Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What instruments did Michael Praetorius describe in Syntagma musicum?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
musical instrument
Children playing musical instruments.
In his influential work Syntagma musicum (1614ā20), the German composer and theorist Michael Praetorius provided a comprehensive account and classification of musical instruments used during the 17th century.12
Specifically, Volume II of the treatise details various families of instruments, including:
Praetoriusās work is considered a principal source for understanding the music of that era, as it describes and classifies many ancient and existing instruments, which are further documented through lavish illustrations in an appendix to the volume.12