| .....The more complete |
| CLASSIFICATION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS |
The musical instruments are apparatuses which can produce noises. According to the classification given from 1914 of Curt Sachs and Erich von Hornbostel based on theirs acoustic and theirs structure, they are divided in 4 principal classes (idiophones, membranophones, cordophones and aerophones). From 1937 (from his "handbook of the musical instruments") Francis Galpin added another class: Record players. |
| 1. | IDIOPHONES | vibrates the corp of the instrument; |
| 2. | MEMBRANOPHONES | vibrates a stiff membrane on the corp of the instrument; |
| 3. | CORDOPHONES | vibrates the cords which are in tension on the corp of the instrument; |
| 4. | AEROPHONES | vibrates the air which passes in the instrument; |
| 5. | RECORD PLAYERS | the noise comes produces by an external system of amplification. |
The description to be defined complete. For the class of the record players, with the situation of the modern music, it's difficult to do a perfect classification: because with the electronics and, naturally, with the computers, there's a new world practically every day...... |
| The categories in which subdivide the 5 classes are the follows: |
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Idiophones ::The vibrating matter of the instrument is solid and nonlikely of tension. It is put in vibration by frappement, by shaking or pinching, or by scraping or friction. The musical instrument includes one or more vibrators. Vibrators: rigid bodies or rubber bands which vibrate under the action of a force. Example: xylophone, vibraphone, triangle, cymbals, etc. Membranophones :there are tended membranes which vibrate. The membrane drums, in great majority struck with a rod or with the naked hand, are different according to whether one or two skins is tended on a case or a framework. They are characterized then by the mode from fastener from the membranes (stuck, nailed, laced, pinned, ringed, etc). Cordophones :The string instruments answer all the same principal structural criterion, namely fixing of cords between two fixed points. The structure of the support above they are tended, like their provision compared to the support, make it possible to distinguish the various types of cordophones. Thus, one obtains the principal groups which are the arcs, the zithers, the toothings-stone, the lutes and vičles and the quadrants, just like their derivatives - the pluriarcs, the toothing-stone-zithers and the harp lutes. It is completely remarkable that only the African continent gave rise to all the pallet of the types, whereas the other continents do not present any that a number limited the vibrations are produced by cordestendues. Example: violin, guitar, piano, tympanon, etc.. Aerophones :In this family of instruments, the air is the principal generator of the sound. According to the mode of setting in vibration, i.e. in the majority of the cases the manner of generating sounds inside a pipe by the breath of the musician, one distinguishes the principal types, namely the flutes, the clarinets and the oboes, as well as the horns the vibrations appear primarily dansune airstream. Example: flute, sax, trumpet, etc. Record players :For this class of the record players, it is necessary to make a speech to some extent: because the electronics and, naturally, the computers, developpe practically every day...... but, we have for example the electric guitar naturally, the organ Hammond, the electrochord, the bass station, the wurlitzer, the piano Rhodes, the electric violin, and all keyboards of today... |
