Percussion instruments These types of instruments are designed to make unique noises when hit with a stick or using your hands. Percussion instruments are divided into idiophones and membranophones and they each do different things. Membranophones Membranophones have a drum-stretched membrane or drum head covering a hollow shell such as the one below. Idiophones Idiophones dont have a stretched membrane and is made to vibrate as shown in the pictures below. Did you know? Bells are also a percussion instrument and are the oldest ones they were first originated in china and are now used in churched they fall in the idiophone category. If you think that woodwind instruments are made of wood at all times you are wrong because some are made of brass it is similar to the brass instruments as not all are made of brass. Woodwind instruments have to be blown in order to make a sound. To make different sounds the keys have to be pushed down completely creating a path for the air to pass through. Woodwind instruments either have to edge blown or have a reed so it can be played. Brass Instruments Brass instruments are not necessarily made of brass they could be made out of metal or steel it all depends on the instrument and the person who creates it. Brass instruments either have a valve or a slide so that they can go into a range of different notes and not stay on the same key. There different kinds of brass instruments some dont even have a valve or a key such as a bugle as shown in the picture. You may wonder why brass instruments have loads of twists and the reason for that is because it makes it easy to handle and sometimes a bit appealing. Imagine the instruments without them they would be one long tube and quite uncomfortable. String instruments These types of instruments all have string they Sound by the vibration of the strings. They can be plucked, bowed or strummed depending on the players decision and what kind of instrument it is. String instruments have a resonator which is like a hollow case or base that helps to project the sound played without this the instrument would be quiet and not many people would be able to hear what is being played. The oldest kind of stringed instrument is called the lyre which was popular in the ancient Greek followed by the harp which we still use today.