Hornbostel-Sachs
Encyclopedia
Hornbostel–Sachs is a system of musical instrument classification
devised by Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs
, and first published in the Zeitschrift für Ethnologie in 1914. An English translation was published in the Galpin Society Journal
in 1961. It is the most widely used system for classifying musical instruments by ethnomusicologists
and organologists
(people who study musical instruments).
Hornbostel and Sachs based their ideas by using a system devised in the late 19th century by Victor-Charles Mahillon
, who was the curator of musical instruments at Brussels
Conservatory. Mahillon divided instruments into four broad categories according to the nature of the sound-producing material: air column; string; membrane; and the body of the instrument. However, these categories were not new; they derive from the Natya Sastra, a roughly two-thousand-year-old India
n theoretical treatise on music and dramaturgy
. Mahillon limited his system, for the most part, to instruments used in European classical music. From this basis, Hornbostel and Sachs expanded Mahillon's system to make it possible to classify any instrument from any culture. The result is the Sachs-Hornbostel system.
Formally, the Sachs–Hornbostel is modeled on the Dewey Decimal classification
. It has four top level classifications, with several levels below those, adding up to over 300 basic categories in all. The top three levels of the scheme are described below.
s - sound is primarily produced by the actual body of the instrument vibrating, rather than a string, membrane, or column of air. In essence, this group includes all percussion instrument
s apart from drums, as well as some other instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification, idiophones are first categorized according to the method used to play the instrument. The result is four main categories: struck idiophones (11), plucked idiophones (12), friction idiophones (13), and blown idiophones (14). These groups are subsequently divided through various criteria. In many cases these sub-categories are split in singular specimens and sets of instruments. The latter category includes the xylophone
, the marimba
, the glockenspiel
, and the glass harmonica
. List of idiophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number.
s or xylophone
s.
Directly struck idiophones
The player himself executes the movement of striking; whether by mechanical intermediate devices, beaters, keyboards, or by pulling ropes, etc. It is definitive that the player can apply clear, exact, individual strokes, and that the instrument itself is equipped for this kind of percussion.
Indirectly struck idiophones
The player himself does not go through the movement of striking; percussion results indirectly through some other movement by the player.
Plucked idiophones
Plucked idiophones (lamellophones) - idiophones set in vibration by being plucked, for example the jaw harp or thumb piano
. This group is sub-divided in the following two categories:
Friction idiophones
Idiophones which are rubbed, for example the nail violin
, a bowed instrument with solid pieces of metal or wood rather than strings.
Blown idiophones
Blown idiophones - idiophones set in vibration by the movement of air, for example the Aeolsklavier
, an instrument consisting of several pieces of wood which vibrate when air is blown onto them by a set of bellows
.
s - sound is primarily produced by the vibration of a tightly stretched membrane. This group includes all drum
s and kazoo
s. List of membranophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number
and snare drum
.
Directly struck membranophones
Instruments in which the membrane is struck directly, such as through bare hands, beaters or keyboards
Some commentators believe that instruments in this class ought instead to be regarded as chordophones (see below).
s, instruments which do not produce sound of their own, but modify other sounds by way of a vibrating membrane.
s - sound is primarily produced by the vibration of a string or strings that are stretched between fixed points. This group includes all instruments generally called string instrument
s in the west, as well as many (but not all) keyboard instrument
s, such as piano
s and harpsichord
s. List of chordophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number
Simple chordophones or zithers
Instruments which are in essence simply a string or strings and a string bearer. These instruments may have a resonator box, but removing it should not render the instrument unplayable (although it may result in quite a different sound being produced). They include the piano
therefore, as well as other kinds of zither
s such as the koto
, and musical bow
s.
s and guitar
s, and harp
s.
s - sound is primarily produced by vibrating air. The instrument itself does not vibrate, and there are no vibrating strings or membranes. List of aerophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number
.
The vibrating air is not contained within the instrument.
s in the west, such as the flute
or French horn
, as well as many other kinds of instruments such as conch shells.
Edge-blown aerophones or flutes
The player makes a ribbon-shaped flow of air with his lips (421.1), or his breath is directed through a duct against an edge (421.2).
Reed aerophones
The player's breath is directed against a lamella or pair of lamellae which periodically interrupt the airflow and cause the air to be set in motion.
Electrophone
The fifth top-level group, electrophone
s category was added by Sachs in 1940, to describe instruments involving electricity. Sachs broke down his 5th category into 3 subcategories: 51=electrically actuated acoustic instruments; 52=electrically amplified acoustic instruments; 53= instruments in which make sound primarily by way of electrically driven oscillators, such as theremin
s or synthesizer
s, which he called radioelectric instruments. Francis William Galpin provided such a group in his own classification system, which is closer to Mahillon than Sachs–Hornbostel. For example, in Galpin's 1937 book A Textbook of European Musical Instruments, he lists electrophones with three second-level divisions for sound generation ("by oscillation," "electro-magnetic," and "electro-static"), as well as third-level and fourth-level categories based on the control method. Sachs himself proposed subcategories 51, 52, and 53, on pages 447-467 of his 1940 book The History of Musical Instruments. However, the original 1914 version of the system did not acknowledge the existence of his 5th category.
Present-day ethnomusicologists, such as Margaret Kartomi (page 173), and Ellingson (PhD dissertation, 1979, p. 544) suggest that, in keeping with the spirit of the original Hornbostel Sachs classification scheme, of categorization by what first produces the initial sound in the instrument, that only subcategory 53 should remain in the electrophones category. Thus it has been more recently proposed that, for example, the pipe organ (even if it uses electric key action to control solenoid valves) remain in the aerophones category, and that the electric guitar remain in the chordophones category, etc..
, for example, is in the group labeled 111.212 (periods are usually added after every third digit to make long numbers easier to read). A long classification number does not necessarily indicate the instrument is a complicated one. The bugle
for instance, has the classification number 423.121.22, even though it is generally regarded as a relatively simple instrument (it is basically a bent conical tube which you blow down like a trumpet
, but it does not have valves or finger-holes). The numbers in the bugle's classification indicate the following:
423.121.22 does not uniquely identify the bugle, but rather identifies the bugle as a certain kind of instrument which has much in common with other instruments in the same class. Another instrument classified as 423.121.22 is the bronze
lur
, an instrument dating back to the Bronze Age
.
es may be appended. An 8 indicates that the instrument has a keyboard attached, while a 9 indicates the instrument is mechanically driven. In addition to these, there are a number of suffixes unique to each of the top-level groups indicating details not considered crucial to the fundamental nature of the instrument. In the membranophone class, for instance, suffixes can indicate whether the skin of a drum is glued, nailed or tied to its body; in the chordophone class, suffixes can indicate whether the strings are plucked with fingers or plectrum, or played with a bow.
There are ways to classify instruments with this system even if they have elements from more than one group. Such instruments may have particularly long classification numbers with colons and hyphens used as well as numbers. Hornbostel and Sachs themselves cite the case of various bagpipes where some of the pipes are single reed (like a clarinet) and others are double reed (like the oboe
). A number of similar composite instruments exist.
Musical instrument classification
At various times, and in various cultures, various schemes of musical instrument classification have been used.The most commonly used system in use in the west today divides instruments into string instruments, wind instruments and percussion instruments...
devised by Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs
Curt Sachs
Curt Sachs was a German-born but American-domiciled musicologist. He was one of the founders of modern organology , and is probably best remembered today for co-authoring the Sachs-Hornbostel scheme of musical instrument classification with his fellow scholar Erich von Hornbostel.Born in Berlin,...
, and first published in the Zeitschrift für Ethnologie in 1914. An English translation was published in the Galpin Society Journal
Galpin Society
The Galpin Society was formed in October 1946 to further research into the history, construction, development and use of musical instruments...
in 1961. It is the most widely used system for classifying musical instruments by ethnomusicologists
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
and organologists
Organology
Organology is the science of musical instruments and their classification. It embraces study of instruments' history, instruments used in different cultures, technical aspects of how instruments produce sound, and musical instrument classification...
(people who study musical instruments).
Hornbostel and Sachs based their ideas by using a system devised in the late 19th century by Victor-Charles Mahillon
Victor-Charles Mahillon
Victor-Charles Mahillon was a Belgian musician and writer on musical topics. He built, collected, and described more than 1500 musical instruments....
, who was the curator of musical instruments at Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
Conservatory. Mahillon divided instruments into four broad categories according to the nature of the sound-producing material: air column; string; membrane; and the body of the instrument. However, these categories were not new; they derive from the Natya Sastra, a roughly two-thousand-year-old India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n theoretical treatise on music and dramaturgy
Dramaturgy
Dramaturgy is the art of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. Dramaturgy is a distinct practice separate from play writing and directing, although a single individual may perform any combination of the three. Some dramatists combine writing and...
. Mahillon limited his system, for the most part, to instruments used in European classical music. From this basis, Hornbostel and Sachs expanded Mahillon's system to make it possible to classify any instrument from any culture. The result is the Sachs-Hornbostel system.
Formally, the Sachs–Hornbostel is modeled on the Dewey Decimal classification
Dewey Decimal Classification
Dewey Decimal Classification, is a proprietary system of library classification developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876.It has been greatly modified and expanded through 23 major revisions, the most recent in 2011...
. It has four top level classifications, with several levels below those, adding up to over 300 basic categories in all. The top three levels of the scheme are described below.
Idiophones (1)
IdiophoneIdiophone
An idiophone is any musical instrument which creates sound primarily by way of the instrument's vibrating, without the use of strings or membranes. It is the first of the four main divisions in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification...
s - sound is primarily produced by the actual body of the instrument vibrating, rather than a string, membrane, or column of air. In essence, this group includes all percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s apart from drums, as well as some other instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification, idiophones are first categorized according to the method used to play the instrument. The result is four main categories: struck idiophones (11), plucked idiophones (12), friction idiophones (13), and blown idiophones (14). These groups are subsequently divided through various criteria. In many cases these sub-categories are split in singular specimens and sets of instruments. The latter category includes the xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
, the marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
, the glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, and the glass harmonica
Glass harmonica
The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, bowl organ, hydrocrystalophone, or simply the armonica , is a type of musical instrument that uses a series of glass bowls or goblets graduated in size to produce musical tones by means of friction The glass harmonica, also known as the glass...
. List of idiophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number.
Struck idiophones (11)
These idiophones are set in vibration by being struck, for example cymbalCymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s or xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
s.
Directly struck idiophonesDirectly struck idiophonesDirectly stuck idiophones is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. The idiophones found in this category produce sound resulting from a direct action of the performer as opposed to the indirectly struck idiophones...
(111)
The player himself executes the movement of striking; whether by mechanical intermediate devices, beaters, keyboards, or by pulling ropes, etc. It is definitive that the player can apply clear, exact, individual strokes, and that the instrument itself is equipped for this kind of percussion.- 111.1 Concussion idiophones or clappers – Two or more complementary sonorous parts are struck against each other.
- 111.11 Concussion sticks or stick clappers.
- 111.12 Concussion plaques or plaque clappers.
- 111.13 Concussion troughs or trough clappers.
- 111.14 Concussion vessels or vessel clappers.
- 111.141 Castanets – Natural and hollowed-out vessel clappers.
- 111.142 Cymbals – Vessel clappers with manufactured rim.
- 111.2 Percussion idiophones – The instrument is struck either with a non-sonorous object (hand, stick, striker) or against a non-sonorous object (human body, the ground).
- 111.21 Percussion sticks.
- 111.211 Individual percussion sticks.
- 111.212 Sets of percussion sticks in a range of different pitches combined into one instrument. – All xylophones, as long as their sounding components are not in two different planes.
- 111.22 Percussion plaques.
- 111.221 Individual percussion plaques.
- 111.222 Sets of percussion plaques – Examples are the lithophoneLithophoneA lithophone is a musical instrument consisting of a rock or pieces of rock which are struck to produce musical notes. Notes may be sounded in combination or in succession...
and also most metallophoneMetallophoneA metallophone is any musical instrument consisting of tuned metal bars which are struck to make sound, usually with a mallet.Metallophones have been used in music for hundreds of years. There are several different types used in Balinese and Javanese gamelan ensembles, including the gendér, gangsa...
s.
- 111.23 Percussion tubes.
- 111.231 Individual percussion tubes.
- 111.232 Sets of percussion tubes.
- 111.24 Percussion vessels.
- 111.241 Gongs – The vibration is strongest near the vertex.
- 111.241.1 Individual gongs.
- 111.241.2 Sets of gongs.
- 111.242 Bells – The vibration is weakest near the vertex.
- 111.242.1 Individual bells.
- 111.242.11 Resting bells whose opening faces upward.
- 111.242.12 Hanging bells suspended from the apex.
- 111.242.121 Hanging bells without internal strikers.
- 111.242.122 Hanging bells with internal strikers.
- 111.242.2 Sets of bells or chimes.
- 111.242.11 Sets of resting bells whose opening faces upward.
- 111.242.12 Sets of hanging bells suspended from the apex.
- 111.242.121 Sets of hanging bells without internal strikers.
- 111.242.122 Sets of hanging bells with internal strikers.
- 111.242.1 Individual bells.
- 111.241 Gongs – The vibration is strongest near the vertex.
- 111.21 Percussion sticks.
Indirectly struck idiophonesIndirectly struck idiophonesIndirectly stuck idiophones is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. The idiophones found in this category produce sound resulting from an indirect action of the performer as opposed to the directly struck idiophones...
(112)
The player himself does not go through the movement of striking; percussion results indirectly through some other movement by the player.
- 112.1 Shaken Idiophones or rattleRattle (percussion)A rattle is a percussion instrument. It consists of a hollow body filled with small uniform solid objects, like sand or nuts. Rhythmical shaking of this instrument produces repetitive, rather dry timbre noises. In some kinds of music, a rattle assumes the role of the metronome, as an alternative to...
s – The player makes a shaking motion- 112.11 Suspension rattles - Perforated idiophones are mounted together, and shaken to strike against each other.
- 112.111 Strung rattles - Rattling objects are strung in rows on a cord.
- 112.112 Stick rattles - Rattling objects are strung on a bar or ring.
- 112.12 Frame rattles - Rattling objects are attached to a carrier against which they strike.
- 112.121 Pendant rattles.
- 112.122 Sliding rattles.
- 112.13 Vessel rattles - Rattling objects enclosed in a vessel strike against each other or against the walls of the vessel, or usually against both.
- 112.11 Suspension rattles - Perforated idiophones are mounted together, and shaken to strike against each other.
- 112.2 Scraped Idiophones - The player causes a scraping movement directly or indirectly; a non-sonorous object moves along the notched surface of a sonorous object, to be alternately lifted off the teeth and flicked against them; or an elastic sonorous object moves along the surface of a notched non-sonorous object to cause a series of impacts. This group must not be confused with that of friction idiophones.
- 112.21 Scraped sticks.
- 112.211 Scraped sticks without resonator.
- 112.212 Scraped sticks with resonator.
- 112.22 Scraped tubes.
- 112.23 Scraped vessels.
- 112.24 Scraped wheels - cog rattles or RatchetRatchet (instrument)A ratchet, also called a noisemaker , is an orchestral musical instrument played by percussionists. Operating on the principle of the ratchet device, a gearwheel and a stiff board is mounted on a handle, which can be freely rotated...
- 112.21 Scraped sticks.
- 112.3 Split idiophones - Instruments in the shape of two springy arms connected at one end and touching at the other: the arms are forced apart by a little stick, to jangle or vibrate on recoil.
Plucked idiophonesPlucked idiophonesPlucked idiophones is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification that is usually referred to as . These idiophones are equipped with one or more tongues or lammelae that produce sound by being plucked by the performer...
(12)
Plucked idiophones (lamellophones) - idiophones set in vibration by being plucked, for example the jaw harp or thumb pianoThumb piano
The thumb piano is an African musical instrument, a type of plucked idiophone common throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.-Description:Each note of a kalimba, mbira, etc. is a separate idiophone, and in orchestral terms, the instrument as a whole belongs in the bar percussion family...
. This group is sub-divided in the following two categories:
In the form of a frame (121)
The lamellae vibrate within a frame or hoop.- 121.1 Clack idiophones or Cricri - The lamella is carved in the surface of a fruit shell, which serves as resonator.
- 121.2 Guimbardes and Jaw harps - The lamella is mounted in a rod- or plaque-shaped frame and depends on the player's mouth cavity for resonance.
- 121.21 Idioglot guimbardes - The lamella is of one substance with the frame of the instrument.
- 121.22 Heteroglot guimbardes - The lamella is attached to the frame.
- 121.221 Individual heteroglot guimbardes.
- 121.222 Sets of heteroglot guimbardes.
In the form of a comb (122)
The lamellae are tied to a board or cut out from a board like the teeth of a comb.- 122.1 With laced on lamellae.
- 122.11 Without resonator.
- 122.12 With resonator.
- 122.2 With cut-out lamellae - Musical boxMusical boxA music box is a 19th century automatic musical instrument that produces sounds by the use of a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc so as to pluck the tuned teeth of a steel comb. They were developed from musical snuff boxes of the 18th century and called carillons à musique...
Friction idiophonesFriction idiophonesFriction idiophones is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. These idiophones produce sound by being rubbed either against each other or by means of a non-sounding object...
(13)
Idiophones which are rubbed, for example the nail violinNail violin
The nail violin is a musical instrument which was invented by German violinist Johann Wilde in 1740. Wilde was inspired to create the instrument when he accidentally drew his bow across a metal peg, which produced a musical sound...
, a bowed instrument with solid pieces of metal or wood rather than strings.
Friction sticks (131)
- 131.1 Individual friction sticks.
- 131.2 Sets of friction sticks.
- 131.21 Without direct friction.
- 131.22 With direct friction.
Friction plaques (132)
- 132.1 Individual friction plaques.
- 132.2 Sets of friction plaques.
Friction vessels (133)
- 133.1 Individual friction vessels.
- 133.2 Sets of friction vessels.
Blown idiophonesBlown idiophonesA blown idiophone is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. These idiophones produce sound by the movement of air...
(14)
Blown idiophones - idiophones set in vibration by the movement of air, for example the AeolsklavierAeolsklavier
An aeolsklavier is a musical instrument with sounding elements that vibrate when air is blown onto them.-Materials:Aeolsklaviers can be made of various materials, but the sounding elements are usually made of wood...
, an instrument consisting of several pieces of wood which vibrate when air is blown onto them by a set of bellows
Bellows
A bellows is a device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location.Basically, a bellows is a deformable container which has an outlet nozzle. When the volume of the bellows is decreased, the air escapes through the outlet...
.
Membranophones (2)
MembranophoneMembranophone
A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
s - sound is primarily produced by the vibration of a tightly stretched membrane. This group includes all drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and kazoo
Kazoo
The kazoo is a wind instrument which adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane."Kazoo" was the name given by...
s. List of membranophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number
Struck membranophones (21)
Struck drums - instruments which have a struck membrane. This includes most types of drum, such as the timpaniTimpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
and snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
.
Directly struck membranophonesDirectly struck membranophonesDirectly struck membranophones is one of the sub-categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. The type of membranophones or drums found in this group are those instruments that produce sound when struck directly by the performer. The...
(211)
Instruments in which the membrane is struck directly, such as through bare hands, beaters or keyboards- 211.1 Instruments in which the body of the drum is dish- or bowl-shaped (kettle drums)
- 211.11 Single instruments
- 211.12 Sets of instruments
- 211.2 Instruments in which the body is tubular (tubular drums)
- 211.21 Instruments in which the body has the same diameter at the middle and end (cylindrical drumCylindrical drumCylindrical drums are a category of drum instruments that include a wide range of implementations, including the bass drum and the Iranian dohol. Cylindrical drums are generally two-headed and straight-sided, and sometimes use a buzzing, percussive string....
s)- 211.211 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.211.1 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is open
- 211.211.2 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is closed
- 211.212 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.212.1 Single instruments
- 211.212.2 Sets of instruments
- 211.211 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.22 Instruments in which the body is barrel-shaped (barrel drumBarrel drumBarrel drums are a class of membranophone, or drum, characterized by a barrel-shape with a bulge in the middle. They are often one-headed and open at the bottom...
s)- 211.221 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.221.1 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is open
- 211.221.2 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is closed
- 211.222 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.222.1 Single instruments
- 211.222.2 Sets of instruments
- 211.221 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.23 Instruments in which the body is double-conical
- 211.231 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.231.1 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is open
- 211.231.2 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is closed
- 211.232 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.232.1 Single instruments
- 211.232.2 Sets of instruments
- 211.231 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.24 Instruments in which the body is hourglass-shaped
- 211.241 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.241.1 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is open
- 211.241.2 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is closed
- 211.242 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.242.1 Single instruments
- 211.242.2 Sets of instruments
- 211.241 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.25 Instruments in which the body is conical-shaped (conical drumConical drumConical drums are a class of membranophone, or drum, that is characterized by sloping sides. They are usually one-headed. An example is the timbal....
s)- 211.251 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.251.1 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is open
- 211.251.2 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is closed
- 211.252 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.252.1 Single instruments
- 211.252.2 Sets of instruments
- 211.251 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.26 Instruments in which the body is goblet-shaped (goblet drumGoblet drumThe goblet drum is a hand drum with a goblet shape used mostly in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe....
s)- 211.261 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.261.1 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is open
- 211.261.2 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is closed
- 211.262 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.262.1 Single instruments
- 211.262.2 Sets of instruments
- 211.261 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.21 Instruments in which the body has the same diameter at the middle and end (cylindrical drum
- 211.3 Instruments in which the body depth is not greater than the radius of the membrane (frame drumFrame drumA frame drum is a drum that has a drumhead width greater than its depth. Usually the single drumhead is made of rawhide or man-made materials. Shells are traditionally constructed of bent wood scarf jointed together; plywood and man-made materials are also used. Some frame drums have mechanical...
s)- 211.31 Instruments which do not have a handle
- 211.311 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.312 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.32 Instruments which have a handle
- 211.321 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 211.322 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 211.31 Instruments which do not have a handle
Shaken membranophones (212)
Instruments which are shaken, the membrane being vibrated by objects inside the drum (rattle drums)Plucked membranophones (22)
Instruments with a string attached to the membrane, so that when the string is plucked, the membrane vibrates (plucked drums)Some commentators believe that instruments in this class ought instead to be regarded as chordophones (see below).
Friction membranophones (23)
Instruments in which the membrane vibrates as a result of friction. These are drums which are rubbed, rather than being struck.Friction drums with stick (231)
Instruments in which the membrane is vibrated from a stick that is rubbed or used to rub the membrane- 231.1 Instruments in which the stick is inserted in a hole in the membrane
- 231.11 Instruments in which the stick can not be moved and is subject to rubbing, causing friction on the membrane
- 231.12 Instruments in which the stick is semi-movable, and can be used to rub the membrane
- 231.13 Instruments in which the stick is freely movable, and is used to rub the membrane
- 231.2 Instruments in which the stick is tied upright to the membrane
Friction drum with cord (232)
Instruments in which a cord, attached to the membrane, is rubbed- 232.1 Instruments in which the drum is held stationary while playing
- 232.11 Instruments which have only one usable membrane
- 232.12 Instruments which have two usable membranes
- 232.2 Instruments in which the drum is twirled by a cord, which rubs in a notch on the stick held by the player
Singing membranes (kazoos) (24)
This group includes kazooKazoo
The kazoo is a wind instrument which adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane."Kazoo" was the name given by...
s, instruments which do not produce sound of their own, but modify other sounds by way of a vibrating membrane.
Free kazoos (241)
Instruments in which the membrane is vibrated by an unbroken column of wind, without a chamberTube or vessel-kazoos (242)
Instruments in which the membrane is placed in a box, tube or other containerChordophones (3)
ChordophoneChordophone
A chordophone is any musical instrument that makes sound by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
s - sound is primarily produced by the vibration of a string or strings that are stretched between fixed points. This group includes all instruments generally called string instrument
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
s in the west, as well as many (but not all) keyboard instrument
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, such as piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
s and harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
s. List of chordophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number
Simple chordophones or zithersZitherThe zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
(31)
Instruments which are in essence simply a string or strings and a string bearer. These instruments may have a resonator box, but removing it should not render the instrument unplayable (although it may result in quite a different sound being produced). They include the pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
therefore, as well as other kinds of zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
s such as the koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
, and musical bow
Musical bow
The musical bow is a simple string musical instrument most archaic cultures as well as in many in the present day. It consisting of a string supported by a flexible stick 1.5 to 10 feet long, and strung end to end with a taut cord. Usually made out of wood...
s.
Bar or stick zithers (311)
The string bearer is bar shaped.- 311.1 Musical bows - The string bearer is flexible (and curved).
- 311.11 Idiochord musical bows - The string is cut from the bark of the cane, remaining attached at each end.
- 311.111 Mono-idiochord musical bows - Containing one string only
- 311.112 Poly-idiochord musical bows or harp-bows - Containing several strings that pass over some type of bridge.
- 311.12 Heterochord musical bows - The string is of separate material from the bearer.
- 311.121 Mono-heterochord musical bows - The bow has one heterochord string only.
- 311.121.1 Without resonator.
- 311.121.11 Without tuning noose.
- 311.121.12 With tuning noose.
- 311.121.2 With resonator.
- 311.121.21 With independent resonator.
- 311.121.22 With resonator attached.
- 311.121.221 Without tuning noose.
- 311.121.222 With tuning noose.
- 311.121.1 Without resonator.
- 311.122 Poly-heterochord musical bows - The bow has several heterochord strings.
- 311.122.1 Without tuning noose.
- 311.122.2 With tuning noose.
- 311.121 Mono-heterochord musical bows - The bow has one heterochord string only.
- 311.11 Idiochord musical bows - The string is cut from the bark of the cane, remaining attached at each end.
- 311.2 Stick zithers - With rigid string carrier
- 311.21 Musical bow/stick - The string carrier has one rigid and one flexible end.
- 311.22 True stick zithers - NB Round sticks which happen to be hollow by chance do not belong on this account to the tube zithers, but are round-bar zithers; however, instruments in which a tubular cavity is employed as a true resonator, like the modern Mexican harpa, are tube zithers.
- 311.221 With one resonator gourd.
- 311.222 With several resonator gourds.
Tube zithers (312)
The string bearer is a vaulted surface.- 312.1 Whole tube zithers - The string carrier is a complete tube
- 312.11 Idiochord tube zithers.
- 312.12 Heterochord tube zithers.
- 312.121 Without extra resonator.
- 312.122 With extra resonator.
- 312.2 Half-tube zithers - The strings are stretched along the convex surface of a gutter.
- 312.21 Idiochord half-tube zithers.
- 312.22 Heterochord half-tube zithers.
Raft zithers (313)
The string bearer is composed of canes tied together in the manner of a raft- 313.1 Idiochord raft zithers.
- 313.2 Heterochord raft zithers.
Board zithers (314)
The string bearer is a board- 314.1 True board zithers.
- 314.11 Without resonator.
- 314.12 With resonator.
- 314.121 With resonator bowl.
- 314.122 With resonator box - the pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
is part of this subdivision.
- 314.2 Board zither variations.
- 314.21 Ground zithers.
- 314.22 Harp zithers.
Trough zithers (315)
The strings are stretched across the mouth of a trough- 315.1 Without resonator.
- 315.2 With resonator.
Frame zithers (316)
The strings are stretched across an open frame- 316.1 Without resonator.
- 316.2 With resonator.
Composite chordophones (32)
Acoustic and electro-acoustic instruments which have a resonator as an integral part of the instrument, and solid-body electric chordophones. This includes most western string instruments, including lutes such as violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, and harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
s.
Lutes (321)
The plane of the strings runs parallel with the resonator's surface.- 321.1 Bow lutes - Each string has its own flexible carrier.
- 321.2 Yoke lutes or lyres - The strings are attached to a yoke which lies in the same plane as the sound-table and consists of two arms and a cross-bar.
- 321.21 Bowl lyres.
- 321.22 Box lyres.
- 321.3 Handle lutes - The string bearer is a plain handle.
- 321.31 Spike lutes.
- 321.311 Spike bow lutes.
- 321.312 Spike box lutes.
- 321.313 Spike tube lutes.
- 321.32 Necked lutes
- 321.321 Necked bowl lute - MandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, BalalaikaBalalaikaThe balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
, etc. - 321.322 Necked box lutes - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, etc.
- 321.321 Necked bowl lute - Mandolin
- 321.31 Spike lutes.
Harps (322)
The plane of the strings lies perpendicular to the resonator's surface.- 322.1 Open harps - The harp has no pillar.
- 322.11 Arched harps.
- 322.12 Angular harps.
- 322.2 Frame harps - The harp has a pillar
- 322.21 Without tuning mechanism.
- 322.211 Diatonic frame harps.
- 322.212 Chromatic frame harps.
- 322.212.1 With all strings in one plane.
- 322.212.2 With strings in two planes crossing each other.
- 322.22 With tuning action.
- 322.221 With manual tuning action.
- 322.222 With pedal action.
- 322.21 Without tuning mechanism.
Harp lutes (323)
The plane of the strings lies at right angles to the sound-table; a line joining the lower ends of the strings would be perpendicular to the neck. Notched bridgeAerophones (4)
AerophoneAerophone
An aerophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes, and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound...
s - sound is primarily produced by vibrating air. The instrument itself does not vibrate, and there are no vibrating strings or membranes. List of aerophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number
Free aerophones (41)
Instruments where the vibrating air is not enclosed by the instrument itself, for example sirens, or the bullroarerBullroarer (music)
The bullroarer, rhombus, or turndun, is an ancient ritual musical instrument and a device historically used for communicating over greatly-extended distances. It dates to the Paleolithic period, being found in Ukraine dating from 17,000 BC...
.
The vibrating air is not contained within the instrument.
Displacement free aerophones (411)
The air-stream meets a sharp edge, or a sharp edge is moved through the air. In either case, according to more recent views, a periodic displacement of air occurs to the alternate flanks of the edge. Examples are the swordblade or the whip.Interruptive free aerophones (412)
The air-stream is interrupted periodically- 412.1 Idiophonic interruptive aerophones or reeds - The air-stream is directed against a lamella, setting it in periodic vibration to interrupt the stream intermittently. In this group also belong reeds with a 'cover,' i.e. a tube in which the air vibrates only in a secondary sense, not producing the sound but simply adding roundness and timbre to the sound made by the reed's vibration; generally recognizable by the absence of fingerholes.
- 412.11 Concussion reeds - Two lamellae make a gap which closes periodically during their vibration.
- 412.12 Percussion reeds - A single lamella strikes against a frame.
- 412.121 Independent percussion reeds.
- 412.122 Sets of percussion reeds. - Earlier organs
- 412.13 Free-reed instruments feature a reed which vibrates within a closely fitting slot (there may be an attached pipe, but it should only vibrate in sympathy with the reed, and not have an effect on the pitch - instruments of this class can be distinguished from 422.3 by the lack of finger-holes).
- 412.131 Individual free reeds.
- 412.132 Sets of free reeds - AccordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, HarmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
.
- 412.14 Band reed instruments - The air hits the sharp edge of a band under tension. The acoustics of this instrument have so far not been investigated. - (British Columbia.)
- 412.2 Non-idiophonic interruptive instruments.
- 412.21 Rotating aerophones.
- 412.22 Whirling aerophones.
Non-free aerophones (wind instruments proper) (42)
The vibrating air is contained within the instrument. This group includes most of the instruments called wind instrumentWind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator , in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of...
s in the west, such as the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
or French horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, as well as many other kinds of instruments such as conch shells.
Edge-blown aerophones or flutesEdge-blown aerophonesEdge-blown aerophones is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. In order to produce sound with these Aerophones the player makes a ribbon-shaped flow of air with his lips , or his breath is directed through a duct...
(421)
The player makes a ribbon-shaped flow of air with his lips (421.1), or his breath is directed through a duct against an edge (421.2).- 421.1 Flutes without duct - The player himself creates a ribbon-shaped stream of air with his lips.
- 421.11 End-blown flutes - The player blows against the sharp rim at the upper open end of a tube.
- 421.111 Individual end-blown flutes.
- 421.111.1 Open single end-blown flutes - The lower end of the flute is open.
- 421.111.11 Without fingerholes.
- 421.111.12 With fingerholes.
- 421.111.2 Stopped single end-blown flutes - The lower end of the flute is closed.
- 421.111.21 Without fingerholes.
- 421.111.22 With fingerholes.
- 421.111.1 Open single end-blown flutes - The lower end of the flute is open.
- 421.112 Sets of end-blown flutes or panpipes - Several end-blown flutes of different pitch are combined to form a single instrument.
- 421.112.1 Open panpipes.
- 421.112.11 Open (raft) panpipes - The pipes are tied together in the form of a board, or they are made by drilling tubes *in a board.
- 421.112.12 Open bundle (pan-) pipes - The pipes are tied together in a round bundle.
- 421.112.2 Stopped panpipes.
- 421.112.3 Mixed open and stopped panpipes.
- 421.112.1 Open panpipes.
- 421.111 Individual end-blown flutes.
- 421.12 Side-blown flutes - The player blows against the sharp rim of a hole in the side of the tube.
- 421.121 (Single) side-blown flutes.
- 421.121.1 Open side-blown flutes.
- 421.121.11 Without fingerholes.
- 421.121.12 With fingerholes - Western concert flutesFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
.
- 421.121.2 Partly stopped side-blown flutes - The lower end of the tube is a natural node of the pipe pierced by a small hole.
- 421.121.3 Stopped side-blown flutes.
- 421.121.31 Without fingerholes.
- 421.121.311 With fixed stopped lower end - (Apparently non-existent).
- 421.121.312 With adjustable stopped lower end - piston flutes.
- 421.121.32 With fingerholes.
- 421.121.31 Without fingerholes.
- 421.121.1 Open side-blown flutes.
- 421.122 Sets of side-blown flutes.
- 421.122.1 Sets of open slide-blown flutes.
- 421.122.2 Sets of stopped side-blown flutes.
- 421.121 (Single) side-blown flutes.
- 421.13 Vessel flutes (without distinct beak) The body of the pipe is not tubular but vessel-shaped - Xun.
- 421.11 End-blown flutes - The player blows against the sharp rim at the upper open end of a tube.
- 421.2 Flutes with duct or duct flutes - A narrow duct directs the air-stream against the sharp edge of a lateral orifice
- 421.21 Flutes with external duct - The duct is outside the wall of the flute; this group includes flutes with the duct chamfered in the wall under a ring-like sleeve and other similar arrangements.
- 421.211 (Single) flutes with external duct.
- 421.211.1 Open flutes with external duct.
- 421.211.11 Without fingerholes.
- 421.211.12 With fingerholes.
- 421.211.2 Partly stopped flutes with external duct.
- 421.211.3 Stopped flutes with external duct.
- 421.211.1 Open flutes with external duct.
- 421.212 Sets of flute with external duct.
- 421.211 (Single) flutes with external duct.
- 421.22 Flutes with internal duct - The duct is inside the tube. This group includes flutes with the duct formed by an internal baffle (natural node, bock of resin) and an exterior tied-on cover (cane, wood, hide).
- 421.221 (Single) flutes with internal duct.
- 421.221.1 Open flutes with internal duct.
- 421.221.11 Without fingerholes - whistleWhistleA whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
- 421.221.12 With fingerholes - RecorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
- 421.221.11 Without fingerholes - whistle
- 421.221.2 Partly stopped flute with internal duct.
- 421.221.3 Stopped flutes with internal duct.
- 421.221.31 Without fingerholes.
- 421.221.311 With fixed stopped lower end.
- 421.221.312 With adjustable stopped lower end.
- 421.221.31 Without fingerholes.
- 421.221.4 Vessel flutes with duct.
- 421.221.41 Without fingerholes.
- 421.221.42 With fingerholes - OcarinaOcarinaThe ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument. Variations do exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body...
.
- 421.221.1 Open flutes with internal duct.
- 421.222 Sets of flutes with internal duct.
- 421.222.1 Sets of open flutes with internal duct.
- 421.222.11 Without fingerholes - Open flue stops of the organ.
- 421.222.12 With fingerholes - Double flageolet.
- 421.222.2 Sets of partly stopped flutes with internal duct.
- 421.222.3 Sets of stopped flutes with internal duct.
- 421.222.1 Sets of open flutes with internal duct.
- 421.221 (Single) flutes with internal duct.
- 421.21 Flutes with external duct - The duct is outside the wall of the flute; this group includes flutes with the duct chamfered in the wall under a ring-like sleeve and other similar arrangements.
Reed aerophonesReed aerophonesReed aerophones is one of the categories of musical instruments found in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. In order to produce sound with these Aerophones the player's breath is directed against a lamella or pair of lamellae which periodically interrupt the airflow...
(422)
The player's breath is directed against a lamella or pair of lamellae which periodically interrupt the airflow and cause the air to be set in motion.- 422.1 Double reed instruments - There are two lamellae which beat against one another.
- 422.11 (Single) oboes.
- 422.111 With cylindrical bore.
- 422.111.1 Without fingerholes.
- 422.111.2 With fingerholes.
- 422.112 With conical bore - OboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
.
- 422.111 With cylindrical bore.
- 422.12 Sets of oboes.
- 422.121 With cylindrical bore.
- 422.122 With conical bore.
- 422.11 (Single) oboes.
- 422.2 Single reed instruments - The pipe has a single 'reed' consisting of a percussion lamella.
- 422.21 (Single) clarinets.
- 422.211 With cylindrical bore.
- 422.211.1 Without fingerholes.
- 422.211.2 With fingerholes - Western ClarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
.
- 422.212 With conical bore - SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
.
- 422.211 With cylindrical bore.
- 422.22 Sets of clarinets.
- 422.21 (Single) clarinets.
- 422.3 Reedpipes with free reeds - The reed vibrates through [at] a closely fitted frame. There must be fingerholes, otherwise the instrument belongs to the free reeds 412.13.
- 422.31 Single pipes with free reed.
- 422.32 Double pipes with free reeds.
Trumpets (423)
The player's vibrating lips set the air in motion.- 423.1 Natural trumpets - There are no means of changing the pitch apart from the player's lips. Examples are: BugleBugle (instrument)The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
, DidgeridooDidgeridooThe didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
and ShofarShofarA shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Shofar come in a variety of sizes.- Bible and rabbinic literature :...
.- 423.11 Conches - A conch shell serves as trumpet.
- 423.111 End-blown.
- 423.111.1 Without mouthpiece.
- 423.111.2 With mouthpiece.
- 423.112 Side-blown.
- 423.111 End-blown.
- 423.12 Tubular trumpets.
- 423.121 End-blown trumpets - The mouth-hole faces the axis of the trumpet.
- 423.121.1 End-blown straight trumpets - The tube is neither curved nor folded.
- 423.121.11 Without mouthpiece.
- 423.121.12 With mouthpiece.
- 423.121.2 End-blown horns - The tube is curved or folded.
- 423.121.21 Without mouthpiece.
- 423.121.22 With mouthpiece.
- 423.121.1 End-blown straight trumpets - The tube is neither curved nor folded.
- 423.122 Side blown trompets.
- 423.121 End-blown trumpets - The mouth-hole faces the axis of the trumpet.
- 423.11 Conches - A conch shell serves as trumpet.
- 423.2 Chromatic trumpets - The pitch of the instrument can be altered mechanically
- 423.21 Keyed trumpets
- 423.22 Slide trumpets - TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
. - 423.23 Valved trumpets - EuphoniumEuphoniumThe euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
, TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and TubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
.- 423.231 Conical bore
- 423.232 Semi-conical bore
- 423.233 Cylindrical bore
ElectrophoneElectrophoneThe electrophone category was added to the Hornbostel-Sachs musical instrument classification system by Sachs in 1940, to describe instruments involving electricity...
s (5)
- 51. Instruments having electric action (e.g. pipe organ with electrically controlled solenoid air valves);
- 52. Instruments having electrical amplification, such as the Neo-Bechstein piano of 1931, which had 18 microphones built into it;
- 53. Radioelectric instruments: instruments in which sound is produced by electrical means.
The fifth top-level group, electrophone
Electrophone
The electrophone category was added to the Hornbostel-Sachs musical instrument classification system by Sachs in 1940, to describe instruments involving electricity...
s category was added by Sachs in 1940, to describe instruments involving electricity. Sachs broke down his 5th category into 3 subcategories: 51=electrically actuated acoustic instruments; 52=electrically amplified acoustic instruments; 53= instruments in which make sound primarily by way of electrically driven oscillators, such as theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
s or synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, which he called radioelectric instruments. Francis William Galpin provided such a group in his own classification system, which is closer to Mahillon than Sachs–Hornbostel. For example, in Galpin's 1937 book A Textbook of European Musical Instruments, he lists electrophones with three second-level divisions for sound generation ("by oscillation," "electro-magnetic," and "electro-static"), as well as third-level and fourth-level categories based on the control method. Sachs himself proposed subcategories 51, 52, and 53, on pages 447-467 of his 1940 book The History of Musical Instruments. However, the original 1914 version of the system did not acknowledge the existence of his 5th category.
Present-day ethnomusicologists, such as Margaret Kartomi (page 173), and Ellingson (PhD dissertation, 1979, p. 544) suggest that, in keeping with the spirit of the original Hornbostel Sachs classification scheme, of categorization by what first produces the initial sound in the instrument, that only subcategory 53 should remain in the electrophones category. Thus it has been more recently proposed that, for example, the pipe organ (even if it uses electric key action to control solenoid valves) remain in the aerophones category, and that the electric guitar remain in the chordophones category, etc..
Application of the system
Beyond the top three groups are several further levels of classification, so that the xylophoneXylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
, for example, is in the group labeled 111.212 (periods are usually added after every third digit to make long numbers easier to read). A long classification number does not necessarily indicate the instrument is a complicated one. The bugle
Bugle (instrument)
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
for instance, has the classification number 423.121.22, even though it is generally regarded as a relatively simple instrument (it is basically a bent conical tube which you blow down like a trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, but it does not have valves or finger-holes). The numbers in the bugle's classification indicate the following:
- 4 - an aerophone
- 42 - the vibrating air is enclosed within the instrument
- 423 - the player's lips cause the air to vibrate directly (as opposed to an instrument with a reed like a clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, or an edge-blown instrument, like a fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
) - 423.1 - the player's lips are the only means of changing the instrument's pitch (that is, there are no valves as on a bugle)
- 423.12 - the instrument is tubular, rather than being a conchConchA conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
-type instrument - 423.121 - the player blows into the end of the tube, as opposed to the side of the tube
- 423.121.2 - the tube is bent or folded, as opposed to straight
- 423.121.22 - the instrument has a mouthpieceMouthpiece (brass)On brass instruments the mouthpiece is the part of the instrument which is placed upon the player's lips. The purpose of the mouthpiece is a resonator, which passes vibration from the lips to the column of air contained within the instrument, giving rise to the standing wave pattern of vibration in...
423.121.22 does not uniquely identify the bugle, but rather identifies the bugle as a certain kind of instrument which has much in common with other instruments in the same class. Another instrument classified as 423.121.22 is the bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
lur
Lur
A lur is a long natural blowing horn without finger holes that is played by embouchure. Lurs can be straight or curved in various shapes. The purpose of the curves was to make long instruments easier to carry A lur is a long natural blowing horn without finger holes that is played by embouchure....
, an instrument dating back to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
.
Suffixes and composite instruments
After the number described above, a number of suffixSuffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
es may be appended. An 8 indicates that the instrument has a keyboard attached, while a 9 indicates the instrument is mechanically driven. In addition to these, there are a number of suffixes unique to each of the top-level groups indicating details not considered crucial to the fundamental nature of the instrument. In the membranophone class, for instance, suffixes can indicate whether the skin of a drum is glued, nailed or tied to its body; in the chordophone class, suffixes can indicate whether the strings are plucked with fingers or plectrum, or played with a bow.
There are ways to classify instruments with this system even if they have elements from more than one group. Such instruments may have particularly long classification numbers with colons and hyphens used as well as numbers. Hornbostel and Sachs themselves cite the case of various bagpipes where some of the pipes are single reed (like a clarinet) and others are double reed (like the oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
). A number of similar composite instruments exist.
External links
- Hornbostel–Sachs on www.music.vt.edu
- http://www.wesleyan.edu/vim/svh.html