Musical instrument

Definition

By a musical instrument (or short: instrument), we mean every sound-making object which can, does or did contribute to a certain music, except the human voice, which is generally considered separately.

Distinction

The various musical instruments can be distinguished by their sound, timbre, range, way of playing, construction or built, and by musical function.

The science of musical instruments is sometimes called organology.

Overview

For a general overview of instruments see Overview of musical instruments.