ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a compilation of musical instruments, along with their main characteristics. Every instrument must first be tuned using a two-pronged steel device, called tunning fork, that is an acoustic resonator which vibrates when struck to give a note of specific pitch. While tuning forks have traditionally been used to tune musical instruments, electronic tuners tend to replaced them. The cello is the tenor-ranged musical instrument of the modern string family. It is an abbreviation for violoncello. Maracas, which originated from Latin America, are rattles, often made from gourds, a type of squash, filled with dried seeds, beads or tiny ball bearings that produce the rattling sound. Maracas are percussion instruments that can also be made of wood or plastic, and the sound they make depends on the material they are made of.
