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Classification of Musical Instruments

Sachs-Hornbostel System

By Espie Estrella, About.com

Aerophones - Music instruments which produce sound by a vibrating mass of air. This is more commonly known as wind instruments and there are three basic types:

  1. Brasswinds - Made of metal, particularly brass, these instruments create sound through the vibration of a player's lips on the mouthpiece. The air that passes from the player's lips goes to the air column of the instrument and thus creates sound. Examples: trombone, trumpet, tuba

  2. Woodwinds - Originally made of wood but now other materials have also been used. On reed instruments like the saxophone and the clarinet, a thin material is placed on the mouthpiece so that when the player blows into it the air is forced to go to a reed and sets it to vibrate. In double-reed instruments such as bassoons and oboes, the material placed on the opening of the mouthpiece is thicker. In woodwinds such as flutes, the player blows air into the edge of a mouthpiece thus creating sound.

  3. Free-reed - Refers to wind instruments that has a freely vibrating reed and the pitch depends on the size of the reed. A good example of this type of instrument is the accordion.

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