Musical instruments can be classified in many different ways. One of the most usual and practical classifications of instruments is based on how they produce vibration.
This way we have three main families that are subdivided into small sub-families:
4.3.1. String instruments:
String instruments are those in which the sound is produced by the vibration of one or more tightened strings. Depending on how we make the string vibrate, string instruments can be divided in:
Bowed string instruments
The sound is produced when the strings are rubbed with a bow. Here we can find the violin, the viola, the (violon)cello and the double bass.
Plucked string instruments
The sound is produced by plucking the strings with the fingers or with a pick (or plectrum). Instruments like the guitar, the lute, the harp or the harpsichord belong to this group.
Struck string instruments
In these instruments, the strings are struck or hit. An example is a piano, which strings are struck by a hammer triggered with a keyboard.
Here you can check how a piano works:
4.3.2. Wind instruments
The sound is produced by the vibration of the air column inside the tube of the instrument. Depending on the length and the width of the instrument, the sound will be higher (short, thin instrument) or lower (long, wide instrument).
Depending on how we blow air into the instrument, wind instruments are divided into two groups: woodwind and brass.
Woodwind instruments
The air is blown into a mouthpiece that produces the vibration, usually through a wooden reed. In this family, we can find instruments like the flute, the clarinet, the oboe or the sax, among others.
Brass instruments
