How Many Different Kinds of Musical Instruments Exist

How Many Different Kinds of Musical Instruments Exist?

There are, quite literally, thousands of instruments. Most of those used in the past are no longer with us and new ones are regularly invented. Touch-style electric instruments are among the more recent (e.g., Chapman stick, Warr guitar). Different instruments are found in different parts of the world. The aud, for example, is relatively unknown to persons in the Western Hemishere and Europe. If one includes percussion, the list would be virtually endless, since almost anything can be employed as a percussion instrument.

Strings
There are four principle types of orchestral stringed instruments. They are, in order of size, the violin, viola, cello and double bass. They traditionally have four strings. However, some modern instruments have more than four strings to extend tonal range. The strings of these instruments can either be plucked or played with a bow.

Woodwinds
Woodwinds are played with the breath, and use keys that are depressed to alter airflow through the instrument to create pitch. Woodwinds include the flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon. All woodwinds, with the exception of the flute, use a reed that vibrates to create sound.

Brass
Brass instruments include the trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba. Although they are called “brass” instruments, the actual instrument can be made of a variety of different metals. They are played by placing the lips in a mouthpiece and blowing to create lip vibrations.

Percussion
Percussion instruments are struck with a hand or mallet. There are two kinds: tuned and indefinite pitch. Tuned percussion instruments include the timpani, xylophone, glockenspiel and various bells. Indefinite tone instruments include drums, gongs, castanets, cymbals and tambourines.

Keyboard
Keyboard instruments are traditionally of several types. One are the percussives, like the piano and clavichord. Another is a plucked instrument, like the harpsichord, where quills pluck the string when a key is pressed. A third type are instruments that use air to produce sound, like pipe organs. Still another, the synthesized keyboard, is common in popular music.

Guitar
The guitar is often considered its own type of instrument, apart from the orchestral strings. A guitar traditionally has six strings that are lengthened and shortened by pressing them against metal frets to produce different pitches. Although guitars traditionally have six strings, some modern guitars have more for overtones or to extend pitch range.

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