Identify Instrument Family
As a music teacher, I need to quickly identify and sort instruments by their family type (Woodwind or Brass) from a list of instrument codes. Each code ends with either 'W' for Woodwind or 'B' for Brass, and I need to extract just that last letter.
=RIGHT(A2,1) How it works: The RIGHT function extracts a specified number of characters from the end of a text string. In this scenario, by specifying `A2` as the text and `1` as the number of characters, the formula precisely isolates the last character of the instrument code. This allows you to quickly pull out the 'W' or 'B' identifier, making it easy to sort, filter, or count instruments by their family type.
Data Setup
| Instrument Code | Family Type |
|---|---|
| FLUTE-W | |
| TRUMPET-B | |
| CLARINET-W | |
| TROMBONE-B | |
| OBOE-W | |
| FRENCHHORN-B |
Step-by-Step Guide
Select the cell where you want the extracted instrument family type to appear (e.g., B2).
Type the formula `=RIGHT(A2,1)` into the selected cell. Here, `A2` refers to the cell containing the instrument code (e.g., 'FLUTE-W'), and `1` indicates that you want to extract the last single character.
Press Enter to apply the formula. The cell will now display 'W' (or 'B' depending on the instrument code).
Drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of the selected cell) down to apply the formula to the rest of your instrument codes in column A.