VOCABULARY

INSTRUMENT CLASSIFICATION:

• Aerophones (woodwind and brass families)
• Chordophones (string family)
• Idiophones (percussion family)
• Membranophones (percussion family)

HOW IS THE SOUND PRODUCED?

AEROPHONES produce their sound by the vibration of the air.

• Woodwinds use the air and reeds (single-reed, double-reed or free-reed) 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.

CHORDOPHONES produce sound by the vibration of strings.

• To make the sounds: rub the string with a bow, pluck the string with your finger or a plectrum or strike the strings.

IDIOPHONES produce a sound by the vibration of the instrument itself.

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

MEMBRANOPHONES produce sound when a stretched skin (membrane) vibrates.

• These instruments may have definite or indefinite pitch.

SOUND QUALITIES:

• PITCH (Hz): Low sound/High sound
• DURATION (Sec.): Short sound/Long sound
• INTENSITY (dB): loud sound (Forte)/ Soft sound (Piano)

MUSICAL ELEMENTS:

• Rhythm
• Harmony and chords
• Melody