When the word “spinet” is used to describe a harpsichord, it usually refers to the bentside spinet, which is explained in this section. For other meanings of the word, see below. The bentside spinet has many features in common with full-size harpsichords, such as the action (mechanism that moves the keys), soundboard (wooden surface that amplifies sound), and case construction.
The virginals is a type of keyboard instrument related to the harpsichord. It was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods.
The clavichord is a keyboard instrument with strings that is shaped like a rectangle. It was used mainly during the Late Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods. Historically, it was often used to help musicians practice and create music, as it was too quiet for big performances.
A harpsichord is a keyboard instrument that creates sound by plucking strings. When a key is pressed, it moves the back part of the key, which lifts small wooden pieces called jacks. Each jack holds a tiny plectrum made of quill or plastic, and each plectrum plucks one string.
The celesta ( / s ɪ ˈ l ɛ s t ə / ) or celeste ( / s ɪ ˈ l ɛ s t / ), also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It resembles an upright piano (four- or five-octave) but has smaller keys and a smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music box (three-octave). The keys are connected to hammers that strike metal plates or bars suspended over wooden resonators.
The kazoo is a musical instrument that creates a buzzing sound when a person sings or speaks into it. It is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a category of instruments that change the sound of the player’s voice using a vibrating membrane made of goldbeater’s skin or similar materials. A smaller version of the kazoo is called a humazoo.
The vuvuzela ( / v uː v uː ˈ z ɛ l ə / ) is a horn made of inexpensive plastic, about 65 centimeters (2 feet) long. It makes a loud, single-tone sound, usually around B♭ 3 (the first B♭ below middle C). Some models have two parts to make storage easier, and this design also allows the pitch to change.
A conch is a type of sea snail that is usually medium or large in size. Conch shells often have a tall, pointed shape and a noticeable opening at the top, which is called a siphonal canal. Some conchs, known as “true conchs,” belong to a group of sea snails called Strombidae.
A shofar is an ancient musical instrument made from a ram’s horn, used in Jewish religious ceremonies. It is similar to a modern bugle but does not have tools that change the pitch; instead, the player controls the sound by adjusting how they shape their mouth and lips. The shofar is played during synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur.
The word “lituus” originally referred to a curved staff used for religious purposes or a curved war-trumpet in ancient Latin. This Latin term was still used until the 18th century as another way to describe the common names of different musical instruments.