Aerophone vs. Idiophone — What's the Difference?

An aerophone () is a musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes (which are respectively chordophones and membranophones), and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound (or idiophones).According to Sachs, Aerophones or 'air instruments' include what are usually called 'wind instruments,' with the addition of a few instruments with a different acoustical principle called 'free aerophones.' A wind instrument has two essential factors: a tube enclosing a column of air, and a device for setting that air into vibration by interrupting into pulsations the steady breath of the player (or the wind of a bellows). These may be lips, a reed, or a sharp edge.

An idiophone is any musical instrument that creates sound primarily by the vibration of the instrument itself, without the use of air flow (as is the case with aerophones), strings (chordophones), membranes (membranophones) or electricity (electrophones). It is the first of the four main divisions in the original Hornbostel–Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification (see List of idiophones by Hornbostel–Sachs number).

Any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes, and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound.

Any musical instrument that produces its sound by its own vibration (without any strings or membranes).

(dated) A form of combined speaking trumpet and ear trumpet.

(dated) An instrument for greatly intensifying speech, consisting of a phonograph diaphragm arranged so that its action opens and closes valves, producing synchronous air blasts sufficient to operate a larger diaphragm with greater amplitude of vibration.

A form of combined speaking and ear trumpet.