The Instrument Library

Browse all instruments included in Instrumentation Generation
There are currently 230 instruments in the library
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Steel String Acoustic Guitar

A mid to high register plucked string instrument with steel strings

Classical Guitar

A mid to high register plucked string instrument with nylon strings

Flamenco Guitar

A mid to high register plucked string instrument with nylon strings

Electric Bass Guitar

A low register plucked string instrument

Drum Kit

A collection of percussion instruments operated by a single player

Piano

An acoustic keyboard instrument

Drum Machine

An electronic instrument used to create artificial percussion

Theremin

An electronic instrument controlled without physical touch, producing an eerie, electronic, glissando sound

Sample

A reused portion of an already existing recording, used musically, such as with a song sample/instrument sample; or for thematic effect, such as with a movie sample

Turn Table

A record player modified by DJs to use as a musical instrument

Continuum Fingerboard

A type of electronic synthesizer that uses a soft keyboard to allow the user to use portamento and vibrato while playing

Cajón Drum

A box drum played by slapping the front or rear face

Synth Guitar

A guitar-like synth controller

Acoustic Bass Guitar

A hollow body low register acoustic instrument

Harp

A stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard

Lute

A high pitched, stringed musical instrument that can have a varied amount of courses

Oud

A fretless, high pitched, stringed musical instrument in the lute family that can have a varied amount of courses

Baroque Guitar

A 5 course, stringed musical instrument commonplace during the renaissance

Theorbo

A lute instrument with an incredibly large range

Hollow Body Electric Guitar

A type of guitar with both a soundbox and electric pickups

Pipe Organ

An instrument that produces sound by pushing air through pipes, selected by a keyboard

Celesta

An keyboard instrument with a "celestial" sound, created by hammers striking metal plates

Harpsichord

An keyboard instrument that generates sound by using a keyboard to pluck strings

Hurdy Gurdy

An instrument that generates sound by a hand cranked wheel rubbing against the strings, with the melody operated by a keyboard

Harmonica

An small wind instrument played by using the mouth to direct air into the reed

Pan Flute

An instrument consisting of multiple flute pipes tuned to different notes

Ocarina

AKA The Clay Flute, An enclosed space with several finger holes to create different notes, typically clay or ceramic.

Bagpipes

A wind instrument which uses a constant reservoir of air in a bag to feed reeds and create sound

Mellotron

A keyboard instrument that uses magnetic tape to create it's sound

Rhodes Piano

An electric piano that strikes metal tines to create it's sound

Electric Organ

Also known as a Hammond Organ, uses spinning magnets called 'tonewheels' to create sound

Clavichord

A keyboard instrument that produces a soft sound by using metal blades to hammer the strings

Harmonium

Also known as a pump organ, it's a keyboard instrument that produces a soft sound by using metal blades to hammer the strings

Keyboard Glockenspiel

Also known as a pump organ, it's a keyboard instrument that produces a soft sound by using metal blades to hammer the strings

Regal

A keyboard instrument that produces sound with brass reeds

Accordion

A unique keyboard instrument that produces sound by opening and closing valves using a keyboard and buttons while pumping a bellows

Alto Saxophone

An instrument that despite being made of brass, is a wind instrument due to it's reed

Tenor Saxophone

An instrument that despite being made of brass, is a wind instrument due to it's reed

Baritone Saxophone

An instrument that despite being made of brass, is a wind instrument due to it's reed

Musical Saw

A hand saw, used as a musical instrument with a bow, capable of creating ethereal sounds

Tam-Tam

A type of flat faced gong that has an indefinite pitch, the type most familar to those in the west

Tambourine

A small drum with small metal jingles attached to it

Wood Block

A block of wood that is struck to create a percussive sound

Glockenspiel

A set of pitched metal plates that are struck to create melodic percussion

Xylophone

A set of pitched wood plates that are struck to create melodic percussion

Vibraphone

A set of pitched metal plates that are struck to create melodic percussion, similar to a glockenspiel, but resonates through metal tubes

Marimba

A set of pitched wood plates that are struck to create melodic percussion, similar to a xylophone, but resonates through metal tubes

Flexatone

Two beaters that hit a flexible piece of metal, producing a glissando effect similar to a singing saw

Waterphone

A unique percussion instrument that uses a resonator with a small amount of water in it and uses small metal rods around the rim of the bowl to create sound.

Kalimba

Also known as a Mbira, a wooden board or box with staggered metal tines to be plucked

Body Percussion

Snapping, Clapping, Stomping, Hamboning, Patting and however you can make percussion with your body

Egg Shaker

A container full of loose objects that when shaken produces a swishy percussive noise

Maracas

A type of rattle/shaker with a wood or gourd body containing beads or pebbles

Banjo

A plucked string instrument with a membrane resonation chamber

Mandolin

A plucked string instrument with four courses tuned in perfect fifths

Mandola

What the viola is to the violin, the mandola is to the mandolin, tuned a 5th lower

Ukelele

A high pitched plucked string instrument with four nylon strings

Sitar

A plucked string instrument typically played with a drone string and typially has many strings

Zither

AKA psaltery, a plucked string instrument with many strings stretched along a thin, flat body

Carillon

A tower of bells operated usually by a keyboard

Fife

A small transverse wind instrument

Alphorn

Also known as the Alpenhorn, a several meter long wooden horn

Cornett

Also known as the cornetto, an early wind instrument

Crumhorn

An early wind instrument with a unique timbre

Tin Whistle

Also known as a penny whistle, a simple wind instrument with a high pitch sound

Sheng

A traditional polyphonic chinese wind instrument

Lyre

A very old instrument, similar to a small harp, but plucked with a plectrum

Resonator Guitar

AKA a Dobro, an acoustic guitar that produces sound by conducting vibrations into metal cones instead of the soundboard, typically played slide but not only.

Pedal Steel Guitar

A steel guitar that is layed horizontal and has many pedals and levers. It is capable of unlimited glissandi and can sometimes sound like a human voice.

Hammered Dulcimer

A unique instrument that gets its beautiful sound from strings stretched over a trapezoidal soundboard and played with a mallet

Appalacian Dulcimer

A folk instrument related to the zither, but with typically only 3 or 4 strings, with the body extending the length of the fingerboard.

12 String Guitar

An electric or acoustic guitar with each of its 6 strings replaced with a 2 string course, making each string produce 2 notes an octave apart

Otamatone

A unique instrument played with one hand on the touchpad, effecting pitch and one hand controls the "mouth" of the instrument controlling timbre

Omnichord

An electronic instrument that uses buttons to pick out chord types and a touch plate for simulating strumming

Stylophone

An stylus operated synthesizer instrument

Guqin

A chinese plucked string instrument that has been used since ancient times

Synth Pad

A synthesizer tone with a long attack and release and high sustain, often emulating the sound of a bowed instrument or choir.

Synth Lead

A synthesizer tone that is usually monophonic with a bold and harmonically rich sound with high sustain to cut through a mix

Synth Bell

A synthesizer tone with quick attack and decay with long, low release and very harmonically rich. Usually created with FM synthesis.

Synth Keys

A synthesizer tone emulating the sound of pianos and organs, always polyphonic. Usually simple wave forms.

Synth Plucks

A synthesizer tone with quick attack, decay and release, emulating the sound of a pizz strings. Like bells, but harmonically simpler and shorter release.

Synth Brass

A synthesizer tone with slightly slower attack and quick release, harmonically rich and spanning a fairly wide frequency range. FM synths often work well for this too.

Synth Bass

A synthesizer tone, usually monophonic, usually built with a simple waveform to ensure a strong fundamental frequency.

Synth Stab

A synthesizer tone that is basically a short attack-short release version of Synth Brass. Think the big synths chords on Thriller.

Chiptune Pulse Wave

A synthesizer tone made up of just a simple pulse wave. It's called a square wave if it has a 50% duty cycle

Chiptune Triangle Wave

A synthesizer tone made up of just a simple triangle wave. Typical of bass lines.

Chiptune Saw Wave

A synthesizer tone made up of just a simple saw wave.

Chiptune Sine Wave

A synthesizer tone made up of just a simple sine wave.

Orchestral Hit

AKA Orchestral Stab, is a synth sound made by layering different orchestral instruments playing a single staccato note/chord.

Bouzouki

Also spelled Buzuki, is a long necked lute type instrument popular in Greece and Ireland

Nyckelharpa

A traditional keyboard fiddle instrument from Sweden. Something of a cross between a violin and a hurdy gurdy.

Lap Steel Guitar

Also known as the Hawaiian guitar, a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played across the performer's lap.

Balalaika

A traditional Russian string instrument with a distinctive triangular shape.

Calliope

Also known as a steam organ, is a gas powered keyboard organ that pushes gas through whistles.

Kazoo

A wind instrument with a "buzzy " timbre

Prepared Piano

A piano that has had its sound altered by inserting screws, mutes, erasers, pencils and other objects on or between the strings.

Tack Piano

A piano that has had its sound altered by installing tacks or nails onto the felt hammers. Often associated with rag time.

Honky Tonk Piano

A piano that has had its sound altered by slightly detuning one or more strings of each key.

Wood Flute

A high pitched wind instrument. Also, one of the oldest human instruments. Has a warmer sound than standard metal flutes. Seen in most cultures.

Ghost Fiddle

Also known as the Glass Harp or Angelic Organ, is a crystallophone instrument made up of upright wine glasses.

Didgeridoo

A wind instrument played using called circular breathing, developed by the Aboriginal peoples.

Recorder

A high pitched fipple flute, first documented in the middle ages, and popular in American primary school.

Shawm

A medieval wind instrument, the precursor to the modern day Oboe.

Jews Harp

Also known as the Jaw Harp, a very old instrument played using the mouth as a resonator

Bell

A hollow metal cup that is striked to create percussion high and low

Russian Guitar

A nylon stringed acoustic guitar with 7 strings

Goblet Drum

A family of high pitched percussion instruments, including the Djembe and Darbuka

Spoons

A makeshift percussion instrument created by hitting two spoons together

Jug

A makeshift percussion instrument created by buzzing the lips into a typically ceramic jug

Washboard

A makeshift percussion instrument created by striking a clothes washboard

Washtub Bass

A makeshift percussion instrument that uses a metal washtub as a resonator

Synth Arp

A synthesizer which automatically arpeggiates any chord it's fed

Saxophone Section

An section containing various saxophones of different range

Claves

A pair of short wooden sticks that are struck together

Rozhok

A Russian wooden trumpet, related to the Cornett and Shawm.

Steelpan

Also known as a Steel Drum, a chromatically pitched percussion instrument made from 55 gallon drums

Güiro

A percussion instrument comprised of a hollow goard with notches along the side which are scraped

Castanets

A percussion instrument also known as 'Clackers' in which two concave shells are clicked together. An ancient cousin of the spoons.

Rattle

A type of percussion instrument which produces a sound when shaken, a shaker on a stick if you wil

Morin Khuur

Also known as the horsehead fiddle, is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument with a similar timbre to a violin

Hardanger fiddle

A violin from Norway with the addition of four sympathetic strings

Frame Drum

A drum with a drumhead wider than its depth. An ancient musical instrument. Common frame drums include the Bodhran, Kanjira and Pandeiro.

Qanun

A Middle Eastern string instrument. Contains 25 to 27 courses, with three strings per course. Capable of microtonality.

Barrel Drum

A type of drum characterized by its barrel shape with a bulge in the middle. These include the Mridangam, Dhol & Nagadō-daiko (taiko) among others.

Tambura

Also Tanpura, a string instrument that provides a continuous drone to form a harmonic base for other instruments.

Ghatam

Also Gharha and Madga, An ancient percussion instrument, being the same shape as an ordinary clay pot. Common in Carnatic Music.

Veena

A lute like instrument common in Carnatic Music, named after the goddess Saraswati.

Tabla

A pair of hand drums that are the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani music.

Dilruba

An Indian bowed instrument, with a sitar-like neck. Common in Hindustani Music.

Sarod

An Indian string instrument, with a rich overtone texture. Common in Hindustani Music.

Drone Zither

A zither with a large number of drone strings with few melodic strings

Cimbalom

A hammered dulcimer modified for concert use with a pedal mechanism for dampening strings, a four octave range, and three to five strings per note.

12 String Acoustic Guitar

A steel string acoustic guitar with two strings for each course instead of one.

Guzheng

A Chinese plucked zither, typically tuned to a major pentatonic scale. Related to the koto.

Erhu

A Chinese two-stringed bowed spike fiddle. Similar to the Mroin Khuur

Pipa

A traditional Chinese lute. One of the most popular Chinese instruments.

Female Singing

A Female singing cleanly.

Male Singing

A Male singing cleanly

Crooning

A Male singing in a very smooth style with a high dynamic range

Throat Singing

Also known as Overtone Singing, a style used in many traditional cultures

Throat Singing Choir

A choir of throat singers

Male Choir

A choir of males singing

Female Choir

A choir of females singing

Childrens Choir

A choir of boys and girls singing

Girls Choir

A choir of girls singing

Distorted Choir

A choir of screamed, shouted, growled and pig squeal vocals

Boys Choir

A choir of boys singing

Boy Vocals

A boy singing

Girl Vocals

A girl singing

Mixed Choir

A choir of both males and females singing

Rapping

Spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics. The components of rap include lyrics, "flow" (rhythm, rhyme), and "delivery" (cadence, tone).

Beatboxing

Vocal percussion involving the art of mimicking drum mahcines, such as the TR808 with one's lips, mouth, voice and tongue.

Ad Libs

Generally redundant, improvised or unrehearsed lines that are frequently used in rap music as background elements.

Toasting

Stemming from African tradition, a vocal style popular in the Caribbean, usually in a monotone melody, over a rhythm or beat.

Shouting

Musical yelling. Common in heavier rock fusion/subgenres. A middle ground between singing and distorted vocals and considered the least technically demanding.

Raspy Singing

Singing with a bit of grit on it, common in Rock and Rock Subgenres.

Yodeling

A long time European tradition, a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register and the high-pitch falsetto

Yodeling Choir

A choir of Yodeling singers

Chanting

Iterative singing of words/sounds, often on one or two main reciting tones and highly repetitive. Ranges from a simple melody involving limited notes to complex structures.

Oktavist

AKA Basso Profondo, or Deep Bass, is the lowest vocal range, sometimes singing a full octave below the bass parts. Common in Russian classical and religious music.

Choir Chanting

A choir chanting

Screaming

Screamed vocals, typical of Metal and some heavier Rock and Punk genres

Growling

Vocals with a growled timbre. Abrasive and with usually unintelligable lyrics.

Pig Squealing

Screamed vocals with a timbre resembling the squeal of a pig

Scatting

Common in Jazz, vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. The singer improvises melodies and rythyms without regard for lyrics.

Whispering

A vocal style that is soft and dampered

Humming

A soft, wordless vocal tone

Whistling

An artificial whistle sound created by a small opening in one's lips

Violin

A high pitched wooden string instrument, also known as a fiddle

Violin Section

A section of high pitched wooden string instruments, also known as a fiddles

Viola

A mid ranged wooden string instrument

Viola Section

A section of mid ranged wooden string instruments

Cello

A mid to low ranged wooden string instrument

Cello Section

A section of mid to low ranged wooden string instruments

Double Bass

A low ranged wooden string instrument, AKA Upright Bass

Double Bass Section

A section of low ranged wooden string instruments

Concert Flute

The most common type of flute, a high pitched wind instrument. Derived from one of the oldest human instruments, but made of metal instead of wood.

Flute Section

A section of high pitched wind instruments

Piccolo

A half sized flute that plays an octave higher

Oboe

A mid ranged wind instrument

Oboe Section

A section of mid ranged wind instruments

English Horn

Also known as the Cor anglais, an english horn is a wind instrument that is similar to the oboe, but has a deeper sound

Bass Oboe

An oboe that sounds an octave lower

Clarinet

A mid ranged wind instrument

Clarinet Section

A section of mid ranged wind instruments

Basset Horn

A wind instrument similar to the clarinet, but with a slightly lower range and altered timbre

Bassoon

A lower ranged wind instrument

Bassoon Section

A section of lower ranged wind instrument

Mark Tree

Also known as Bar Chimes, a length of chimes hanging from a bar, used to create musical color

Timpani

Also known as Kettle Drums, they are sets of pitched drums

Snare Drum

A drum that produces a sharp staccato sound due to the wires attached to the bottom of the bottom drum head

Tenor Drum

A mid pitched percussion instrument

Bass Drum

A low pitched percussion instrument, a type of cylindrical drum

Cymbals

A metal disk that can produce a wide variety of tones with indefinite pitch

French Horn

Or just known as 'the horn', a high pitched brass instrument

French Horn Section

Or just known as 'the horn section', a section of high pitched brass instruments

Trumpet

A high pitched brass instrument

Trumpet Section

A section of high pitched brass instruments

Cornet

A high pitched brass instrument similar to a trumpet, but with a more mellow tonal quality

Trombone

A mid to low range brass instrument, also known as the tenor trombone

Trombone Section

A section of mid to low range brass instruments

Euphonium

A mid to low range brass instrument

Tuba

A low range brass instrument

Tuba Section

A section of low range brass instruments

Bass Trombone

A trombone that plays at a slightly lower range

Triangle

A metal triangle that can create a high pitch pangy sound

Crotales

Very bright, high pitched cymbals, sometimes referred to as antique cymbals

Tubular Bells

Tubes of metal that were made to recreate the sound of church bells for an ensemble

Bell Tree

A set of vertically nested bells that can be struck individually or used for a glissando effect

Bass Clarinet

A lower pitched variant of the Clarinet

Contrabass Clarinet

A very low pitched variant of the Clarinet

Contrabassoon

A low pitched variant of the Bassoon

Mellophone

Mid ranged brass instrument, sometimes used in place of french horns

Bass Flute

A concert flute pitched an octave below, usually played in flute choirs

Alto Flute

A concert flute sounding a perfect fourth below the concert flute.

Symphony Orchestra

A large instrumental ensemble typical of classical and film music. Contains Strings, Brass, Wind, Percussion, Keys and Harp. Sometimes in tandem with choir. Usually 70 - 100 musicians.

Chamber Orchestra

A medium sized instrumental ensemble typical of classical music. Contains Strings, Brass and Wind, with occasional auxillary instruments. Usually 20 - 50 members. The OG Orchestra.

Wind Section

A section of instruments usually consisting of flutes, oboes, bassoons, clarinets and occasionally some auxlillary instruments

String Section

A section of instruments usually consisting of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses

Brass Section

A section of brass instruments usually consisting of trumpets, horns, trombones, and tubas

Percussion Section

A section of instruments consisting of timpani as well as various pitched and unpitched percussion

Clean Electric Guitar

An electric guitar with a clean tone

Overdriven Electric Guitar

An electric guitar with a slightly dirty overdriven tone

Distorted Electric Guitar

An electric guitar with a very crunchy and distorted tone

Fuzz Electric Guitar

An electric guitar with a fuzzy tone

7 String Electric Guitar

An electric guitar with 7 strings, typically played with a distorted tone, but not exclusively

8 String Electric Guitar

An electric guitar with 8 strings, typically played with a distorted tone, but not exclusively

9 String Electric Guitar

An electric guitar with 9 strings, typically played with a distorted tone, but not exclusively

Wah Wah Guitar

An electric guitar using a wah wah effect

Ambient Guitar

Ambient Music done on a guitar, with ethereal drones, long delays, huge reverbs and lots of layering