List of idiophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number
The Hornbostel–Sachs system of musical instrument classification defines idiophones as all instruments in which sound is produced primarily by way of the instrument itself vibrating without the use of membranes or strings.
Idiophones (1)
Struck idiophones (11)
Idiophones set in motion by a percussion action: hitting, shaking, or scraping. Also see Struck idiophone.
Directly struck idiophones (111)
111.1 Concussion Idiophones or clappers
111.11 Concussion sticks or sticks of clap
111.12 Concussion plaques or plaque clappers
111.13 Concussion troughs or trough clappers
111.14 Concussion vessels or vessel clappers
111.141 Castanets - Natural and hollowed-out vessel clappers
- Castanets
- Coconut shells
- Krap
111.142 Cymbals - Vessel clappers with manufactured rim
- Chap
- Ching
- Cymbals, in pairs
- Clash Cymbals in pairs
111.2 Percussion Idiophones
111.21 Percussion sticks or bars
111.211 Individual percussion sticks
111.212 Sets of percussion sticks in a range of different pitches combined into one instrument. - All xylophones, as long as their sounding components are not in two different planes.
- Balafon
- Gandingan a kayo
- Glasschord
- Glass Marimba
- Kulintang a kayo
- Luntang or kwintangan kayo
- Marimba
- Marimbaphone (also bowed)
- Pong lang
- Xylophone
- Xylorimba
111.22 Percussion plaques
111.221 Individual percussion plaques
111.222 Sets of percussion plaques
111.23 Percussion tubes
111.231 Individual percussion tubes.
- Agung a tamlang
- Alimba
- Huari
- Huiringua
- Kagul
- Krin or Kolokolos
- Mondo
- Mukoko
- Slit drum
- Takuapu
- Teponaztli
- Tubular Wood block
111.232 Sets of percussion tubes.
- Jegog
- Tubular bells or chimes
111.24 Percussion vessels.
- Boungu
- Chuk
- Cymbals
- Hang
- Kagul or tagutok
- Slit drums:
- Slit gong
- Steelpan or steel drum
- Tank drum
- Udu (also an aerophone)
- Wood block
111.241 Gongs - The vibration is strongest near the vertex.
111.241.1 Individual gongs.
111.241.2 Sets of gongs.
111.242 Bells - The vibration is weakest near the vertex.
111.242.1 Individual bells
111.242.11 Resting bells whose opening faces upward.
111.242.12 Hanging bells suspended from the apex.
111.242.121 Hanging bells without internal strikers.
111.242.122 Hanging bells with internal strikers.
111.242.2 Sets of bells or chimes.
111.242.21 Sets of resting bells whose opening faces upward.
111.242.22 Sets of hanging bells suspended from the apex.
111.242.221 Sets of hanging bells without internal strikers.
111.242.222 Sets of hanging bells with internal strikers.
Indirectly struck idiophones (112)
112.1 Shaken idiophones or rattles
112.11 Suspension rattles - Perforated idiophones are mounted together, and shaken to strike against each other.
112.111 Strung rattles - Rattling objects are strung in rows on a cord.
112.112 Stick rattles - Rattling objects are strung on a bar or ring.
112.12 Frame rattles - Rattling objects are attached to a carrier against which they strike.
- Flexatone
- Tambourine (the membrane attached to a number of these also makes them a membranophone)
- Vibraslap
112.121 Pendant rattles.
112.122 Sliding rattles.
112.13 Vessel rattles - Rattling objects enclosed in a vessel strike against each other or against the walls of the vessel, or usually against both.
112.2 Scraped Idiophones
112.21 Scraped sticks.
112.211 Scraped sticks without resonator.
112.212 Scraped sticks with resonator.
112.22 Scraped tubes.
112.23 Scraped vessels.
112.24 Scraped wheels - cog rattles
112.3 Split idiophones - Instruments in the shape of two springy arms connected at one end and touching at the other: the arms are forced apart by a little stick, to jangle or vibrate on recoil.
Plucked idiophones (12)
Instruments set into vibration by plucking. Lamellophones.
In the form of a frame (121)
121.1 Clack idiophones - The lamella is carved in the surface of a fruit shell, which serves as resonator.
121.2 Guimbardes and Jaw harps - The lamella is mounted in a rod- or plaque-shaped frame and depends on the player's mouth cavity for resonance.
121.21 Idioglot guimbardes - The lamella is of one substance with the frame of the instrument.
121.22 Heteroglot guimbardes - The lamella is attached to the frame.
121.221 Individual heteroglot guimbardes.
121.222 Sets of heteroglot guimbardes.
In the form of a comb (122)
The lamellae are tied to a board or cut out from a board like the teeth of a comb.
122.1 With laced on lamellae.
- Array mbira
- Agidigbo
- Ikembe (Eleke, Kisanji)
- Kalimba (thumb piano)
- Kasayi
- Marímbula
- Mbira (Sansa, Sanza, Kaffir piano, Likembe)
- Malimbe
- Mechanical music box
- Oopoochawa
- Space Harp (electric thumb piano, Frankiphone)
- Tom
- Zimbabwean Marimba
122.11 Without resonator.
122.12 With resonator.
122.2 With cut-out lamellae
Friction idiophones (13)
Instruments set into vibration by rubbing.
Friction sticks (131)
131.1 Individual friction sticks.
131.2 Sets of friction sticks.
131.21 Without direct friction.
131.22 With direct friction.
Friction plaques (132)
132.1 Individual friction plaques.
132.2 Sets of friction plaques.
Friction vessels (133)
133.1 Individual friction vessels.
133.2 Sets of friction vessels.
Blown idiophones (14)
Instruments set into vibration by blowing or moving air.
Blown sticks (141)
141.1 Individual blown sticks.
141.2 Sets of blown sticks.
Blown plaques (142)
142.1 Individual blown plaques.
142.2 Sets of blown plaques.
Unclassified idiophones (15)
Idiophones not allocated a number in the Hornbostel-Sachs system.
- Wobble board, a directly flexed idiophone
- Waterphone, an arrangement of rods around a central resonating bowl, played by bowing, shaking, or percussively using sticks or mallets with Superballs on the end
External links
- "Idiophone", Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary.
- "Musical Instruments: Chapter Three, Idiophones", Rudolf Rasch: My Work on the Internet, Part Three. (in Dutch)
- "SVH Classification", Virtual Instrument Museum.
- Ethnomusicology Collection of Idiophones - University of Washington Library