Musical instruments are classified by families. Each one do part of five families. These families are : the woodwinds family, the keyboards family, the strings family, the brasses family, and the percussions family. The instruments can be also classified by the sound they produce or by way how the sound is produced. Thus, we find the chordophones (strings), the membranophones (some percussions), the idiophones (the sound is produced by their material), the aerophones (brass and woods) and the electrophones (digital keyboards, for exemple).
Woodwinds
Woodwind Instruments use vibrating air to produce a rich variety of musical sounds. Despite their name, they are not all made of wood; they may also be crafted from metal, bone, and ivory. They are played either as flutes or with a reed.
Keyboards
All of the Instruments in this family are linked by one feature : the keyboard. When the keys are depressed, the instrument produces its sound. However, the ways in which sound is generated varies greatly : pianos have strings, pipe organs use air, and the synthesizers work using electronics.
Strings
The String Family is named for the gut, wire, or nylon cords that are stretched over the instruments. Striking, bowing, plucking, or strumming the strings produces musical sounds that are amplified acoustically or electronically.
Brasses
Instruments belonging in the brass family are wind instruments, in which sound is produced by vibrating air. However, they have the special feature that the air is set in motion by the vibration of the player's lips. They are called brass instruments because they are often made of brass. However, they can also be made of other metals or wood, tusk, horn, or shell.
Percussions
The percussion family includes a vast range of instruments, which produce sounds when struck, scraped, or shaken.