HornbostelSachsféle

The Hornbostel-Sachs system is a method for classifying musical instruments. It was developed by German musicologists Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs and first published in 1914. The system categorizes instruments based on how they produce sound, rather than by cultural origin or the materials used. This approach was a significant departure from earlier classification methods.

The Hornbostel-Sachs system divides instruments into five main categories. The first category is idiophones, which produce sound through the vibration of the instrument itself, such as bells, xylophones, and rattles. The second category is membranophones, which create sound by vibrating a stretched membrane, like drums and kazoos. The third category is chordophones, which produce sound from vibrating strings, including guitars, violins, and pianos. The fourth category is aerophones, where sound is generated by vibrating air, such as flutes, trumpets, and organs. The fifth category, electrophones, was added later to encompass instruments that produce sound through electronic means, such as synthesizers and electric guitars.

Within these broad categories, the system further subdivides instruments based on more specific characteristics of their sound production. This detailed classification allows for a systematic and comprehensive organization of the vast diversity of musical instruments found across cultures and throughout history. The Hornbostel-Sachs system remains a widely used and influential framework in ethnomusicology and organology.