CLASSIFICATION

OF MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
By: Ryan jacob Rodriguez
 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Woodwind – most were originally made from wood;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Brasswind – originally made from brass;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
 Etynographic 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.