Musical instrument
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
Musical instruments are found on many different planets. They can be divided into string instruments, wind instruments, percussion instruments and mental instruments. Wind instruments can be further subdivided into woodwind instruments and brass instruments.
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String instruments
As the name implies, these instruments possess strings that need to vibrate in order to produce sound. This can be achieved by either plucking the strings, drawing a bow across them or striking the strings with a hammer. Human instruments belonging to this group include guitars, kitharas, violins, mandolins, cellos and pianos. The Vulcan lute also belongs to this group.
Wind instruments
Wind instruments consist of a tube containing a column of air which is set into vibration by the player blowing into it. Instruments belonging to this group include trombones, trumpets, clarinets, oboes, bagpipes and the Ressikan flute.
Percussion instruments
These instruments are played by being struck (by hand or with sticks or mallets) or shaken. Instruments belonging to this group include drums, bells, chimes, and also the Bajoran rattle and cabasa.
Mental instruments
These instruments are played or controlled by thought and usually by a touch of the hand. The Enaran and Aldean musical instruments and Elanin singer stones belong to this group.
Examples of instruments in episodes
- In a holographic recreation of the Café des Artistes in the year 2342, a musician played a futuristic instrument that consisted of a small rectangular box with several glass tubes. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris")
- An alien musician played a strange percussion instrument in Quark's when it was re-opened after the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor and the station in 2369. (DS9: "Emissary")
- An early script of "Emissary" described this instrument as a "strange triple keyboard"; in later scripts it was only called "strange instrument".
| Examples of alien instruments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |
| A glass-tube instrument | An alien instrument at Quark's |
| TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris" | DS9: "Emissary" |
