Appendix:Glossary of musical instrument classification

This is a glossary of musical instrument classification (organology).

See also:


 * Appendix:Glossary of aerophones
 * Appendix:Glossary of chordophones
 * Appendix:Glossary of idiophones
 * Appendix:Glossary of membranophones

Instruments referred to as types
These terms refer most specifically to a single type of instrument, or perhaps a family of related instruments, but are also used in reference to entirely unrelated instruments of the same musicological category. For example, any stringed instrument without a neck, and with strings that pass over the body, are liable to be called zithers, zither-like or part of the zither family, though the word zither more specifically refers to a precise instrument of Central European origin.