Idiophone
Encyclopedia
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
(see List of idiophones by Hornbostel-Sachs number). In the early classification of Victor-Charles Mahillon
, this group of instruments was called autophones.
Most percussion instrument
s which are not drum
s are idiophones. Hornbostel-Sachs divides idiophones into four main sub-categories. The first division is the struck idiophones (sometimes called concussion idiophones). This includes most of the non-drum percussion instruments familiar in the West. They include all idiophones which are made to vibrate by being hit, either directly with a stick or hand (like the wood block
, singing bowl
, triangle
or marimba
), or indirectly, by way of a scraping or shaking motion (like maracas or flexatone
). Various types of bell
s fall into both categories.
The other three sub-divisions are rarer. They are plucked idiophones, such as the jaw harp, amplified cactus
, kouxian
, dan moi, music box or mbira
(lamellophone / thumb piano); blown idiophones, of which there are a very small number of examples, the Aeolsklavier
being one; and friction idiophones
, such as the singing bowl
, glass harmonica
, glass harp
, turntable
, verrophone
, daxophone
, styrophone
, musical saw
, or nail violin
(a number of pieces of metal or wood rubbed with a bow).
Other classifications use six main sub-categories: Concussion Idiophones are instruments that produce sound by being struck against one another. Percussion idiophones produce sound by being struck with a non-vibrating foreign object. Examples of non-vibrating objects are mallets, hammers, and sticks. Rattle
idiophones are shaken. Scraper
idiophones are instruments that are scraped with a stick or other foreign objects to give off a sound. Plucked
idiophones produce sound by plucking a flexible tongue from within the instrument itself. Lastly, friction idiophones
are rubbed to increase vibration and sound intensity.
Idiophones are made out of materials that give off unique sounds. The majority of idiophones are made out of glass, metal, ceramics, and wood. Idiophones are considered part of the percussion section in an orchestra.
A number of idiophones that are normally struck, such as vibraphone
bars and cymbal
s, can also be bowed.
They include:
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
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
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...
(see List of idiophones by Hornbostel-Sachs number). In the early classification of 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....
, this group of instruments was called autophones.
Most 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 which are not 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 are idiophones. Hornbostel-Sachs divides idiophones into four main sub-categories. The first division is the struck idiophones (sometimes called concussion idiophones). This includes most of the non-drum percussion instruments familiar in the West. They include all idiophones which are made to vibrate by being hit, either directly with a stick or hand (like the wood block
Wood block
A woodblock is essentially a small piece of slit drum made from a single piece of wood and used as a percussion instrument. It is struck with a stick, making a characteristically percussive sound....
, singing bowl
Singing bowl
Singing bowls are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, singing bowls sit with the bottom surface resting...
, triangle
Triangle (instrument)
The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...
or 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 ...
), or indirectly, by way of a scraping or shaking motion (like maracas or flexatone
Flexatone
The flexatone is a modern percussion instrument consisting of a small flexible metal sheet suspended in a wire frame ending in a handle. -History, construction and technique:...
). Various types of bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s fall into both categories.
The other three sub-divisions are rarer. They are plucked idiophones, such as the jaw harp, amplified cactus
Amplified cactus
An amplified cactus is a cactus plant used as a musical instrument. It harnesses the acoustic properties of a cactus , by applying contact microphones and amplifying their projection and tone. The effect is somewhat ethereal, making it a suitable genre over which modern dance might be choreographed...
, kouxian
Kouxian
Kouxian is the Chinese generic term for the jaw harp, and as such is used to refer to all such instruments originating in China...
, dan moi, music box or mbira
Mbira
In African music, the mbira is a musical instrument that consists of a wooden board to which staggered metal keys have been attached. It is often fitted into a resonator...
(lamellophone / thumb piano); blown idiophones, of which there are a very small number of examples, the Aeolsklavier
Aeolsklavier
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...
being one; and friction idiophones
Friction idiophones
Friction 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...
, such as the singing bowl
Singing bowl
Singing bowls are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, singing bowls sit with the bottom surface resting...
, 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...
, glass harp
Glass harp
A glass harp is an instrument made of upright wine glasses....
, turntable
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
, verrophone
Verrophone
A verrophone is a musical instrument, invented in 1983, by Reckert, in which open-ended glass tubes are arranged in various sizes . The sound is made by rubbing one end of one or more of the glass tubes, or also by striking them or rubbing them with a special mallet...
, daxophone
Daxophone
The daxophone, invented by Hans Reichel, is an experimental musical instrument of the friction idiophones category. It consists of a thin wooden blade fixed in a wooden block , which holds one or more contact microphones...
, styrophone
Styrophone
A styrophone is an acoustic device made from expanded polystyrene foam . There are at least two varieties:* an acoustic musical instrument* a type of loudspeaker...
, musical saw
Musical saw
A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is the application of a hand saw as a musical instrument. The sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin...
, or nail violin
Nail 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 number of pieces of metal or wood rubbed with a bow).
Other classifications use six main sub-categories: Concussion Idiophones are instruments that produce sound by being struck against one another. Percussion idiophones produce sound by being struck with a non-vibrating foreign object. Examples of non-vibrating objects are mallets, hammers, and sticks. Rattle
Rattle (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...
idiophones are shaken. Scraper
Güiro
The güiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role...
idiophones are instruments that are scraped with a stick or other foreign objects to give off a sound. Plucked
Pizzicato
Pizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
idiophones produce sound by plucking a flexible tongue from within the instrument itself. Lastly, friction idiophones
Friction idiophones
Friction 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...
are rubbed to increase vibration and sound intensity.
Idiophones are made out of materials that give off unique sounds. The majority of idiophones are made out of glass, metal, ceramics, and wood. Idiophones are considered part of the percussion section in an orchestra.
A number of idiophones that are normally struck, such as vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
bars and cymbal
Cymbal
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, can also be bowed.
Mallet-struck tuned percussion
A number of instruments fall into a sub-class within this group, and relate directly to the classification, tuned percussion. They are struck with mallets or with sticks.They include:
- Tongue Drums
- marimbaMarimbaThe 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 ...
s - xylophoneXylophoneThe xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
s - vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
s - glockenspielGlockenspielA 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...
- balafonBalafonThe balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
s - steelpanSteelpanSteelpans is a musical instrument originating from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago...
- celestaCelestaThe celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
, keyboard-operated idiophones - Hank drumHank drumA tank drum or hank drum is a round steel slit/tongue drum originally fashioned from a propane tank.-Description:Strictly speaking a tank drum is made from an empty propane tank. The tank is flipped over, the base cut/knocked off; and seven to ten tongues are cut radially into the 'bottom' of the...