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Musical Instruments

A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that produces sound, and can somehow be controlled by a musician, can serve as a musical instrument. more...

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The expression, however, is reserved generally to items that have a specific musical purpose. The academic study of musical instruments is called organology.

Types of musical instruments

Instruments are often divided by the way in which they generate sound:

  • Wind instruments generate a sound when a column of air is made to vibrate inside them. The frequency of the wave generated is related to the length of the column of air and the shape of the instrument, while the tone quality of the sound generated is affected by the construction of the instrument and method of tone production. The group is typically subdivided into Brass and Woodwind instruments.
  • Percussion instruments create sound, with or without pitch, when struck. The shape and material of the part of the instrument to be struck and the shape of the resonating cavity, if any, determine the sound of the instrument.
  • String instruments generate a sound when the string is plucked, strummed, slapped, etc. The frequency of the wave generated (and therefore the note produced) usually depends on the length of the vibrating portion of the string, its mass, the tension of each string and the point at which the string is excited; the tone quality varies with the construction of the resonating cavity.
  • Voice, that is, the human voice, is an instrument in its own right. A singer generates sounds when airflow from the lungs sets the vocal cords into oscillation. The fundamental frequency is controlled by the tension of the vocal cords and the tone quality by the formation of the vocal tract; a wide range of sounds can be created.
  • Electronic instruments generate sound through electronic means. They often mimic other instruments in their design, particularly keyboards.
  • Keyboard instruments are any instruments that are played with a musical keyboard. Every key generates one or more sounds; most keyboard instruments have extra means (pedals for a piano, stops for an organ) to manipulate these sounds. They may produce sound by wind (organ), vibrating strings either hammered (piano) or plucked (harpsichord), by electronic means (synthesizer) or in some other way. Sometimes, instruments that do not usually have a keyboard, such as the Glockenspiel, are fitted with one. This term is also used to refer to the family of percussion instruments who resemble a piano keyboard. Though they have no moving parts and are struck by mallets held in the player's hands, they possess the same physical arrangement of keys and produce soundwaves in a similar manner.

Many alternate divisions and further subdivisions of instruments exist. To learn about specific instruments, consult the list of musical instruments or list of archaic musical instruments.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


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Tourte Violin BowTourte Violin Bow $950.00 = Antique Old Vintage German Volin For Restauration == Antique Old Vintage German Volin For Restauration = $898.98
♣♥♥♥♣ Beautiful antique inlaid zither - Vienna, Austria ♣♥♥♥♣♣♥♥♥♣ Beautiful antique inlaid zither - Vienna, Austria ♣♥♥♥♣ $46.45 Antique Violin German Late 1800s - Early 1900s Antique Violin German Late 1800s - Early 1900s $1,200.00
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Vintage G. Valette Paris France 4666 Clarinet for Parts Repair Sold As Is Vintage G. Valette Paris France 4666 Clarinet for Parts Repair Sold As Is Mason & Hamlin Grand Piano 1913 Model A Restored 2008Mason & Hamlin Grand Piano 1913 Model A Restored 2008 $10,950.00
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Rare Vintage Luigi Fratellini Accordion & CaseRare Vintage Luigi Fratellini Accordion & Case $425.00 1927- The Gibson A-Junior Mandolin 1927- The Gibson A-Junior Mandolin $950.00
Vintage Musical Harp - Arpa MusicalVintage Musical Harp - Arpa Musical $34.99 Mehlin & Sons Upright "Inverted" Grand Piano Antique early 1900sMehlin & Sons Upright "Inverted" Grand Piano Antique early 1900s
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Antique Buffet Champon & Cie Paris Clarinet Case Only "Sweetest Clarinet Ever"Antique Buffet Champon & Cie Paris Clarinet Case Only "Sweetest Clarinet Ever" $32.00  old antique violin bow repair rehair Vuillaume stamp No res No return old antique violin bow repair rehair Vuillaume stamp No res No return $32.01
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 Vintage Early Hopf Violin One Piece Back Interesting for Luthier Vintage Early Hopf Violin One Piece Back Interesting for Luthier $53.00 3 old antique violin bows repair rehair unstamped No res No return3 old antique violin bows repair rehair unstamped No res No return $9.99
Vintage Tambourine With Single Row of "Jingles" Hide, Hyde TopVintage Tambourine With Single Row of "Jingles" Hide, Hyde Top $4.99 * Extraordinary Clement & Son Violin Bow. 4/4 * Old Antique Model* Extraordinary Clement & Son Violin Bow. 4/4 * Old Antique Model $21.50
Vintage B C Co. Cadet Clarinet Mouth Piece And Tattered Well Used CaseVintage B C Co. Cadet Clarinet Mouth Piece And Tattered Well Used Case $24.65 The Etude 1939 Music Magazine- Valentine's Day Edition The Etude 1939 Music Magazine- Valentine's Day Edition
 old antique violin bow repair rehair Bausch stamp Pernambuco No res No return old antique violin bow repair rehair Bausch stamp Pernambuco No res No return $9.99 Antique violin 100+ years old NiceAntique violin 100+ years old Nice $103.62
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Prices current as of last update, 02/04/12 8:49pm.

See also...
Keyboard, Musical Instruments
Percussion, Musical Instruments
String, Musical Instruments
Wind, Musical Instruments

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