Understanding Instruments Instruments and voices are the media

with which music is created

A pitch is produced when a mediumvibrates at a given frequency

The medium also determines a pitchstimbre, or quality of sound

Timbre - Quality of Sound Timbre is hard to pin down and describe

A medium can be modified to createdifferent timbres

Preferred timbres are a culturalconsideration

Kinds of Media Instrument classification systems vary

culturally

Classification systems are based on localneeds and musical systems

Ancient Ba Yin 8 SoundsSystem Systematic classification of instruments devised

by Zhou dynasty (c.1000-200 B.C.E)

Instruments grouped according to the naturalsound producing material

8 Sounds: metal, stone, skin, vegetable gourd, bamboo,wood, silk, earth

Associations manifested a link between music and natureimportant for Confucian ritual

Indian System Provides a constant, systematic criteria

for classification:

Primary sound-producing medium determinesin which group an instrument is placed

Vibrating body, vibrating membrane, vibratingstring, vibrating column of air

Sachs-Hornbostel System 20th C. European ethnomusicologists adopted

ancient Indian system as a scientific means ofclassifying exotic instruments Curt Sachs and Erich von Hornbostel

Four major categories: Idiophones Membranophones Chordophones Aerophones

Idiophones An instrument whose

body vibrates toproduce sound is anidiophone

Ex: bells, shakers,gongs, xylophones, wood blocks

Can be plucked,struck, or shaken

Membranophones Membranophones

have a vibratingmembrane, or skin,stretched over aframe

Differences based onbody shape, number of heads, and method ofstriking

Aerophones Aerophones

produce soundthrough the directvibration of a columnof air

Flutes, reeds, andtrumpets

Chordophones Chordophones

produce sound viaone or more stringsstretched betweentwo points

Lutes, zithers, lyres,and harps

Local Systems Musicians devise systems that fulfill local

needs or reflect local ensembles, tuningsystems, etc.

Java: instruments grouped into loud and softplaying

Igbo (W. Africa): popularity/relative importance W.European: based on orchestra sections

(strings, brass, winds, percussion)