The most common system of instrument classification in the United States and Western Europe today divides musical instruments into wind (brass and woodwind), strings, and percussion.  This classification is of Greek origin (in the Hellenistic period, prominent proponents being Nicomachus and Porphyry). There are, however, problems with this system and for that reason only the instruments in these regions will be classified as such.  All other instruments in this collection will be classified by the Hornbostel-Sachs System.

The classification of percussion instruments is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument.

Percussion instruments are further commonly divided into two classes: ‘pitched’ percussion instruments, which produce notes with an identifiable pitch, and ‘indefinite pitched percussion instruments, which produce notes or sounds that do not have identifiable pitch.