With the way that music
is everywhere in our lives today (radio, TV, movies, CDs, concerts
even elevators!) you would think it has always been that way.
In fact it is only since the late 19th century that music has
become more and more a part of everyday life for so many people.
Prior to the development of recorded music early in the 20th
century all music was "live". Even today it is widely
felt that recorded music, though very accurate, cannot begin
to compare to the warmth, feeling and unmistakable "presence"
associated with a musician or muscians actually playing their
instruments in a live performance.
In many civilizations the playing of musical instruments was
associated almost exclusively with cultural or religious events,
with the players often being central to the event. The origins
of many instruments follow similar paths across different cultures,
starting with the simplest rhythmic devices made from sticks,
bones or clay. Percussion instruments were developed all over
the world along similar lines, with the addition of animal skins
and hollow chambers being the earliest modified features for
things you hit.
As civilization developed
through Middle East and Europe, more sophisticated instruments
evolved. The use of music began to develop as entertainment,
and not only the players but also the makers, began to be held
in high regard. This paved the way for the development of "families"
of musical instruments. As individuals became adept at making
a particular instrument, they would experiment with variations
on the basic model, thus creating small, medium and large versions
of the one instrument. As is still the case today, these various
sizes of the one instrument vary in pitch and timber according
to size (usually larger = deeper and darker tone).
The "families"
of musical instruments began to develop according to the method
employed to generate the basic sound.
These days musical instruments
are grouped into 5 basic catergories based on this criteria:-
1. AEROPHONES - Sound
generated by flow of air.
2. IDIOPHONES - Sound generated by striking.
3. MEMBRANOPHONES - Sound generated by skins.
4. CHORDOPHONES - Sound generated by strings.
5. MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL - Sound generated