Musical Instruments

Musical Instruments

Some sounds are pleasing to the ear and make us happy. The sound that provides a pleasing sensation to the ear is called ‘music’ Music is produced by the regular patterns of vibrations. Musical instruments are categorized into four types as given below.

* Wind instruments

* Reed instruments

* Stringed instruments

* Percussion instruments

Wind instruments

In a wind instrument the sound is produced by the vibration of air in a hollow tube. The frequency is varied by changing the length of the vibrating air column. Trumpet, Flute, Shehnai and Saxophone are some well-known wind instruments.

Reed instruments

A reed instrument contains a reed. Air, which is blown through the instrument, causes the reed to vibrate, which in turn produces the specific sound. Examples of reed instruments include Harmonium and Mouth Organ.

Stringed instruments

Stringed instruments make use of a string or wire to produce vibrations and hence the specific sound. These instruments also have hollow boxes that amplify the sound that is produced. The frequency of sound is varied by varying the length of the vibrating wire. Violin, Guitar, Sitar are some of the examples of stringed instruments.

A guitar string has a number of frequencies at which it will naturally vibrate. These natural frequencies are known as the harmonics of the guitar string. The natural frequency, at which an object vibrates, depends upon the tension of the string, the linear density of the string and the length of the string.

Percussion instruments

Percussion instruments produce a specific sound when they are struck, scrapped orclashed together. They are the oldest type of musical instruments. There is an amazing variety of percussion instruments all over the world. Percussion instruments like the drum and tabla consist of a leather membrane, which is stretched across a hollow box called the resonator. When a membrane is hit, it starts vibrating and produces the sound.