Conch

The conch is a member of the brass (Hornbostel–Sachs 423.11). Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the conch makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the conch belongs to the brass (lip-vibrated aerophones): the player's buzzing lips set the air column vibrating – trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas and the didgeridoo.

More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.

Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.

From Wikipedia

A conch (US: KONK, KONCH, UK: KONCH) or conque, also called a "seashell instrument" or "shell natural instruments", is a wind instrument that is made from the shell of a conch, any of several different kinds of sea snails. Their natural conical bore is used to produce a musical tone. Conch shell natural instruments have been played in many Pacific island countries, as well as South America and South Asia.

The shells of large marine gastropods are blown into as if they were natural instruments, as in blowing instrument. A completely unmodified conch may be used, or a mouth hole may be created. Wooden, bamboo, metal, or any kind of material used to make mouthpieces may be inserted into the end of the shell. Embouchure is used to produce notes from the harmonic series. A tone hole may be added to change the fundamental frequency but globally this is extremely rare.