What is a musical What is a musical Instrument?Instrument?

A A musical instrumentmusical instrument is a device is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of constructed or modified for the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that making music. In principle, anything that produces sound can serve as a musical produces sound can serve as a musical instrument. The term "musical instrument. The term "musical instrument", however, is generally instrument", however, is generally reserved for items that have a specific reserved for items that have a specific musical purpose. musical purpose.

Types of Musical InstrumentsTypes of Musical Instruments

These categories are based on the These categories are based on the mechanism by which the instrument mechanism by which the instrument makes its sound.makes its sound.

String InstrumentsString InstrumentsPercussion InstrumentsPercussion InstrumentsWind InstrumetsWind InstrumetsBrass IntrumetsBrass Intrumets

String InstrumentsString Instruments

Their sound is made by a vibrating Their sound is made by a vibrating string. Strings can be made of metal, string. Strings can be made of metal, synthetic or natural materials. The synthetic or natural materials. The strings can have different gauge or strings can have different gauge or thickness, weight, length and thickness, weight, length and tension.tension.

Pictures of Some String Pictures of Some String InstrumentsInstruments

PianoPiano

The The pianopiano is a musical instrument played is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with felt sound by striking steel strings with felt hammers that immediately rebound hammers that immediately rebound allowing the strings to continue vibrating allowing the strings to continue vibrating at their resonant frequency. These at their resonant frequency. These vibrations are transmitted through a vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a soundboard that amplifies bridge to a soundboard that amplifies them.them.

GuitarGuitar

The The guitarguitar is a musical instrument is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four, typically has six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten, and twelve string seven, eight, ten, and twelve string guitars also exist. guitars also exist.

ViolinViolin

The The violinviolin is a bowed string is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments.family of string instruments.

Other Members of the violin Other Members of the violin familyfamily

CelloCello

Viola Viola

BassBass

HarpHarp

The The harpharp is not like any other is not like any other member of the string family. It has member of the string family. It has about 45 strings stretched across its about 45 strings stretched across its tall triangular frame. The strings are tall triangular frame. The strings are plucked by hand while seven pedals plucked by hand while seven pedals at the bottom of the harp adjust the at the bottom of the harp adjust the length of the strings to produce length of the strings to produce additional notes.additional notes.

Percussion InstrumentsPercussion Instruments

With a name that means, "the hitting With a name that means, "the hitting of one body against another," of one body against another," instruments in the instruments in the percussion percussion familyfamily are played by being struck, are played by being struck, shaken, or scraped. In the orchestra, shaken, or scraped. In the orchestra, the percussion section provides a the percussion section provides a variety of rhythms, textures and tone variety of rhythms, textures and tone colors. colors.

Pictures of Some Percussion Pictures of Some Percussion InstrumentsInstruments

TriangleTriangle

The The triangletriangle is made from a small is made from a small round steel tube, and is played by round steel tube, and is played by striking it with a steel beater. Its striking it with a steel beater. Its bright shimmering sound is untuned bright shimmering sound is untuned and resembles that of a bell. and resembles that of a bell.

ChimesChimes

ChimesChimes are a tuned instrument are a tuned instrument consisting of a set of 12 to 18 metal consisting of a set of 12 to 18 metal tubes hung from a metal frame. The tubes hung from a metal frame. The chimes, or tubular bells, are struck chimes, or tubular bells, are struck with a mallet and sound like church with a mallet and sound like church bells when played. The longer the bells when played. The longer the length of tube that is struck, the length of tube that is struck, the lower the pitch that is created.lower the pitch that is created.

XylophoneXylophone

The The xylophonexylophone is a tuned is a tuned instrument made of hardwood bars in instrument made of hardwood bars in graduated lengths set horizontally on graduated lengths set horizontally on a metal frame. Striking the bars with a metal frame. Striking the bars with hard mallets produces a bright, sharp hard mallets produces a bright, sharp sound. The xylophone was originally sound. The xylophone was originally modeled after an African instrument modeled after an African instrument and its name is Greek, meaning and its name is Greek, meaning "wood sound". "wood sound".

TambourineTambourine

The The tambourinetambourine is a shallow, handheld is a shallow, handheld drum made of a circular wooden frame drum made of a circular wooden frame with a calfskin or plastic drumhead with a calfskin or plastic drumhead stretched across the top. The tambourine stretched across the top. The tambourine has small discs called jingles set into its has small discs called jingles set into its circular frame which produce sound when circular frame which produce sound when the tambourine is shaken, rubbed, or the tambourine is shaken, rubbed, or struck on the drum head with the knuckles. struck on the drum head with the knuckles.

Bass DrumBass Drum

The bass drum is much larger than a The bass drum is much larger than a snare drum and is played on its side, snare drum and is played on its side, so that either head may be struck. so that either head may be struck. The beater or mallet for a bass drum The beater or mallet for a bass drum is large with a soft material such as is large with a soft material such as sheep's wool covering the end. sheep's wool covering the end.

CymbalsCymbals

CymbalsCymbals are made from two large, are made from two large, slightly concave brass plates, are fitted slightly concave brass plates, are fitted with leather hand straps and are shaped with leather hand straps and are shaped so that when they are crashed together, so that when they are crashed together, only the edges touch. Although cymbals only the edges touch. Although cymbals are untuned instruments, different sized are untuned instruments, different sized cymbals produce a wide range of sound cymbals produce a wide range of sound effects. effects.

Wind InstrumentsWind Instruments

The three branches of the The three branches of the woodwindwoodwind familyfamily have different have different sources of sound. Vibrations begin sources of sound. Vibrations begin when air is blown across the top of when air is blown across the top of an instrument, across a single reed, an instrument, across a single reed, or across two reeds. or across two reeds.

Pictures of Some Wind Pictures of Some Wind IntrumentsIntruments

PiccoloPiccolo

The The piccolopiccolo is exactly like the flute is exactly like the flute except that it is much smaller and is except that it is much smaller and is usually made of silver or wood. The usually made of silver or wood. The pitch of the piccolo is higher than pitch of the piccolo is higher than that of a flute.that of a flute.

OboeOboe

The The oboeoboe is similar to the clarinet in is similar to the clarinet in many ways. Both are made from many ways. Both are made from wood and have metal keys that can wood and have metal keys that can produce many notes rapidly. It has produce many notes rapidly. It has two reeds tied together. By placing two reeds tied together. By placing them between one's lips and blowing them between one's lips and blowing air through them, the reeds vibrate air through them, the reeds vibrate and produce a sound. and produce a sound.

SaxophoneSaxophone

Conically shaped, the Conically shaped, the saxophonesaxophone is is the only woodwind instrument made the only woodwind instrument made of brass. Although it is found only of brass. Although it is found only occasionally in the symphony occasionally in the symphony orchestra, it is considered a member orchestra, it is considered a member of the woodwind family because it of the woodwind family because it has a single reed like the clarinet.has a single reed like the clarinet.

FluteFlute

The The fluteflute is now made from silver or is now made from silver or gold and is about 2 feet in length. It gold and is about 2 feet in length. It looks like a narrow tube with a row of looks like a narrow tube with a row of holes covered by keys along one holes covered by keys along one side. The player blows air across the side. The player blows air across the small hole in the mouthpiece to small hole in the mouthpiece to produce a sound that can be either produce a sound that can be either soft and mellow or high and piercing. soft and mellow or high and piercing.

Brass InstrumentsBrass Instruments

Brass FamilyBrass Family instruments produce instruments produce their unique sound by the player their unique sound by the player buzzing his/her lips while blowing air buzzing his/her lips while blowing air through a cup- or funnel-shaped through a cup- or funnel-shaped mouthpiece. To produce higher or mouthpiece. To produce higher or lower pitches, the player adjusts the lower pitches, the player adjusts the opening between his/her lips. The opening between his/her lips. The mouthpiece connects to a length of mouthpiece connects to a length of brass tubing ending in a bell. brass tubing ending in a bell.

Pictures of some Brass Pictures of some Brass InstrumentsInstruments

TubaTuba

The The tubatuba is the lowest sounding is the lowest sounding member of the brass family. The member of the brass family. The tuba has four to five valves and is tuba has four to five valves and is held upright in the player’s lap. held upright in the player’s lap.

TromboneTrombone

The The trombonetrombone is larger than that of is larger than that of a trumpet, and gives the instrument a trumpet, and gives the instrument a more mellow sound. Instead of a more mellow sound. Instead of valves, the trombone has a slide valves, the trombone has a slide which changes the length of its which changes the length of its approximately 9 feet of tubing to approximately 9 feet of tubing to reach different pitches. reach different pitches.

TrumpetTrumpet

The The trumpettrumpet is the highest sounding is the highest sounding member of the brass family. The member of the brass family. The player presses the three valves in player presses the three valves in various combinations with the fingers various combinations with the fingers of the right hand to obtain various of the right hand to obtain various pitches pitches

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