The Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments

Musical instruments from all over the world are chronicled here - old and new, well known and obscure. This encyclopedia explores their uses and place in history, their characteristics and the major works written for them.
The contents include:

Woodwind & Brass - flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, horn, trumpet, tuba and rare and unusual brass instruments, such as the serpent, ophicleide, and mellophone.

Stringed - viol, violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, guitar, and rare stringed instruments such as the viola d'amore and arpeggione and the new string family of soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass violins.

Percussion - timpani, side drum, bass drum, tenor drum, castanets, celeste, claves and cymbals; and the host of varied instruments that make up the percussion group.

Keyborad - harpsichord, virginals, spinet, clavichord, organ, piano, accordion and concertina.

Electronic - thérémin, computers and synthesizers; the purpose and philosophy of musique concrète; electronic experimentation and computer music.

Non-Western - arranged according to whether the instrument is blown, scraped, plucked, or banged. Includes over 220 examples from the alphorn to the zither.

Includes over 250 illustrations