Instruments are classified using 5 different categories depending on the manner in which the instrument creates the sound: Idiophones, Membranophones, Chordophones, Aerophones, & Electrophones.

What are the 6 classifications of instruments?

The great majority of musical instruments fall readily into one of six major categories: bowed strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard, and the guitar family, the first four of which form the basis of the modern symphony orchestra.

How are instruments classified by families?

An instrument is categorized into a family depending on its sound, how the sound is produced and how the instrument is engineered. It is important to note that instrument families are not clear-cut distinctions as not every instrument fits squarely into a family. A common example is a piano.