A category of musical instrument defined by ethnomusicologists
Erich Hornbostel and Curt Sachs. From the Greek -phone
(sound or voice) and Latin membrana- (skin,
parchment)
Membranophones are percussion instruments, generally referred to as
drums. In a membranophone, a skin or membrane is stretched over a
hollow, resonating cavity. Membranophones may be single- or double-
headed. Further classification of membranophones is done based on the
shape of the resonating body.
See Also: idiophone, chordophone, aerophone, electrophone.