 | 102 | FX 7 (echoes) | Synth Effects |
| 104 | 103 | FX 8 (sci-fi) | Synth Effects |
| 105 | 104 | Sitar | Ethnic |
| 106 | 105 | Banjo | Ethnic |
| 107 | 106 | Shamisen | Ethnic |
| 108 | 107 | Koto | Ethnic |
| 109 | 108 | Kalimba | Ethnic |
| 110 | 109 | Bag pipe | Ethnic |
| 111 | 110 | Fiddle | Ethnic |
| 112 | 111 | Shanai | Ethnic |
| 113 | 112 | Tinkle Bell | Percussive |
| 114 | 113 | Agogo | Percussive |
| 115 | 114 | Steel Drums | Percussive |
| 116 | 115 | Woodblock | Percussive |
| 117 | 116 | Taiko Drum | Percussive |
| 118 | 117 | Melodic Tom | Percussive |
| 119 | 118 | Synth Drum | Percussive |
| 120 | 119 | Reverse Cymbal | Percussive |
| 121 | 120 | Guitar Fret Noise | Sound Effects |
| 122 | 121 | Breath Noise | Sound Effects |
| 123 | 122 | Seashore | Sound Effects |
| 124 | 123 | Bird Tweet | Sound Effects |
| 125 | 124 | Telephone Ring | Sound Effects |
| 126 | 125 | Helicopter | Sound Effects |
| 127 | 126 | Applause | Sound Effects |
| 128 | 127 | Gunshot | Sound Effects |
Know which number to send
- 1 to 128. How the General MIDI list is printed, and what many keyboards show on their screen.
- 0 to 127. What the Program Change message carries. Acoustic Grand Piano is 0 on the wire.
If a patch comes up one instrument away from the one you asked for, the two ends are counting from different numbers. InputConfig counts from 0, so its Program Change output takes the second number column.
Find an instrument by family
The list is sixteen families of eight, so the family tells you where to look.
- Piano. Programs 1 to 8: Acoustic Grand Piano to Clavinet.
- Chromatic Percussion. Programs 9 to 16: Celesta to Dulcimer.
- Organ. Programs 17 to 24: Drawbar Organ to Tango Accordion.
- Guitar. Programs 25 to 32: Acoustic Guitar (nylon) to Guitar Harmonics.
- Bass. Programs 33 to 40: Acoustic Bass to Synth Bass 2.
- Strings. Programs 41 to 48: Violin to Timpani.
- Ensemble. Programs 49 to 56: String Ensemble 1 to Orchestra Hit.
- Brass. Programs 57 to 64: Trumpet to Synth Brass 2.
- Reed. Programs 65 to 72: Soprano Sax to Clarinet.
- Pipe. Programs 73 to 80: Piccolo to Ocarina.
- Synth Lead. Programs 81 to 88: Lead 1 (square) to Lead 8 (bass + lead).
- Synth Pad. Programs 89 to 96: Pad 1 (new age) to Pad 8 (sweep).
- Synth Effects. Programs 97 to 104: FX 1 (rain) to FX 8 (sci-fi).
- Ethnic. Programs 105 to 112: Sitar to Shanai.
- Percussive. Programs 113 to 120: Tinkle Bell to Reverse Cymbal.
- Sound Effects. Programs 121 to 128: Guitar Fret Noise to Gunshot.
Every eighth program starts a new family.
Know what General MIDI promises
General MIDI fixes which kind of sound sits on which program number, so a song file that asks for program 41 gets a violin on any General MIDI device. It does not fix how that violin sounds, which is up to the maker. Drums are the exception to the list: on channel 10, note numbers pick the drum, and the General MIDI drum map has those. The program number is the same everywhere, and the sound behind it is each device's own.
Send a program change from a controller
InputConfig, the free Mac app I make, can send Program Change from a game controller button, a keyboard key or a MIDI pad, through its own virtual MIDI port, so a button recalls a patch in any music app that listens. It can also take a Program Change coming in and switch presets with it. One button per patch is the quickest way to change sounds without reaching for the screen. MIDI output has the setup, and the MIDI note number chart covers the notes.
Questions
How many General MIDI instruments are there?
128, in sixteen families of eight: pianos, chromatic percussion, organs, guitars, basses, strings, ensembles, brass, reeds, pipes, synth leads, synth pads, synth effects, ethnic, percussive and sound effects.
What is General MIDI program 1?
Acoustic Grand Piano. On the wire it is program 0, because the Program Change message counts from 0 while the printed list counts from 1.
Why is my program number off by one?
One side counts programs from 1 and the other from 0. Subtract 1 from the printed General MIDI number to get the value the message carries.
What program number is the violin in General MIDI?
41 in the printed list, which is 40 when counting from 0. The strings family runs from 41 to 48.
Where are the drums in General MIDI?
Not in the program list. Drums play on channel 10, where each note number is a different drum. The General MIDI drum map lists them.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.
Updated