The principles of musical instruments

Throughout history, various methods of musical instrument classification have

been used. The most commonly used system divides instruments into string,
woodwind, brass and percussion however, other schemes have been devised.
Common instruments in the string family include the violin, guitar, sitar, electric
bass, viola, cello, harp, double bass, rebab, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and
bouzouki. On the other hand, popular instruments in the woodwind family
consists of: the bassoon, oboe, saxophone, and clarinet. Also, the brass family
includes: the trumpet, horn, euphonium, tuba, cornet, tenor horn, baritone horn,
sousaphone, mellophone, and the saxophone. Unlike most of the other players in
the orchestra, a percussionist will usually play many different instruments in one
piece of music. The most common percussion instruments in the orchestra
include the timpani, xylophone, cymbals, triangle, snare, drum, bass drum,
tambourine, maracas, gongs, chimes, celesta, and piano.
Stringed Instrument
Instrume
nt

Guitar

Physical
appearance
Six strings made
from nylon and
silver plated
copper, 48 to
54mm wide at
the nut. Due to
low string
tension, the
neck of the
guitar can be
entirely made
out of wood.

Played

Plucked
&
strumm
ed

Other
Frequency range: 82Hz 1319Hz
Dynamic range: ppp fff
Timbre is most typically expressed on the
guitar by the position of the picking hand in
relationship to the bridge and sound hole.
Playing toward the fingerboard side of the
sound hole emphasises the fundamental
tone and yields a warmer, darker sound
called sul tasto. The several harmonics that
you can use on a guitar are: open-string,
fretted, artificial, and pinched using these
eliminates the fundamental (loudest sound
produced) and the other overtones,
producing a nice effect that many guitarists
like to use.

Woodwind Instrument
Instrume
nt

Saxophon
e

Physical
appearance

Usually made of
brass and played
with a single
reed
mouthpiece. The
material used
has little, if any,

Played

Blown

Other
Frequency range: 73Hz 880Hz
Dynamic range: ppp fff
Adolphe Sax wanted to create a woodwind
that sounded like a string instrument. The
timbre of his solution is therefore highly
versatile. When a player uses a
mouthpiece, the tone is very bright and
suitable for jazz. Alternatively, a
saxophonist can use a classical mouthpiece
made from hard rubber for a darker,
smoother tone. Many high school level

effect on the
sound, and
physical
dimensions give
the mouthpiece
its tone colour.

saxophone players use cheaper plasticmade mouthpieces, which may yield a tone
quality roughly between those of metal and
hard rubber, but lacking the best qualities
of both. In order to play the overtones, you
need to think about your embouchure,
especially the shape of your oral cavity and
tongue position. Harmonics are useful for
altissimo playing, as well as some effects
such as false fingerings.

Percussion Instrument
Instrume
nt

Piano

By Akai. M

Physical
appearance
An acoustic
piano usually
has a protective
wooden case
surrounding the
soundboard and
metal strings. It
also has a row of
88 black and
white keys (52
white, 36 black),
with
approximately
236 strings
inside. The outer
rim of a piano is
made from
hardwood,
typically hard
maple or beech,
in order to
prohibit
longevity. It
serves as an
essentially
immobile object
from which the
flexible
soundboard can
best vibrate.

Played

Struck

Other
Frequency range: 28Hz 4186Hz
Dynamic range: 85db (measured 10metres
away)
The original name for a piano was
pianoforte, which means soft/loud, due to it
being played in that respective manner. A
way of describing the tone colour of the
piano is by the feelings it invokes when
heard. A soft melancholy piece could be
said to be sombre, whereas if a piece is
bright and lively the piano could be said to
be possess a vibrant colour.
The harmonics of a piano is determined by
its string length and mass (piano size). This
is due to when a piano is struck, the strings
are sounded and silenced when the keys
are released, by the use of pedals.