Instrument construction

Modern drumkits can seem comlicated and it takes great coordination to play them well. Here, Seb Rochford takes some of the confusion out of drumming with a tour around the drumkit

A brief history of the flute, plus a look at the materials from which flutes can be made

Anna Pyne explains how the keys are operated on a flute, and what sort of effects can be achieved

Professional oboe-player Emma Feilding provides an overview of the fingering used on the oboe, and explains why it's less complicated than it looks

A look at the surprising range of materials than can make up a trumpet, and the different ways in which trumpets can be constructed

Kora-player Wali Cham Jobarteh explains where all the parts of the kora come from and how they fit together.

Made of wood, the double bass sometimes needs a little looking after, especially as it gets older. Find out about the instrument’s strings the woods they can be made from.

An overview of the make-up of the harp, and how it is played

A look at the traditional methods used in creating the udu, an ancient African percussion instrument

Emma Feilding gives a guided tour of the oboe's main body, explaining how the instrument produces different sounds and pitches

Emma Feilding explains the construction of the all-important oboe reed

How exactly do you put a bassoon together?

An introduction to the most commonly found bass instrument in the woodwind group

Miranda Dale explains the various parts of the violin bow and shows how the bow can be used to achieve different sound effects.

A look at the range of clarinets, their invididual sounds and how they have been used in music

The sound created by the single reed and the importance of shape