Hornbostel-Sachs

This is a system used to classify all musical instruments. This system was created by
Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs. The Hornbostel-Sachs system is based on how an
instrument vibrates to produce sound. Even though the system has been criticized and revised
over the years, it is the most widely accepted system of musical instrument classification used by
organologists and ethnomusicologists.

The system was first published in 1914 with a revised English translation in 1961. Other
classification systems date back to the 4th century B.C. The Chinese classified instruments by
the material that they were constructed from (stone, wood, silk, etc.). The idea was originally
conceived by the Hindus in the 1st century B.C. They created four main groups, vibrating
strings, vibrating air columns, percussion instruments made of wood or metal and percussion
instruments made with skin heads. Later, the Greeks used a similar system to classify their
musical instruments. Organologists such as Martin Agricola then refined the system even further
by dividing stringed instruments into the plucked and bowed categories. In the late 19th century,
Victor Mahillon, curator of the Brussels Conservatory musical instrument collection, adopted
and refined this system. Although his system was limited to the serious instruments of Western
music, he used the four groups of strings, winds, drums and other percussion. By expanding on
Mahillon's system, Hornbostel-Sachs made it possible to classify any instrument from any
culture.

The original Hornbostel-Sachs system classified instruments into four main categories.
The fifth category is a later revision to include the latest technologies in music performance.
Within each category are many subgroups with a formal structure based on the Dewey Decimal
classification system. The basic categories of the system are listed below, and a more complete
version of the system is found in the appendix (Table of Musical Instrument Classifications).

1 - Idiophones:
Instruments which produce sound by vibrating themselves;
2 - Membranophones:
Instruments which produce sound by a vibrating membrane;
3 - Chordophones:
Instruments which produce sound by vibrating strings;
4 - Aerophones:
Instruments which produce sound by vibrating columns of air;
5 - Electrophones:
Instruments which produce sound electronically.
Comprehensive Table of Musical Instrument Classifications
Based on the Hornbostel-Sachs Instrument Classification System

Musical Instrument Identification Quizzes - Modern Instruments and their

Families

Aerophones Chordophones Idiophones Membranophones Electrophones

(Wind (Stringed (Vibrating (Vibrating (Electronically
Instruments - Instruments - Instruments) Membrane Created Sounds)
Vibrating air) Vibrating Instruments)
strings)
Free Zithers Concussion Predrum Synthesizers
Aerophones Ground Zithers Idiophones Membranophones Moog
Free Aerophones Musical Bows Clappers Ground drums Theremin
(Moving object Aeolian Bows Pot drums Ondes Martenot
Claves
vibrates air to Pluriare Trautonium
Slapstick
create sound) Stick Zithers Tubular Drums
Castanets
Bull-roarer Vin Frame Drums
Castanets
Buzzer Bladder and Shallow Drums
Cymbals
Free Reed String Cylinder Drums
Aerophones Cymbals Hourglass Drums
Raft Zither
(Vibrating reeds Trough Zither Conical Drums
without Frame Zither Percussion Goblet Drums
resonators) Tube Zither Idiophones Barrel Drums
Accordion Board Zither Rattle Drums
Stamped Idiophones
Harmonica Long Zither Water Drums
Percussion Beams
Harmonium Drum Kit / Drum Set
Individually Marimba
Mouth Organ Talking Drums
Bridged Long Bell Lyre
Sheng Drum Chimes
Zither Celesta
Fretted Long Bass Drum
Gender
Zither Bongos
Glockenspiel
Flutes (Flue Orchestra Bells
Conga
Box Zither
Voiced) Snare Drum
Monochord Saron
(Air column Tenor Drum
String Drum Vibraphone
Timbales
split by lip of Trumpet Marine Percussion Disks Tom-tom
of the Psaltery Gong
instrument) Aeolian Harp
Percussion Sticks Kettledrums
Fretted Zither
Open Tube Timpani
Bell Harp Triangles
End Blown
Autoharp Xylophone
Single Flutes Friction Drums
Dulcimer Crystallophones
Kaval Zither Lithophones
End Blown Metallophone
Multiple Flutes Keyboard Percussion Tubes Mirliton
Panpipes Chordophones Stamping Tubes Kazoo
Whistle Blown Keyboard Slit Drums
Tubular Bells &
 Boatswains Experimental Chimes
Whistle Keyboard Angklung
Flageolet Transposing
Recorder Keyboard Percussion Vessels
Side Blown Chekker Percussion Gourds
Dulce Melos & Pots
Flute Clavichord
(transverse) The Echeion
Cimbal d'amour Steel Drums
Closed Tube Bells
Harpsichord
Ocarina Clavicytherium Temple Blocks
Keyboard Gut-strung Wood Block
Organ Harpsichords &
Enharmonic Shaken
Harpsichords Idiophones
Reedpipes Spinet (Rattles)
(Vibration of Virginal
Vessel Rattles
reeds) Claviorganum
Double Pipes Piano-organ Pellet Bells
Triple Pipes Bowed Keyboard Gourd Rattles
Hornpipes Instruments
Maracas
Bladder pipe Pianoforte
Basketry Rattles
Crumhorn Harpsichord Hollow Ring
Bagpipes Piano Rattles
Tangent Piano
Musette Suspension Rattles
Sustaining Piano
Shawm Pedalboard Piano Stick Rattles
Enharmonic Sistrum
Oboe Strung Rattles
Piano
English Horn Player Piano Frame, Pendant, and
Rackett Fortepiano Sliding Rattles
Sordone Piano Sistro
Sordun
Bassanelli Scraped
Bassoon Lyres Idiophones
Curtal Lyre Scrapers
Bassoon Crwth Giro
Contrabassoon Cog Rattles
High-pitched Harps Cog Rattle
Bassoon Ratchet
Ground Bows
Single-reed Washboard
Harps
Bassoon Harp
Sarrusophone Split Idiophone
Harp Zither
Single-reed Harp Lute
Reedpipes
Clarinet Lutes Plucked
Saxophone Long-necked Lute Idiophones
Free-reed Short-necked Lute Jew's Harp
Aerophones Archlute Thumb Piano
Theorbo Music Box
 Theorbo Lute Sansa
Lip Vibrated Chitarrone Mbira
Aerophones- Angelica
(Vibration of Mandora Friction
Lips) Mandolin Idiophones
Sitar
Horn Friction Sticks
Cittern
Fingerhole Horns Friction-bar Pianos
Archcittern Friction Vessels
Cornett
Serpent Bandora Musical Glasses
Trumpet Orpharion Glass Armonica
Penorcon Musical Saw
(Conical Bore) Polyphant
Alphorn Balalaika
Bugle Charango
Cornet Colascione
Flugelhorn Guitar
(Cylindrical Gittern
Bore) Vihuela
Euphonium Spanish Guitar
Sousaphone Bass Guitar
Trombone Bandurria
Tuba Ukulele
Organistrum
(hurdy-gurdy)

Bowed
Chordophones
Bow
Fiddle
Rebec
Kit
Folk Rebec
Polnische Geige
Lira da Braccio
Lira da Gamba
Viola da Gamba
Violone
Baryton
Viola
Violino d'amore
Violin
Viola
Tenor Violin
Violoncello
(cello)
Double Bass