Music instruments come in various forms. The different categories are percussion, string, brass, and woodwind instruments. Depending on the person that will be using the instrument, there are also differences in quality. A child just starting to play the trumpet in 5th grade, for instance, would not want to get the same trumpet as a professional jazz musician. There are specific brands and types of instruments that are good for beginners, intermediate, and professional musicians.

It is fairly easy to differentiate between the categories of instruments. In the percussion category, there are more instruments than your standard snare or bass drum. The piano, bells, xylophone, and timbale are also considered percussion instruments, among others. Anything that you strike to create sound is part of the percussion category. Stringed instruments include guitars, violins, violas, cellos, and string basses. These particular instruments require your fingers to touch the strings to alter the pitches that are created when the strings are strummed or bowed across. Brass instruments, on the other hand, will only create sound if you purse your lips and blow into a mouthpiece. The most common brass instruments are the trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, and French horn. Woodwind instruments differ from brass ones in that they must have a small piece of wood, known as a reed, to be played. The player's mouth covers the reed, and the vibrations from it produce different pitches, based on what keys are depressed at the time. Saxophones, clarinets, oboes, and the English horn are all woodwind instruments.

There are many places to find good musical instruments. There may be a basic music store in your community, a specialty shop that works with only one type of instrument, or ordering directly from a company is also an option. Online auctions frequently have instruments for sale, but it is important to take into consideration that you will not be able to physically hold or try the instrument before buying it. No matter where the instrument is purchased, you must do a little bit of research into the manufacturer to determine if it is the level of quality that you need.

© Cathryne L. Parish 2005

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