TYPES OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR EXAMPLES

Wind Instruments:
As the name suggests, wind instruments use air as a medium to
produce sounds of different pitches and intensities. These instruments
work on the principles of waves and other useful concepts of applied
physics.

Flute

The flute has been a part of the musical world for ages and was used as a means
to produce high-pitched sounds. It was initially made out of wood and hollow reeds
like bamboo, stone, or clay. However, flutes of today’s day and age are made out of
materials like silver, gold, and platinum.

Oboe
 This instrument is a two-foot-long black cylinder that has metal keys covering its
holes. The mouthpiece in an oboe uses a double reed that vibrates as you blow
through it. To play, hold it in an upright position and blow through the mouthpiece
as you use both your hands to press down on the keys, opening and closing the holes
to produce a range of pitches – from hauntingly beautiful melodies to velvety
smooth notes – making the whole experience quite a memorable one.

Clarinet:
The clarinets in the orchestras are responsible for both melodies and
harmonies, which essentially means that they have a rich dark sound in
their lower notes while the upper notes are bright and resonant. The
clarinet is played in the same manner as the oboe.

Bassoon

This woodwind instrument is a long pipe made of wood and doubled in half. The
bend in the instrument makes it easier for the musicians to play. Similar to the oboe,
the bassoon also uses a double reed that is attached to a curved metal mouthpiece.

Saxophone
 The saxophone has a conical tube, which is made from metal brass. The tube has
openings that are around twenty-four in number. Padded keys primarily control
these openings. There are two-octave key vents available too, which facilitate the
instrument to blow to even higher registers.

Brass Instruments:
Brass instruments are primarily made of long pipes that widen towards the end
to form a bell-like shape. The tube used in these instruments is generally twisted and
formed into curves to make it easier for the musician to hold them and play.

Trumpet

Trumpet-like instruments in their earlier stages were made using conch shells,
animal horns, wood, or metal. Historically, the trumpet was used to sound alarms,
gather people, and as a call of war. The trumpet is the smallest instrument of its
family and is responsible for playing the highest pitches with their bright and vibrant
sound.

French Horn

To play this instrument, you must hold it with the curve downwards whilst
buzzing into the mouthpiece. Your left hand should be focused on the three valves
and the type of sound can very well be changed by the way you put your right hand
on the bell.

Trombone
 The trombone is perhaps the only instrument in the brass family that uses a
slide instead of valves to alter the pitch. Ideally, a trombone is made of long thin
brass pipes.

Tuba

The tuba is to be played sitting down with the bell facing upwards. To produce
the sound, buzz into its very large mouthpiece with your hands on the valves,
consciously changing the pitch of the sound.

Percussion Instruments:
Thus instruments are the musical instruments in which sound is produced by
beating or scraping them using a beater, hand, or a similar instrument.

Marimba
 The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of
wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that
amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre
of the marimba is warmer, deeper, more resonant, and more pure. It also tends to
have a lower range than that of a xylophone.

Piano

Piano is a percussion or a string instrument. The fact that it is played by pressing

Cymbals
 Cymbals are particularly used to create drama and excitement or to create
delicate sound effects. Cymbals can be played either by hitting them against each
other or hitting them using sticks, mallets, or brushes.

String Instruments:
The instruments that fall in this category consist of strings that can be vibrated
to produce different sounds with varying pitches. The pitch of the sound produced
via these instruments is highly dependent on the length of the air column inside the
instrument. The pitch also significantly depends upon the thickness of the strings
used in the instrument.

Guitar

A very commonly known string instrument is the guitar. The guitar is a relatively
more straightforward instrument than other instruments in this category. It is
primarily played by plucking or vibrating the strings.

Violin
 Violins have a hollow body. Instruments with hollow bodies usually have an
excellent quality because this hollowness ensures fullness in the instrument’s sound .