| Sachs Hornbostel System of Instrument Classification |
IntroductionThe Sachs-Hornbostel System was created in 1914 to categorise musical instruments into logical family groupings based on the nature of the initial vibrating body. This is different from the orchestral system of brass, woodwind etc etc 4 major groupings were arrived at initially and remain,
Since that time, a fifth grouping has been added, that of Electrophones where the initial vibration is the pulses of electricity in a wire. A further grouping of Hydrophones where the vibrator is water based is also under consideration. Many of the instruments rely on more than one of these categories for their overall sound, however the system at this highest level refers only to the initial vibrating mechanism. The S/H system provides for nine levels of classification, eg with drums, sub divisions include frame drums, goblet drums, barrel drums, cylindrical drums etc etcThe following list is intended to include all percussion items plus some that are strictly non-percussive but do find their way increasingly into a percussionists arsenal such as didjeridus and berimbaus. This, of course, is only a sample of the instruments available, there are hundreds more which are either completely different or variations on a theme, if you would care to write a few lines on any of these instruments or any other or if you have good quality photographs or short audio samples to share, I will be happy to publish them on the dojo for everyone’s benefit. Read the contributors’ guidelines for more information Instruments are sorted alphabetically Idiophones: instruments that are constructed of solid material that vibrates by virtue of its own inherent rigidity.
Membranophones: instruments that rely on a stretched membrane to trigger the sound, including
Chordophones; instruments that rely on a stretched string,
Aerophones: Instruments that rely on vibrating an enclosed body of air or the surrounding air
Electrophones: Instruments where the sounds are electronically triggered
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