AR4i Musical Instruments

Most people are likely familiar with the traditional Western classification of strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. But many western and especially non-western instruments fit poorly or not at all into such a classification. An alternative is to focus instead on how instruments make sounds. Such an approach accords well with the principles of the BCC. The Hornbostel-Sachs Instrument Classification, which has been developed over the last century, is favored by the majority of contemporary musicologists. It is logically hierarchical. It is reproduced here (with notation):

1. Aerophones (sound made by vibrating air)

a. Free aerophones (b. Buzzers, u. Bull-roarer)

f. Flutes

c. Closed tube (o. Ocarina)

k. Keyboard (o. Organ)

o. Open tube

e. End blown single (k. Kaval)

m. End blown multiple (p. Panpipes)

s. Side blown (f Flute (common usage))

w. Whistle blown (f. Flageolot, r. Recorder)

l. Lip-vibrated

h. Horn (c. Cornet, s. Serpent)

t. Trumpet

o. Conical (a. alphorn, b. Bugle, c. Cornet, f. Flugelhorn)

y. Cylindrical (e. Euphonium, s. Sousaphone, t. Trumpet (common usage), u. Tuba)

r. Reedpipes

a. Bassoon (c. Contrabassoon, h. High=pitched, s. Single-reed, u. Curtal)

b. Bagpipes (m. Musette)

c. Bassanelli

d. Double pipes

f. Free-reed aerophones (a. Accordion, h. Harmonica, m. Mouth organ, r. Harmonium, s. Sheng) [Sometimes classified with free aerophones]

h. Hornpipes

l. Bladder pipe

n. Single-reed (c. Clarinet, s. Saxophone)

r. Rackett (s. Sordone, u. Sordun)

s. Shawm (e. English horn, o. oboe)

u. sarrusophone

2. Chordophones (sound made by vibrating strings)

b. Bowed chordophones

a. Baryton

b. Bow

f. Fiddle

l. Lira da Braccio (g. Lira da Gamba)

r. Rebec (f. Folk, k. Kit, p. Polnische Geige)

v. Violin (c. Cello, d. Double bass, t. Tenor, v. Viola)

h. Harps (g. Ground bows) [Note that harps can be combined with zithers, lutes]

k. Keyboard chordophones

b. Bowed keyboard instruments

c. Clavichord

d. Dulce Melos

e. Experimental keyboard

h. Harpsichord (a. Claviorganum, c. Clavicytherium, e. Enharmonic harpsichord, g. Gut-strung harpsichord, p. Piano-organ, s. Spinet, v. Virginal)

k. Chekker

p. Pianoforte (h. harpsichord piano, d. Pedalboard piano, e. Enharmonic piano, f. Fortepiano, p. piano, s. Sustaining piano, t. tangent piano)

t. Transposing keyboard

l. Lutes

a. Archlute (a. angelica, c. Chitarrone, t. Theorbo)

b. Bandora (b. Balalaika, c. Charango, o. Orpharion, p. Penorcorn, s. Colascione, y. Polyphant)

c. Cittern (a. Archcittern)

g. Guitar (b. Bass guitar, g. Gittern, n. Bandurria, s. Spanish guitar, u. Ukelele, v. Vihuela)

h. Short-necked lute

l. Long-necked lute

m. Mandolin

n. Mandora

o. Organistrum (hurdy-gurdy)

s. sitar

y. Lyres

c. Crwth

l. Lyre

z. Zither

a. Board zither

b. Box zither

a. Aeolian harp

b. Bell harp (a. autoharp, d. Dulcimer, z. Zither (common usage)

f. Fretted harp

m. Monochord

p. Psaltery

s. string drum

t. Trumpet marine

f. Frame zither

g. Ground zither

l. Long zither (f. Fretted, i. Individually bridged)

m. Musical bows (a. Aeolian bows, p. Pluriare)

s. Stick zithers (b. Bladder and string, v. Vina)

t. Trough zither

u. Tube zither

3. Idiophones (vibrating instruments)

c. Concussion idiophones

c. Clappers (c. Claves, s. Slapstick)

s. Castanets

y. Cymbals

f. Friction idiophones

p. Friction-bar pianos

s. Friction sticks

v. Friction vessels (a. Glass armonica, g. Musical glasses, s. Musical saw)

p. Percussion Idiophones

b. Percussion beams (b. Bell lyre, c. Celesta, g. Glockenspiel, m. Marimba, n. Gender, o. Orchestra balls, s. Saron, v. Vibraphone)

d. Percussion disks (g. Gong)

m. Stamped idiophones

s. Percussion sticks (c. Crystallophones, l. Lithophones, m. Metallophone, t. Triangle, x. Xylophone)

t. Percussion tubes (a. Angklung, c. Chimes, d. Slit drums, s. Stamping tubes, t. Tubular bells)

v. Percussion vessels (b. Bells, d. Steel drums, e. Echeion, p. Percussion gourds and pots, t. Temple blocks, w. Wood blocks)

r. Rattles (Shaken Idiophones)

f. Frame, pendant, and sliding rattles (s. Sistro)

s. Suspension rattles (s. Stick rattles, t. Strung rattles, u. Sistrum)

v. Vessel rattles (b. Basketry rattles, g. Gourd rattles, h. Hollow ring rattles, m. Maracas, p. Pellet bells)

s. Scraped idiophones

c. Cog rattles (r. Ratchet, w. washboard)

s. Scrapers (g. Guiro)

t. Split idiophones

u. Plucked idiophones

j. Jew's harp

t. Thumb piano (b. Music box, m. Mbira, s. Sansa)

4. Membranophones (sounds made by vibrating membranes)

f. Friction drums

k. Kettle drums (t. Timpani)

m. Mirliton (k. Kazoo)

p. Predrum membranophones (g. Ground drums; p. Pot drums)

t. Tubular drums

b. Barrel drums

c. Conical drums

d. Drum chimes (a. Bass drum, b. Bongos, c. Conga, m. Tom-tom, n. Tenor drum, t. Timbales)

f. Frame drums

g. Goblet drums

h. Hourglass drums

r. Rattle drums

s. Shallow drums

t. Talking drums

w. water drums

y. Cylinder drums

5. Electrophones (sounds generated electronically)

s. Synthesizers [These are often identified by brand name.]