Certain instruments – including the French horn – are becoming ‘endangered’ as schoolchildren turn to less sophisticated ones (Picture: Getty)

Certain musical instruments are becoming ‘endangered’ as children turn away from them to other, more popular, ones.

The French horn, double bass and trombone are being neglected, according to a recent survey while the ukelele is on the rise, with one in eight schoolchildren wanting to play it.

The results have led to a warning that the preferences of aspiring musicians could lead to changes in the make-up of orchestras, according to The Times.

James Williams, managing director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), told the newspaper: “We are not suggesting that we have to rewrite Beethoven or that we have to rewrite Mahler to incorporate a 70-piece ukulele orchestra.

“But the evidence we have here is that instruments such as the French horn and double bass are becoming endangered.”

According to The Times, YouGov research commissioned by the RPO suggested that they guitar, piano and keyboard were the instruments schoolchildren play or want to learn, following by the drums, the bass guitar and then ukuleles. The most popular traditional orchestral instruments were the violin and viola.

The poll comes against the backdrop of previous research suggesting a fall in interest in music courses in at GCSE and A-level.

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Mr Williams told The Times that orchestras should work with schools to raise awareness of the range of instruments available to them.

“We need to do more to get the word out there that there is this huge range of instruments available. The music education sector needs to do more to put in those progression routes for instruments such as the double bass and French horn which we have evidence are the ones that are becoming endangered,” he added.