Introduction

Musical instruments are devices capable of producing sounds in a pattern. They help form the soundtrack of human emotions, rhythm, and dance. Their history is difficult to trace and complex, since they originated in so many different cultures. As time went on, many new types were developed, so that today, there is a wide range.

Earliest History

The earliest examples are at least 35,000 years old. Archaeologists discovered a flute made from the hollow wing bone of ancient vulture species, the griffon vulture. The slender artifact has five finger holes, but the bottom part is missing. A replica of the entire flute indeed plays musical notes. The discovery occurred in the Swabian Alps, west of the German city of Munich.

Given music's importance in bringing people together, historians are now speculating that this area could have been a key cradle of European civilization. In other places, our ancestors probably created drums even earlier. Many cultures develop drums first, since there is a natural human tendency to tap to a beat.

Later, Mesopotamian artwork depicts lyres and drums from 2800 B. C. While many cultures independently developed their own instruments, art and archaeology show that there was a great deal of trade. Popular music-makers made their way halfway across the world. Mesopotamian examples were played all the way in the Malay Archipelago, in Southeast Asia, in the Middle Ages. Meanwhile, medieval Europeans were playing their own tunes on devices from North Africa.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Basic-Introduction-To-Musical-Instruments&id=5517866