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Aerophone
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Anaerophoneisanymusicalinstrumentthat
producessoundprimarilybycausingabodyofairto
vibrate,[1]withouttheuseofstringsormembranes,
andwithoutthevibrationoftheinstrumentitself
addingconsiderablytothesound.[2]Aerophones
categoricallycomprise"thelargestandmost
complexgroupofinstrumentsintheAmericas".[3]
Flutesareaerophones

Contents
1 Overview
2 History
3 Types
3.1 Free
3.1.1 Displacement
3.1.2 Interruptive
3.1.3 Plosive
3.2 Nonfree
3.2.1 Flute
3.2.2 Reed
3.2.3 Brass
4 Seealso
5 References
6 Furtherreading

Overview
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ItisoneofthefourmainclassesofinstrumentsintheoriginalHornbostelSachssystemofmusical
instrumentclassificationwhichfurtherdividesaerophonesbywhetherthevibratingairiscontainedinthe
instrumentitselfornot.Thefirstclass(41)includesinstrumentswhich,whenplayed,donotcontainthe
vibratingair.Thebullroarerisoneexample.Thesearecalledfreeaerophones.Thisclassincludes(412.13)
freereedinstruments,suchastheharmonica,butalsomanyinstrumentsunlikelytobecalledwind
instrumentsatallbymostpeople,suchassirensandwhips.Thesecondclass(42)includesinstruments
whichcontainthevibratingairwhenbeingplayed.Thisclassincludesalmostallinstrumentsgenerally
calledwindinstrumentsincludingthedidgeridoo,(423)brassinstruments(e.g.,trumpet,[4]frenchhorn,
baritonehorn,tuba),and(421&422)woodwindinstruments(e.g.,oboe,[4]flute,[4]saxophone,
clarinet[4]).[5]
Additionally,veryloudsoundscanbemadebyexplosionsdirectedinto,orbeingdetonatedinsideof
resonantcavities.Detonationsinsidethecalliope(andsteamwhistle),aswellasthepyrophonemightthus
beconsideredasclass42instruments,despitethefactthatthe"wind"or"air"maybesteamoranairfuel
mixture.

History
Identifyingtheoriginoftheaerophoneisdifficult,thoughitis
believedthatAmericansandtheirdescendantsdevelopedthelargest
diversityofaerophones,andtheyareunderstoodtohavebeenthe
majornonvocal,melodicinstrumentsofNativeAmerica.[6]
Archaeologicalstudieshavefoundexamplesofglobularflutesin
ancientMexico,ColombiaandPeru,andmultipletubularflutes
werecommonamongtheMayaandAztec.Theuseofshellsof
Conchesasanaerophonehavealsobeenfoundtobeprevalentin
areassuchasCentralAmericaandPeru.[7]
Neolithicboneflute

ExamplesofaerophonetypeinstrumentsinChinacanbedatedback
totheNeolithicperiod.Fragmentsofboneflutescanbefoundatthe
burialsitesoftheJiahusettlementsofancientChina,andtheyrepresentsomeoftheearliestknown
examplesofplayableinstruments.Theinstrumentsweretypicallycarvedfromthewingboneofthered
crownedcrane,andhadfivetoeightholes.Thefluteswereefficientenoughtoproducesoundinanearly
accurateoctave,andarethoughttohavebeenusedceremoniallyorforritualisticpurposes.[8][9]Examples
offlutesmadeoutofbambooinChinadatebackto2ndCenturyBC.ThesefluteswereknownasDizi'sor
simplyDi()andtypicallyhad6holesforplayingmelodiesthatwereframedbyscalemodes.[10]
FlutesincludingthefamousBansuri,havebeenanintegralpartofIndianclassicalmusicsince1500BC.A
majordeityofHinduism,Krishna,hasbeenassociatedwiththeflute.[11][12]Someearlyflutesweremade
outoftibias(shinbones).TheflutehasalsoalwaysbeenanessentialpartofIndiancultureand
mythology,[13]andthecrossfluteisbelieved,byseveralaccounts,tooriginateinIndia[14][15]asIndian
literaturefrom1500BCEhasmadevaguereferencestothecrossflute.[16]

Types
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Free
Freeaerophonesareinstrumentswherethevibratingairisnotenclosedbytheinstrumentitself.
Displacement
Theairstreammeetsasharpedge,orasharpedgeismovedthroughtheair.
Interruptive
Theairstreamisinterruptedperiodically.
Plosive
Occasionallycalled"percussiveaerophones",plosiveaerophonesaresoundedbypercussioncausedbya
singlecompressionandreleaseofair.[17]Anexampleofaplosiveaerophoneisthe"scraperflute"which
hastubeswithridgedorserratededgessothattheycanbescrapedwitharodtoproducesound.[18][19]

Nonfree
Nonfreeaerophonesareinstrumentswherethevibratingairiscontainedwithintheinstrument.Often
calledwindinstruments,theyaretypicallydividedintotwocategoriesWoodwindandBrass.Itiswidely
acceptedthatwindinstrumentsarenotclassifiedonthematerialfromwhichtheyaremade,asawoodwind
instrumentdoesnotneedtobemadeofwood,norabrassinstrumentmadeofbrass.Woodwindinstruments
areoftenmadewithwood,metal,glassorivoryandincludetheflute,oboe,clarinet,recorderandthe
saxophone.Brassinstrumentsareoftenmadewithsilver,copper,ivory,horn,orevenwoodandincludethe
trumpet,cornet,horn,tromboneandthetuba.[20]
Flute
Afluteisatypeofaerophone,asistheEunuchflute,alsoreferredtoasamirliton.[4]Afluteisan
aerophoneorreedlesswindinstrumentthatproducesitssoundfromtheflowofairacrossanopening.
AccordingtotheinstrumentclassificationofHornbostelSachs,flutesarecategorizedasedgeblown
aerophones.Asidefromthevoice,flutesaretheearliestknownmusicalinstruments.Anumberofflutes
datingtoabout43,000to35,000yearsagohavebeenfoundintheSwabianAlbregionofGermany.These
flutesdemonstratethatadevelopedmusicaltraditionexistedfromtheearliestperiodofmodernhuman
presenceinEurope.[21][22]
Fluteaerophoneexamples

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ACarnaticeightholedbambooflute

AneightholedclassicalIndian
bambooflute.

ExampleofaEunuchflute

Reed
Areedaerophoneisamusicalinstrumentthatproducessoundbytheplayer'sbreathbeingdirectedagainst
alamellaorpairoflamellaewhichperiodicallyinterrupttheairflowandcausetheairtobesetinmotion.
Reedaerophoneexamples

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Abassoon

AnAflatclarinet

Aduduk

Severaloboes

Saxophonesfromleftto
right,anEaltosaxophone,
acurvedBsoprano
saxophone,andaBtenor
saxophone

Brass
Abrassaerophoneisamusicalinstrumentthatproducessoundbysympatheticvibrationofairinatubular
resonatorinsympathywiththevibrationoftheplayer'slips.Brassinstrumentsarealsocalledlabrosones,
literallymeaning"lipvibratedinstruments".[23]Thereareseveralfactorsinvolvedinproducingdifferent
pitchesonabrassinstrument.Slides,valves,crooks,orkeysareusedtochangevibratorylengthoftubing,
thuschangingtheavailableharmonicseries,whiletheplayer'sembouchure,liptensionandairflowserve
toselectthespecificharmonicproducedfromtheavailableseries.
Brassaerophoneexamples

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Analtohornisatypeofbrass
instrumentandaerophone.

TrumpetinC

Seealso
ListofaerophonesbyHornbostelSachsnumber
Windinstrument

References
1. Randel,D.M.(1999).TheHarvardConciseDictionaryofMusicandMusicians.HarvardUniversityPress
referencelibrary.BelknapPress.p.12.ISBN9780674000841.
2. "aerophoneOnMusicDictionary".ConnectforEducationInc.December4,2014.RetrievedDecember4,
2014.
3. Nettl,B.Miller,T.E.Stone,R.M.Williams,S.Porter,J.Rice,T.(1998).TheGarlandEncyclopediaof
WorldMusic:SoutheastAsia.Garlandreferencelibraryofthehumanitiesv.1169(v.8),1191(v.5),1193(v.
2).GarlandPub.pp.2830.ISBN9780824060404.
4. Nzewi,M.Nzewi,O.(2007).AContemporaryStudyofMusicalArts:InformedbyAfricanIndigenous
KnowledgeSystems.AContemporaryStudyofMusicalArts:InformedbyAfricanIndigenousKnowledge
Systems(v.1).CentreforIndigenousInstrumentalAfricanMusicandDance(Ciimda).pp.98106.ISBN978
1920051624.
5. vonHornbostel,ErichM.Sachs,Curt(1914)."AbhandlungenundVortrge.SystematikderMusikinstrumente.
EinVersuch.".ZeitschriftfrEthnologie(inGerman)46.BerlinerGesellschaftfrAnthropologie,Ethnologie
undUrgeschichte.pp.582590.RetrievedApril12,2015.
6. MalenaKuss.MusicinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean:anencyclopedichistory.UniversityofTexasPress.
p.262.ISBN9780292788404.
7. DaleOlsenDanielSheehy(17December2007).TheGarlandHandbookofLatinAmericanMusic.Routledge.
pp.4243.ISBN9781135900083.
8. Jiahu(ca.70005700B.C.)(http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jiah/hd_jiah.htm)
9. "BrookhavenLabExpertHelpsDateFluteThoughttobeOldestPlayableMusicalInstrument"
(http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/1999/bnlpr092299.html).BrookhavenNationalLaboratory.
10. HowardL.Goodman(2010).XunXuandthePoliticsofPrecisioninThirdCenturyAdChina.BRILL.pp.225
226.ISBN900418337X.
11. "BansuriBambooFlute".BrindavanGurukul.
12. Leifer,Lyon(2005).HowtoPlaytheBansuri:AManualforSelfInstructionBasedontheTeachingof
DevendraMurdeshwar.RasaMusicCo.ISBN0976621908.
13. Hoiberg,DaleRamchandani,Indu(2000).Students'BritannicaIndia.Mumbai:PopularPrakashan.p.125.
ISBN0852297602.
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14. Chaturvedi,Mamta(2001).HowtoPlayFlute&Shehnai.NewDelhi:DiamondPocketBooks(P)Ltd.p.7.
ISBN8128814761.
15. Morse,Constance(1968).MusicandMusicmakers.NewHampshire:AyerPublishing.p.7.ISBN083690724
8.
16. Arvey,Verna(2007).ChoreographicMusicfortheDance.London:ReadCountryBooks.p.36.ISBN14067
58477.
17. Hopkin,Bart(1996).MusicalInstrumentDesign:PracticalInformationforInstrumentMaking.SeeSharpPress.
p.85.ISBN9781884365089.
18. BartHopkin."ScraperFlutes".Retrieved29April2015.
19. BartHopkin(1January1996).MusicalInstrumentDesign:PracticalInformationforInstrumentMaking.See
SharpPress.p.86.ISBN9781884365089.
20. AdamCarse(2002).MusicalWindInstruments.CourierCorporation.pp.12.ISBN9780486424224.
21. Wilford,JohnN.(June24,2009)."FlutesOfferCluestoStoneAgeMusic".TheNewYorkTimes459(7244):
24852.Bibcode:2009Natur.459..248C.doi:10.1038/nature07995.PMID19444215..Citationonp.248.
22. Higham,ThomasBasell,LauraJacobi,RogerWood,RachelRamsey,ChristopherBronkConard,NicholasJ.
(2012)."estingmodelsforthebeginningsoftheAurignacianandtheadventoffigurativeartandmusic:The
radiocarbonchronologyofGeienklsterle".JournalofHumanEvolution62(6):66476.
doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.03.003.PMID22575323.
23. Baines,Anthony(1993).Brassinstruments:theirhistoryanddevelopment.DoverPublications.p.300.ISBN0
486275744.

Furtherreading
Burgh,T.W.(2006).ListeningtotheArtifacts:MusicCulture
inAncientPalestine.BloomsburyAcademic.pp.2829.
ISBN9780567025524.

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Aerophone

4.Aerophones/Windinstruments
411.Displacement
41.
Free

412.Interruptive
413.Plosive

42.
Non
free

SwordbladeWhipcracking
412.1.Idiophonic(412.11.Concussion412.12.Percussion412.13.
Freereed412.1)412.2.Nonidiophonic(412.21Rotating412.22
Whirling)
GhatamUdu

421.Flute

421.1.Nonfipple(421.11.Endblown421.12.Sideblown421.13.Vessel)
421.2.Fipple(421.21.External421.22.Internal)

422.Reed

422.1.Doublereed(422.11.Single422.12.Multiple)422.2.Singlereed
(422.21.Single422.22.Multiple)422.3.Freereed(422.31.Single422.32.
Multiple)

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423.1Natural(423.11.Conch423.12.Tubular)423.2Chromatic(423.21.
Keyed423.22.Slide423.23.Valved)

423.Brass

HornbostelSachssystem
11.Struck
1.Idiophone
(list)

2.Membran
ophone
(list)

4.Aerophone
(list)

5.
Electrophone

Indirectly(112.1.Shaken/rattle112.2.Scraped)

12.Plucked

121.Frame(121.1.Clack121.2.Guimbarde)122.Comb(122.1.
Lace122.2.Cutout)

13.Friction

131.Stick(Nailviolin)132.Plaque(Musicalsaw)133.Vessel
(Glassharmonica)

14.Blown

141.Stick142.Plaque

21.Struck

211.Directly(211.1.Bowl211.2.Tubular211.3.Frame)212.
Shaken

22.Plucked

Nyatiti

23.Friction

231.Stick232.Cord233.Hand

24.Kazoo

3.
Chordophone
(list)

111.Directly(111.1.Concussion111.2.Percussion)112.

241.Free242.Tube/vessel

31.Simple
/zither

311.Bar/stick(MusicalbowStickzither)312.Tube(WholeHalf)
313.Raft(IdiochordHeterochord)314.Board315.Trough
316.Frame

32.
Composite

321.Lute(321.1.Bow321.2.Yoke)322.Harp(322.1.Open
322.2.Frame)323.Harplute

41.Free

411.Displacement(Whip)412.Interruptive(412.1.Idiophonic/reed
412.2.Nonidiophonic)413.Plosive

42.
Nonfree

421.Flute(421.1.Nonfipple421.2.Fipple)422.Reed(422.1.
Doublereed422.2.Singlereed422.3.Reedpipe)423.Brass(423.1
Natural423.2Chromatic)

51.Action52.Amplification53.Radioelectric

(list)
ListofmusicalinstrumentsbyHornbostelSachsnumberMusicalinstrumentclassification
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