Musical Instruments presents the first comprehensive survey to explain how Western musical instruments work, how they developed historically, how they are manufactured, and how they are used to make music. After introducing the nature of sounds in music, and the sound production mechanisms of different families of instruments, the authors survey each family in turn, giving a description of the distinguishing acoustical features, the various forms of instruments adopted in different periods, the variety of sizes and shapes in current use, the manufacturing processes, and the playing techniques commonly used by performers. The full index and glossary also contain definitions of technical terms and notes on instruments not included in the text, making this the essential reference for everyone researching and working with musical instruments and performance.