Information on Musical Instruments

(Apart from general information this page also gives you links to different websites (see bottom of the document) where we have found interesting information that is safe and sufficient for school and college going students. It is equally good for research students for an in-depth detail study of various instruments. Some of them have nice photographs, sketches, original pictures from various archaeological sites some links are with sound files as well.)

 

 

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that produces sound, and can somehow be controlled by a musician, can serve as a musical instrument; but the expression is reserved generally to items that have that specific purpose.

The academic study of musical instruments is called organology.

Instruments are often divided by the way in which they generate sound:

  • Wind instruments generate a sound when a column of air is made to vibrate inside them. The frequency of the wave generated is related to the length of the column of air and the shape of the instrument, while the tone quality of the sound generated is affected by the construction of the instrument and method of tone production. The group is typically subdivided into Brass and Woodwind instruments.
  • Percussion instruments create sound, with or without pitch, when struck. The shape and material of the part of the instrument to be struck and the shape of the resonating cavity, if any, determine the sound of the instrument.
  • String instruments generate a sound when the string is plucked, strummed, slapped, etc. The frequency of the wave generated (and therefore the note produced) usually depends on the length of the vibrating portion of the string, its mass, the tension of each string and the point at which the string is excited; the tone quality varies with the construction of the resonating cavity.
  • Voice, that is, the human voice, is an instrument in its own right. A singer generates sounds when airflow from the lungs sets the vocal cords into oscillation. The fundamental frequency is controlled by the tension of the vocal cords and the tone quality by the formation of the vocal tract; a wide range of sounds can be created.
  • Electronic instruments generate sound through electronic means. They often mimic other instruments in their design, particularly keyboards.
  • Keyboard instruments are any instruments that are played with a musical keyboard. Every key generates one or more sounds; most keyboard instruments have extra means (pedals for a piano, stops for an organ) to manipulate these sounds. They may produce sound by wind (organ), vibrating strings either hammered (piano) or plucked (harpsichord), by electronic means (synthesizer) or in some other way. Sometimes, instruments that do not usually have a keyboard, such as the glockenspiel, are fitted with one.

 

Here is a list of musical instruments (past and present)

 

Woodwind instruments

 

Bagpipe

Bassoon

Bombarde

Clarinet

Alto clarinet

Bass clarinet

Contrabass clarinet

Contrabassoon

Cor Anglais | English Horn

Crumhorn

Flute

Vertical flute

Flageolet

Heckelphone | Piccolo heckelphone

Jug

Nose flute

Oboe

Ocarina

Pan pipes

Piccolo

Recorder flute

Sarrusophone

Saxophone

Soprano saxophone

Alto saxophone

Tenor saxophone

Baritone saxophone

Shakuhachi

Shawm

Slide whistle

 

Tarogato

Tromboon

 

Brass instruments (not necessarily made from brass)

 

Alphorn

Baritone horn

Bazooka

Bugle

Cimbasso

Conch

Cornet

Cornett or Cornetto

Didgeridoo

Euphonium

Flugelhorn

French horn

Mellophone

Ophicleide

Sackbut

Serpent

Shofar

Sousaphone

Tenor Horn / Alto Horn (same instrument)

Trombone

Trumpet

Tuba

Wagner tuba

 

Free reed instruments

 

Accordion

Concertina

Harmonica

Harmonium

Melodica

Pipe organ (some pipes; others are woodwind)

Sheng

 

Voice

 

Soprano

Mezzo-soprano

Alto (contralto)

Countertenor

Tenor

Baritone

Basso (Bass)

Castrato

 

String instruments

 

Aeolian harp

Appalachian Dulcimer

Balalaika

Banjo

Berimbau

Biwa

Bouzouki

Musical bow

Cello

Crwth

Double Bass

Fiddle

Gayageum

Geomungo

Guitars:

Acoustic guitar

Bass guitar

Classical guitar

Electric Guitar

Slide guitar

Steel guitar

Hammered dulcimer

Hardanger

Harp

Harpsichord

Hurdy gurdy

Jew's harp

Komungo

Kora

Koto

Lute

Lyre

Mandolin

Mbira

Piano

Psaltery

Samisen (or shamisen)

Sitar

Tres

Ukulele

Vertical viola (and other members of the violin octet family)

Vieille

Vihuela

Viol

Viola

Viola d'amore

Violin

Violotta

Washtub bass

Xalam (or khalam)

Zither

 

Percussion instruments

 

Drums

 

Abďa drum

African drum

Bass drum

Bodhrán

Bongo drum

Conga

Dhol

Dholak

O Daiko

 

Kettle drum

Khol

Octaban

Octapad

Snare

Steel drum

Tabla

Taiko

Tambourine

Timpani

Tom-Tom

Udu

 

Other percussion instruments

 

Ahoko

Bell

Carillon

Castanets

Caxixi

Chimes

Cymbals:

Crash cymbal

Hi-hat cymbal

Ride cymbal

Splash cymbal

Zil (Finger cymbal)

Ganza

Gong

Guiro

Glockenspiel

Handbells

Ipus

Maracas

Marimba

Metallophone

Shakaree

Spoons

Steelpan

Triangle

Vibraphone

Washboard

Xylophone

Xylorimba

 

Electronic instruments

 

Denis d'or

Dubreq Stylophone

Drum machine

Hammond organ

Mellotron

Ondes Martenot

Rhodes piano

Sampler

Synclavier

Synthesizer (including Moog)

Teleharmonium

Theremin

 

Keyboard instruments

 

Accordion

Bandoneón

Calliope

Carillon

Celesta

Clavichord

Glasschord

Harpsichord

Viola organista

Organ

Hammond Organ

Pipe organ

Piano

Janko piano

Toy piano

 

Other

 

Bull-roarer

Glass harmonica

Hardart

Kazoo

Lasso d'amore

Musical Saw

Singing bowl

Suikinkutsu (Japanese water zither)

 

 

(The above list č Courtesy: Answers.com)

 

For further details on each instrument click > Musical Instruments < to visit the website. 

 

The Musical Instruments (Biblical)

 

Music Room for Children

 

The Last Hallelujah Psalm (Psalm 150)