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Musical Instruments

The List...

...of musical instruments by Hornbostel-Sachs number - From Wikipedia

German musicologist Curt Sachs (1881 - 1951), devised this system of classification of the musical instruments of the world with Erich von Hornbostel around 1914. This version of the list from Wikipedia begins with an overview of the 5 major families followed by a breakdown of the sub-categories of each family, a kind of Dewey-Decimal System for instruments. Each instrument name is a link to the Wikipedia entry for that instrument where you can view a picture and learn more about the specific instrument. There are also some interesting External Links at the end of the List including the strange and unusual creations at Oddmusic, and the Ethnomusicology Collection from the University of Washington’s Digital Archive - over 250 photos of musical instruments from around the world.

  1 1. Idiophones

  • 1.1 11.  Struck idiophones
  • 1.2 12.  Plucked idiophones
  • 1.3 13.  Friction idiophones
  • 1.4 14.  Blown idiophones

  2 2. Membranophones

  • 2.1 21.  Struck drums
  • 2.2 22.  Plucked drums
  • 2.3 23.  Friction drums
  • 2.4 24.  Singing membranes
  • 3 3. Chordophones
  • 3.1 31.  Simple chordophones
  • 3.2 32.  Composite chordophones

  4 4. Aerophones

  • 4.1 41.  Free aerophones
  • 4.1.1 412.13.  Free-reed instruments
  • 4.1.2 413.  Plosive aerophones
  • 4.2 42.  Non-free aerophones (wind instruments proper)
  • 4.2.1 421.  Edge-blown instruments or flutes
  • 4.2.2 422.  Reed instruments
    • 4.2.2.1 422.1  Double reed instruments
    • 4.2.2.1.1 422.111  With cylindrical bore
  • 4.2.2.1.2 422.112  With conical bore
    • 4.2.2.2 422.2  Single reed instruments (clarinets)
    • 4.2.2.2.1 422.211.2  Single clarinets, cylindrical  bore, with fingerholes
    • 4.2.2.2.2 422.212  Conical bore
  • 4.2.2.2.3 422.22  Sets of clarinets
  • 4.2.2.3 422.3
  • 4.2.3 423.  Trumpets
  • 4.2.3.1 423.1  trumpets
  • 4.2.3.2 423.2  Chromatic trumpets

  5 5. Electrophones

1. Idiophones

Idiophones are instruments which make sound primarily by way of the instrument itself vibrating      without the use of membranes or strings.

11. Struck idiophones

Idiophones set in motion by a percussion action, including 111. directly struck instruments,              112. indirectly strucked. With 112.1 shaken and 112.2 scraped.

  • 111. Directly struck
  • 112. indirectly struck

12. Plucked idiophones

Instruments set into vibration by plucking.

13. Friction idiophones

Instruments set into vibration by rubbing.

14. Blown idiophones

Instruments set into vibration by blowing or moving air.

 

2. Membranophones

Membranophones are instruments which make sound primarily by way of a vibrating membrane.          This includes all drums.

21. Struck drums

22. Plucked drums

Some commentators believe that instruments in this class ought instead to be regarded as     chordophones (see below).

23. Friction drums

24. Singing membranes

Instruments in which a membrane modifies some other sound (typically the human voice)                in some way (mirlitons).

3. Chordophones

Chordophones are instruments that produce sound primarily by the vibration of a string or strings.

31. Simple chordophones

Instruments consisting of a simple string bearer and strings - there may be an additional resonator, but removing it should not destroy the instrument (so the resonator should not be supporting the strings).

32. Composite chordophones

Instruments in which the resonator cannot be removed without destruction of the instrument.

4. Aerophones

Aerophones are instruments in which the vibrating air itself is the primary cause of sound. This can include a column of air being set in vibration (as in wind instruments) or an air-flow being interrupted by an edge (as in free-reeds).

41. Free aerophones

The vibrating air is not contained within the instrument.

412.13. Free-reed instruments

Free-reed instruments feature a reed which vibrates within a closely fitting slot (there may be an attached pipe, but it should only vibrate in sympathy with the reed, and not have an effect on the pitch - instruments of this class can be distinguished from 422.3 by the lack of finger-holes).

413. Plosive aerophones

The sound is caused by a single compression and release of air.

42. Non-free aerophones (wind instruments proper)

The vibrating air is contained within the instrument.

421. Edge-blown instruments or flutes

The player makes a ribbon-shaped flow of air with his lips, or his breath is directed against an edge.

422. Reed instruments

The player's breath is directed against a lamella or pair of lamellae which periodically interrupt the airflow and cause the air to be set in motion.

422.1 Double reed instruments

There are two lamellae which beat against one another.

422.111 With cylindrical bore

422.112 With conical bore

  • 422.2 Single reed instruments (clarinets)

There is one lamella which beats against a solid surface.

422.211.2 Single clarinets, cylindrical bore, with fingerholes

 

422.212 Conical bore

  • 422.22 Sets of clarinets

422.3

Similar to the free-reeds with a pipe attached - distinguished from them by the presence of finger-holes  in the pipe.

423. Trumpets

The player's vibrating lips set the air in motion.

423.1 trumpets

There are no means of changing the pitch apart from the player's lips.

423.2 Chromatic trumpets

The pitch can be changed by means of keys (423.21) a slide (423.22) or valves (423.23).

 

5. Electrophones

Electrophones are instruments in which sound is generated by electrical means. While it is not officially in any published form of the Hornbostel-Sachs system, and hence, lacking proper numerical subdivisions, it is often considered a fifth main category.

 

External links

Another view – color coded;  Comprehensive Table of Musical Instrument Classifications

  Vietnamese Chordophones

  Arabic Chordophones

  more chordophones

  • Oddmusic A website dedicated to unique, odd, ethnic, experimental and                    unusual musical instruments and resources. 

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