Air instrument Air instrument In the context of musical performance, air instruments are imaginary musical instruments for which people mimic the sound-producing gestures in the air without touching a real instrument. In simple words air instruments are the musical instruments which could be played without touching the real instrument. Air instruments include: There are other air instruments as well. The playing of air instruments has been documented through the 20th century (see: Air guitar). However, no sources have been found that exclude the playing of air instruments in ancient times, during private performances, such as for air flute or air lyre (for
Musical instrument and Organ Players') the following year, a treatise on organ building and organ playing. Of the instructional books and references published in the Renaissance era, one is noted for its detailed description and depiction of all wind and stringed instruments, including their relative sizes. This book, the "Syntagma musicum" by Michael Praetorius, is now considered an authoritative reference of sixteenth-century musical instruments. In the sixteenth century, musical instrument builders gave most instruments – such as the violin – the "classical shapes" they retain today. An emphasis on aesthetic beauty also developed; listeners were as pleased with the physical appearance of