The Hornbostel-Sachs

Hornbostel-Sachs

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...

 system 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...

 groups all instruments in which sound is produced primarily through a vibrating membrane. This 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.

Struck membranophones (21)

Struck drums - instruments which have a struck membrane. This includes most types of drum, such as the timpani

Timpani

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...

.

• Taiko
  Taiko
  means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
  
   - this term refers to any of the various Japanese drums.

Directly struck membranophones

Directly struck membranophones

Directly 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

• Tamak'
  Tamak'
  The tamak' is a stick-struck double-headed drum of the Santal people of India. The body of the drum is made from metal and shaped like a large bowl. The head of the drum is usually cowhide and 14-18 inches in diameter. The player strikes the drum with a pair of drum sticks...
  
  
• Timpani
  Timpani
  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...
  
  

211.12 Sets of instruments

• Tabla
  Tabla
  The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
  
  

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 drum

Cylindrical drum

Cylindrical 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

• Octoban
  Octoban
  Octoban drums, also known as tube toms and quarter toms, are tom-toms grouped in melodically-tuned sets of eight, hence the reference to octave, from octo meaning "eight". Octobans have 15 cm diameter drum shells, and range in length from 280 millimeters to 600 millimeters...
  
  

211.211.2 Instruments in which the end without a membrane is closed
211.212 Instruments which have two usable membranes

• Tumdak'
  Tumdak'
  The tumdak is a hand-struck double-headed membranophone of the Santal people of India. The Santal typically use the Tumdak' in combination with the Tamah' for religious ceremonies and Santal festivals. Both drums are almost universally played by men rather than women. The body of the drum is...
  
  

211.212.1 Single instruments

• Bass drum
  Bass drum
  Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
  
  
• 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...
  
  
• Tom-Tom

211.212.2 Sets of instruments
211.22 Instruments in which the body is barrel-shaped (barrel drum

Barrel drum

Barrel 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

• Conga
  Conga
  The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
  
  

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

• N-Odaiko - type of Taiko
  Taiko
  means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
  
  

211.222.2 Sets of instruments
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
211.24 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
211.25 Instruments in which the body is conical-shaped (conical drum

Conical drum

Conical 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

• Bongo drum
  Bongo drum
  Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
  
  

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
211.26 Instruments in which the body is goblet-shaped (goblet drum

Goblet drum

The 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

• Dabakan
  Dabakan
  The dabakan is a single-headed Philippine drum, primarily used as a supportive instrument in the kulintang ensemble. Among the five main kulintang instruments, it is the only non-gong element of the Maguindanao ensemble.-Description:...
  
  

211.262 Instruments which have two usable membranes
211.262.1 Single instruments
211.262.2 Sets of instruments
211.3 Instruments in which the body depth is not greater than the radius of the membrane (frame drum

Frame drum

A 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)

• Tambourine
  Tambourine
  The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
  
   (the jingles also make this an idiophone)

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

• Bodhrán
  Bodhrán
  The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
  
  

211.322 Instruments which have two usable membranes

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

• Cuíca
  Cuíca
  Cuíca , or "kweeca", is a Brazilian friction drum often used in samba music. The tone it produces has a high-pitched squeaky timbre. It has been called a 'laughing gourd' due to this sound....
  
  
• Rommelpot

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 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, 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 chamber

Tube or vessel-kazoos (242)

Instruments in which the membrane is placed in a box, tube or other container

• Kazoos

Unclassified membranophones (25)

These instruments may be classified with a suffix, depending on how the membrane is attached to the body:

• 6: Membrane glued to the body
• 7: Membrane nailed to the body
• 8: Membrane laced to the body
  • 81: Lacing is cord- or ribbon-bracing, in which the cords stretch between membranes or in the form of a net
    • 811: Lacing does not use a special device to stretch the cords
    • 812: The middle of the lacing has ribbons or cords tied crossways to increase the tension of the lacing (tension ligature)
    • 813: The lacing is zigzag, with every pair of strings attached to a ring or hoop (tension loop)
    • 814: Wedges, placed between the body and the lacing, can be used to alter the tension by adjusting the positioning of the wedges
  • 82: The lacing at the lower end is attached to a non-sonorous hide
    • 821: Lacing does not use a special device to stretch the cords
    • 822: The middle of the lacing has ribbons or cords tied crossways to increase the tension of the lacing (tension ligature)
    • 823: The lacing is zigzag, with every pair of strings attached to a ring or hoop (tension loop)
    • 824: Wedges, placed between the body and the lacing, can be used to alter the tension by adjusting the positioning of the wedges
  • 83: The lacing at the lower end is attached to an auxiliary board
    • 831: Lacing does not use a special device to stretch the cords
    • 832: The middle of the lacing has ribbons or cords tied crossways to increase the tension of the lacing (tension ligature)
    • 833: The lacing is zigzag, with every pair of strings attached to a ring or hoop (tension loop)
    • 834: Wedges, placed between the body and the lacing, can be used to alter the tension by adjusting the positioning of the wedges
  • 84: The lacing at the lower end is attached to flange
    Flange
    A flange is an external or internal ridge, or rim , for strength, as the flange of an iron beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam; or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc., or on the lens mount of a camera; or for a flange of a rail car or tram wheel...
    
    , carved from a solid block
    • 841: Lacing does not use a special device to stretch the cords
    • 842: The middle of the lacing has ribbons or cords tied crossways to increase the tension of the lacing (tension ligature)
    • 843: The lacing is zigzag, with every pair of strings attached to a ring or hoop (tension loop)
    • 844: Wedges, placed between the body and the lacing, can be used to alter the tension by adjusting the positioning of the wedges
  • 85: The lacing at the lower end is attached to a belt
    • 851: Lacing does not use a special device to stretch the cords
    • 852: The middle of the lacing has ribbons or cords tied crossways to increase the tension of the lacing (tension ligature)
    • 853: The lacing is zigzag, with every pair of strings attached to a ring or hoop (tension loop)
    • 854: Wedges, placed between the body and the lacing, can be used to alter the tension by adjusting the positioning of the wedges
  • 86: The lacing at the lower end is attached to pegs inserted in the body of the drum
    • 861: Lacing does not use a special device to stretch the cords
    • 862: The middle of the lacing has ribbons or cords tied crossways to increase the tension of the lacing (tension ligature)
    • 863: The lacing is zigzag, with every pair of strings attached to a ring or hoop (tension loop)
    • 864: Wedges, placed between the body and the lacing, can be used to alter the tension by adjusting the positioning of the wedges
• 9: Membrane is bound to the body with a ring slipped on top of it
  • 91: Membrane is attached by a ring made of cord
  • 92: Membrane is attached by a ring made of a hoop
    • 921: Drum has no mechanism
    • 922: Drum has mechanism
      • 9221: Drum has no pedals
      • 9222: Drum has pedals