Classification of

Instruments

Classification

• Musical instruments may be classified or grouped in several ways

• Traditionally, the European culture classifies instruments according to orchestral instrument families.

Orchestral Instruments• Woodwind – most were originally made

from wood; all produce sound by blowing, some of them by vibrating a reed.

• Brasswind – originally made from brass; also produce sound by blowing

• Percussion – these instruments are made from a variety of materials and involve some physical impact (percussion) to produce sound

• String – These instruments have strings

Some instruments from…

Some instruments from…

Some instruments from…

Some instruments from…

Ethnographic Classification

• Orchestral classification does not cover the wide variety of instruments and playing styles which are found in various ethnic groups worldwide.

• Early in the 20th century Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs derived a system to classify all musical instruments.

Ethnographic Classification

• The Hornbostel-Sachs system is based on how an instrument creates vibrations in order to produce sound.

• This is the most widely accepted system of musical instrument classification used today.

Classification of Instruments• Hornbostel-Sachs system identifies

five categories of instruments.

• Aerophones• Chordophones• Idiophones

• Membranophones• Electrophones

Aerophones• An aerophone produces its sound by the vibration of air

• The two main families that are aerophones are woodwind and brass instruments.

• Most Woodwinds use the air and reeds to vibrate.• Brass use air and the player’s lips to vibrate. • Some keyboard instruments also use air as the source of vibration and can be considered aerophones.

• Can you name any Aerophones?

Unusual Aerophones

• Dgeridoo - Australia• Panflute - Peru• Bagpipe – British Isles• Shakuhachi - Japan• Shofar – Middle Eastern (Jewish)

Chordophone Instruments

• Chordophones are part of the string instrument family.• They produce sound by the vibrating of strings.

• To make the sounds: pluck, bow or strike the strings.• This is done by a pick, bow or the musician’s hand.

• Can you name any Chordophones?

Unusual Chordophones

• Celtic Harp – British Isles• Koto - Japan• Washtub Bass – Southern USA, Jamaica • Harpsichord - Europe

Electrophone Instruments

• This is the newest category of instruments. They have only been around since the 20th century.

• Electrophones produce an electronic sound.

• The two main families of electrophones are electronic instruments and amplified acoustical instruments.

• What are some Electrophones that you have heard?

Membranophones

• Membranophones produce sound • when a stretched skin (membrane)

vibrates.• Different materials can be used to make

membranophones, including wood, metal, or ceramics.

Membranophone Instruments

• These instruments may have definite or indefinite pitch. What does this mean?

• percussion family• These belong to the. How many different kinds of

drums do you know?

Idiophone Instruments

• Idiophones produce a sound by the vibration of the actual instrument itself.

• These instruments can be struck, rubbed, shaken or plucked.

• This category belongs to the percussion family.

• How many can you name?

Review• Instruments can be classified into what 5 categories?• Aerophones produce sound by the vibration of

what?• Chordophones produce sound by the vibration of

what?• Electrophones produce what kind of sounds?• Membranophones produce sound by vibrating

what?• Idiophones use the vibration of what?

• Can you give examples of each category?

Instrument Match

• Aerophone

• Chordophone

• Idiophone

• Membranophone

• Electrophone

• Flute• Conga• Mandolin• Synthesizer• Pipe Organ• Timpani• Guiro• Amplified Acoustic

Guitar• Castinets• Cello

Acknowledgements

• Adapted from a presentation found on Lewiston-Porter Central School District’s web site.

• http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/texth/Hornbostel-Sachs.html

• http://thebirdfeednyc.com/2012/08/20/musical-instrument-families/