Classification of percussion instruments

[2][3] Hornbostel–Sachs does not use the term percussion as a general grouping at all, but instead in a very different sense to the common usage.

[citation needed] In the 14th century Jean de Muris produced a classification system which divided all musical instruments into three classes: Percussion, String and Wind.

Hornbostel–Sachs classifies musical instruments by means of a numerically labelled inverted tree structure, originally with four groups at the highest level, two of which are percussion instruments (as the term percussion is normally understood), and the others strings and wind.

The system does use the term percussion but at a much lower level in the tree and in an esoteric sense quite unlike its common usage, see below.

Some of the important percussion groupings are: For a complete list of idiophone classes see: Hornbostel–Sachs does not distinguish between pitched and unpitched instruments at any level.