The Musical Language: Instruments

Instruments must be able to express the 'Affections'

The colourful variety of instruments developed in the renaissance carries over into the baroque. Few new instruments are developed (except the fortepiano), but features such as the tone production in many of the existing instruments are developed in such a way to allow them to better express the affections in the music; other instruments incapable of this are soon out of fashion. The most common instruments (in various sizes and shapes) are:

• in art music: violin viola da Gamba, cello, lute, guitar, theorbo, harp, harpsichord; organ; flute, oboe, cornett; trumpet, horn; timpani
• in folk music rustic instruments: octave violin, hurdy-gurdy, guitar, hakkebord, jews harp, fife, schalmei, bagpipe, crumhorn, drum, castanets xylophone, rattles.

In the early baroque there are many instruments which later develop into the oboe or clarinet.