Instruments {musical instrument class} {instrument class} have sounds produced by vibrating strings or air columns or by percussing wood, metal, or skin membranes.
Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs [1914] {Sachs-Hornbostel system} {Hornbostel-Sachs system} classed instruments. Instruments {idiophone, Sachs-Hornbostel}, such as xylophone, can vibrate. Instruments {membranophone}, such as drum or kazoo, can have vibrating membranes. Instruments {chordophone}, such as piano or cello, can have vibrating strings. Instruments {aerophone}, such as pipe organ or oboe, can have vibrating air columns. Instruments {electrophone}, such as theremin, can be electronic.
Instruments {brass instrument}| {horn instrument} can use mouthpieces into which breath blows through vibrating lips to vibrate air in variable-length tubing. Brass includes alpenhorn, alto horn, baritone, bugle, French horn, trombone, tuba, cornet, trumpet, cornet, mellophone, and sousaphone.
Instruments {percussion instrument}| can use stick, mallet, or fingers. Percussion instruments can have definite pitch: bells, carillon, celesta, chimes, cimbalon, clavichord, steel drum, glockenspiel like xylophone, harp, harpsichord, marimba, piano, player piano, tuning fork, kettle drum or tympani, vibraphone, and xylophone. Piano can be grand, baby grand, spinet, and upright. Percussion instruments can have no pitch: block, castanet, cymbal, bass drum, bongo drum, snare drum, gong, maraca, tambourine, timbale, tom-tom, and triangle.
Instruments {wind instrument}| can use holes into which or over which air blows into variable-length tubing. Winds include concertina, fife, flute, harmonica, Jew's harp, kazoo, ocarina, piccolo, pipes, pan pipe, pitch pipe, soprano recorder, alto recorder, tenor recorder, bass recorder, slide whistle, and whistle.
Instruments {reed instrument} {woodwind}| can use flexible reed or cane wedges, over which breath blows into variable-length tubing. Woodwinds include bassoon, clarinet, bass clarinet, English horn, oboe, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone. Oboe and bassoon use reed with two sides, through which air blows {double-reed instrument}, while others use only one reed, over which air blows {single-reed instrument}.
Instruments {string instrument}| can use metal, nylon, or animal sinew strings. Orchestral string instruments are violin, viola or violin cello, viol, bass viol, cello, and double bass or bass. Other string instruments include balalaika, banjo, dulcimer, gamelan, guitar, Aeolian harp, autoharp, lute, lyre, mandolin, sitar, steel guitar, ukelele, and zither.
Drawing a flat horsehair layer {bow, music}, rubbed with rosin, across strings can make sound.
Sounding-board lower-front wood piece {bridge, guitar} raises strings away from instrument body.
Sounding-board lower front has center hole or two f-shaped slits {f-hole}.
String tighteners (peg) pull strings up long, thin part {fingerboard} {neck, instrument}.
Fingerboard can have thin bars {fret} across it.
Plucking strings with a plastic wedge {pick, music} can make sound.
Instruments can have a lower-front wood panel {sounding board, instrument} {sound box}.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225