Transcript Monday, August 15

Humanities – Music
Mr. Rawlings
One way to classify musical instruments is to group
them as they are in a Western Orchestra. This is the
way you have likely learned in elementary and middle
school.




Brass
Woodwind
String
Percussion
This classification system is well-known, but is difficult
or confusing to apply to the numerous nonorchestral instruments.
Trumpet, French Horn,Trombone, Euphonium,
Tuba, etc.
-
Played by blowing air and vibrating your lips
into the mouthpiece (buzzing)
Although you may see saxophones that look to be
made of brass, they are considered woodwind
instruments.

-
Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone,
etc.
Played by blowing air to vibrate a reed.
In the case of a flute, you blow air over a
“soundhole” to create the sound (like blowing
a jug, or bottle).

-
Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass, Guitar, Banjo,
Harp, etc.
Played by plucking, bowing, picking, or
otherwise manipulating a string or strings to
create sound.

-
Drums, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Marimba,
Glockenspiel, Timpani, Drum Set,
Tambourine, Triangle, Piano, Gong, etc., etc.,
etc..
Played by hitting, striking, scraping, etc.
What about instruments that may not fall into
these families?
Consider these instruments:
Synthesizer, accordion, electric organ, etc.
How easy is it to classify these in the
aforementioned families?
Another way to classify musical instruments is
according to how their sounds are produced
(known as the Hornbostel and Sach’s System).
The Major Categories Are:
• Chordophones
• Aerophones
• Membranophones
• Idiophones
• Electrophones



More Specific – categories are subdivided into
smaller and smaller categories, making a sort of
family tree of related instruments (related by
function, not by history).
More Inclusive – any instrument can be
categorized
More Accurate – instruments are grouped
according to how sounds are produced, not
according to which instruments the composer is
likely to group them with in the music or which
orchestra member is likely to play them.

Sound is made by vibrating strings.
Think about examples.

Sound is produced by vibrating air (usually
inside the instrument).
What instruments do you think might be
aerophones?

Sound begins with the vibration of a
stretched membrane, or skin (often an actual
animal skin).
Are all drums membranophones?

Sound is created by the vibration of the
instrument itself.
“I gotta have more cowbell!”




Be careful on this one!!!
This class of instruments creates sound
electronically.
This class DOES NOT include instruments that are
acoustic and are amplified through speakers (ex.
Electric-acoustic guitar, vibraphone).
A true electrophone has the sound both
produced and amplified by electric circuits
(electric organ, synthesizer, etc.).
Classify the instruments of the band, or the
instruments in a group you are familiar with,
according to the Hornbostel and Sach’s
system. Classify at least ten (10) different
instruments in this way.
Chordophones:
Guitar, string bass, violin, cello, viola, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harp. Others?
Aerophones:
Flute, piccolo, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, french horn,
euphonium, tuba
Others?
Membranophones:
Drums (like timpani, snare drum, bass drum, tom-tom, bongos, congas). Others?
Idiophones:
Xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, marimba, tambourine, cymbals, gong,
triangle, maracas, bells. Others?
Electrophones:
Synthesizer, electric organ. Others?



Why might we classify musical instruments by
the Hornbostel and Sach’s system instead of
the traditional “Family” model?
Do you think there is a possibility of creating
a new classification of instruments in the
future?
What might that classification be?