Woodwind instruments counter. Woodwind musical instrument. Relationship between wood and copper instruments

The importance of wind instruments, both solo and in an orchestra of any type, is very high. According to music experts, it is they who bring together the sounds of strings and keyboards, and even out the sound, despite the fact that their technical and artistic qualities are not so outstanding and attractive. With the development of new technologies and the use of new materials for the manufacture of wind musical instruments, the popularity of woodwind decreased, but not so much that they were completely excluded from use. And in symphonic and folklore orchestras, and in instrumental groups, various pipes and pipes made of wood are widely used, since their sound is so unique that it is impossible to replace them with something.

Types of woodwind instruments

Clarinet - capable of producing a wide range sound with a soft and warm timbre. These unique abilities of the instrument provide the performer with unlimited possibilities for playing with the melody.

The flute is the wind instrument with the highest sound. She is considered a unique instrument in terms of technical capabilities when performing melodies, which gives her the right to a solo part in any direction.

The oboe is a wooden instrument with a slightly harsh, nasal, but unusually melodious voice. It is most often used in symphony orchestras, for playing solo parts or excerpts from works.

The bassoon is a bass wind instrument that produces only a low sound. It is much more difficult to control and play it than other wind instruments, but, nevertheless, at least 3 or 4 of them are used in a classical symphony orchestra.

In folklore orchestras, various pipes, zhaleiki, whistles and ocarina made of wood are used. Their structure is not complex, like that of symphonic instruments, the sound is not so diverse, but it is much easier to control them.

Where are woodwind instruments used?

In modern music, woodwind instruments are no longer used as often as in past centuries. Their popularity is unchanged only in symphony and chamber orchestras, as well as in folklore ensembles. When performing music of these genres, they often occupy leading positions, and it is they who are given the solo part. There are frequent cases of the sound of wooden instruments in jazz and pop compositions. But connoisseurs of such creativity, unfortunately, are becoming less and less.

How and from what modern wind instruments are made

Modern woodwind instruments only superficially resemble their predecessors. They are made not only of wood, the air flow is regulated not by fingers, but by a multilevel system of key-valves that make the sound shorter or longer, raise or lower its tonality.
For the production of wind instruments, maple, pear, walnut or the so-called ebony - ebony are used. Their wood is porous, but resilient and strong, it does not burst during processing and does not crack during use.

Woodwind instruments are the most ancient, along with the drum and some other percussion instruments. On many pastoral plots, pictures of antiquity, you can see all kinds of pipes and pipes that our ancestors played on.

The material was at hand. Reed reeds, bamboo and other twigs served as the basis for future flutes. Who and when guessed to make holes in them, no one knows. However, wind instruments made from scrap materials have forever taken a place in the hearts of people.

People realized that as the barrel enlarged, the pitch changed, and this understanding served as the impetus for improving the instruments. They gradually changed until they were transformed into modern woodwind instruments.

To this day, musicians lovingly call these instruments "wood" or "pieces of wood", although this name has long ceased to reflect the material from which they are made. Today these are not pipes of natural origin, but metal for flutes and saxophones, ebonite for clarinets, plastic for recorders.

Authentic wooden tools

Nevertheless, wood remains the unchanged material for authentic woodwind instruments, which are very popular and sound on many stages around the world. These include, for example, duduk, zurna, zhaleyka, transverse flutes peoples of the world and other instruments. The voices of these instruments awaken the call of the ancestors in the souls of people.

All these tools are united by a common system of holes - holes, which are created in order to increase or decrease the length of the tool barrel.

Relationship between wood and copper instruments

Woodwind instruments, however, have some affinity with brass instruments. This relationship lies in the fact that air is needed to produce sound, which is released by the lungs. There are no other common features between these two groups of instruments. Wood and brass tools can be combined into.

It's funny! One conductor, himself, being a violinist, was very fond of wind instruments. The sounds of stringed instruments seemed to him very transparent and weightless. He called the sounds of "copper" "meat", and the sounds of "wood" for him were like a good seasoning for the main dish. Listening to wind instruments, he felt the music better, felt it.

Labial and reed woodwind instruments

By the method of sound extraction, woodwinds are labial which include flute and reed or reed which include clarinet, saxophone, bassoon and oboe .

In the first case, the musician does not have to spend money on reeds and mouthpieces, while in the second, on the contrary, he has to worry about changing them periodically. Nevertheless, these expenses are justified by the beauty of the sound and timbre of the instruments.

Which tool is right for your child?

For young children, woodwind instruments are just what they need. As a rule, they begin to teach on copper instruments when strength appears and the muscle corset is strengthened, although exceptions are encountered. As for woodwinds, the recorder is an excellent choice for kids. It is simple and easy to play as it does not require any effort on the part of the breathing apparatus.

Woodwind instruments are instruments of great potential and great potential. Throughout the history of mankind, they have repeatedly proven this. Let's rate them and we!

An orchestra is a large composition of musicians, consisting of groups. In these groups, the musicians play in unison. There are orchestras of different composition and musical direction. It can be: symphonic, wind, strings, pop, jazz, military, school, folk instruments.
Symphony orchestra instruments are combined into groups: strings, winds, percussion. In turn, wind instruments can be made of copper and wood, depending on what material they are made of.

About woodwind instruments in general

Woodwind instruments of a symphony orchestra are bassoon, oboe, flute, clarinet and, of course, their varieties. Woodwinds include the saxophone and bagpipes with their own versions, but they are rarely used in this orchestra.

Basically, any of these instruments plays its part. It is generally accepted that woodwind parts should be placed on the top lines of scores. The overall timbre of woodwind instruments is very bright, compact, but also powerful. This sound is more like a human voice than others.

The very name of woodwind instruments came about as a result of the fact that initially they were all made of wood. Over time, other materials began to be used in their manufacture, but the name of the wooden ones was preserved.
Shortening the sounding column of air by opening the holes is the principle of sound production of these instruments. The holes are located on the body.

Woodwind instruments by the method of directing the air stream, in turn, are of two types: labial - flute and duduk - and reed (with a single reed - saxophone, clarinet - and with a double reed - duduk, zurna, oboe, bassoon, shalmey).

And now in more detail.

Flute

The flute is a labial woodwind instrument. It appeared a long time ago, when people on a cut reed with a closed end made holes and extracted sounds from it. In the Middle Ages, two kinds of flutes were widespread: straight - it was held straight, like a clarinet, and transverse, which was held at an angle. Over time, already on the threshold of the 19th century, it became more in demand and overshadowed the straight line with its practicality.

In the group of woodwind instruments, it is the flute that has the highest sound. It is the most technically mobile instrument of all. It is difficult to play slow melodies and sustained notes, since a large amount of air is used when playing it (air breaks against the sharp edge of the hole and partially disappears). This produces the characteristic sound of a flute. The range of the transverse flute is from the first to the fourth octaves.

The main varieties of flute

Recorder is a longitudinal flute of the whistle family. An insert is used at the head. A distinctive feature is 7 + 1 finger holes. The timbre is soft.

The piccolo flute is a transverse flute. Two times shorter than ordinary. Has the highest sound. The timbre is very bright, and with Music dynamic forte.svg it is very shrill.

Svirel - Russian woodwind instrument, longitudinal flute. It can have two barrels of different lengths, tuned to each other in a clean quart.

Syringa is a longitudinal flute. It can be single-barreled and multi-barreled. In ancient times, shepherds played it.

Panflute is a multi-barrel flute. This is a bundle of several tubes of different lengths.

Di is an ancient Chinese woodwind instrument. It is transverse and has six holes.

Kena is a longitudinal reed flute. Used in Latin American music.

The Irish flute is widely used in the performance of Irish folk motives. This is a transverse flute.

All these types of flutes are woodwind instruments. The list can also be replenished with such members of the family as pyzhatka, whistle and ocarina.

Oboe

The next instrument in the woodwind section is the oboe. It is known that the oboe does not lose its tuning and therefore the entire orchestra is tuned to the mood that this particular instrument gives.

The oboe is also a woodwind instrument with a double reed. As well as the old representative of the flute family. His ancestors were bombarda, bagpipes, duduk, zurna. The oboe, due to its melodiousness and soft timbre (although it is harsh), is a favorite instrument of both professional composers and musicians and amateurs. In technical terms, he is also mobile, but inferior in this matter to the flute. Outwardly, it is a tube in the form of a cone, the upper end of which is a double cane, and the lower end is a funnel-shaped bell.

The main varieties of oboe

Contemporary oboe: musette, tapered oboe, baritone horn, English horn.

Baroque oboe: baroque oboe d "cupid, oboe da caccia or hunting oboe.

Clarinet

The clarinet is the most common reed woodwind musical instrument. Has a single reed and a wide range of sound. It looks like a wooden tube in the form of a cylinder, at one end of which there is a single cane, and the other end is a rim-shaped bell.

The timbre of the instrument is soft and somewhat dramatic. No other woodwind instrument in a symphony orchestra has the ability to change the strength of the sound like the clarinet. Due to this quality, the clarinet is considered one of the most expressive instruments of the orchestra. The scope of the clarinet in music is wide and varied. In addition to the symphony, brass and military orchestra, it is actively used in jazz, pop and even folk music.

The main varieties of clarinet

The large or soprano clarinet is the main variety, the instrument of the alto and soprano registers.

Small clarinet - rarely used, has a loud timbre.

Bass clarinet - its sound is one octave lower than the large clarinet. This woodwind instrument, which sounds in a low register, is most often used in orchestra to amplify bass voices. Possesses dramatic power. The bass clarinet is widely used in jazz.

Basset horn - for extending down the range of a conventional clarinet. Has a calm and solemn tone.

Bassoon

The bassoon is a reed woodwind instrument. Its range covers low registers: incomplete alto, tenor and bass. The bassoon has replaced its predecessor - the old bass pipe bombard. Unlike the bombarda, which has a hoarse sound, the bassoon has a gentle, melancholic sound.

The bassoon barrel is wooden, long and therefore foldable. A metal tube with a cane on is attached to the top of the barrel. It is suspended from the musician's neck with a cord.
In an orchestra, the bassoon can serve both as a support for the bass and have an independent part. A massive air flow is required when playing this instrument, especially in the low range when playing loudly.

The only kind of bassoon

The only type of modern bassoon is the contrabassoon. This woodwind instrument with a low voice is considered the lowest in the range instrument of the orchestra and is second only to the pedal bass of the organ. It has a thick organ timbre.

Saxophone

The above instruments with their varieties are woodwind instruments. The list can only be supplemented by one more representative of this group - the saxophone.

The saxophone is rarely used in a symphony orchestra. It is often played in a brass band. It has a powerful sound. It is one of the central instruments in jazz and pop music. Has a melodious timbre. From a technical point of view, it is very mobile. It reaches from 15 centimeters to 2 meters. The saxophone is made of copper, which is further proof that the name of woodwind instruments does not always coincide with the material from which they are made.

The main varieties of the saxophone

Soprano saxophone. Can be straight or curved. Not recommended for beginners. Has a piercing and strong timbre.

Alto saxophone or classic saxophone. A curved, commonly used type of tool. Recommended for those who are just starting to learn the game. Has the smallest mouthpiece. Endowed with a bright and expressive timbre. Basically it is a solo instrument.

The species is used more than others in jazz. Its size, the size of the mouthpiece, holes and rods are larger than that of the alto saxophone. Has a hoarse, juicy timbre. It is easier to play technically difficult passages on it.

Baritone saxophone. It is as large as possible, therefore it is more prone to damage than others. Has a thick and strong timbre.

The range of any saxophone is two and a half octaves. With good technical preparation, it is possible to play higher notes.

Bagpipes

The bagpipe is a kind of traditional wind instrument. The bagpipe looks like a leather bag covered with fur and filled with air. Several wooden tubes are inserted into it. One of the tubes has holes, a melody is played on it, the other (smaller in size) serves to pump air. The rest provide continuous sounding of several sounds, the height of which remains unchanged. Has a strong shrill sound. Bagpipes accompany the performance of many European (and not only) folk dances.

Thus, woodwind instruments are of different genres, with different timbre and range, instruments used in various musical compositions.

Bassoon(Italian fagotto, literally "knot, bundle, bundle of firewood", German Fagott, French basson, English bassoon) is a woodwind instrument of bass, tenor and partly alto register. It looks like a bent long tube with a system of valves and a double (like an oboe) cane, which is put on a metal tube ("es") in the shape of the letter S, which connects the cane to the main body of the instrument. It got its name due to the fact that when disassembled it resembles a bundle of firewood.

The bassoon was designed in the 16th century in Italy, it has been used in the orchestra from the end of the 17th - the beginning of the 18th century, and took a permanent place in it by the end of the 18th century. The bassoon timbre is very expressive and rich in overtones throughout the entire range. The most common are the lower and middle register of the instrument, the upper notes sound somewhat nasal and stifled. The bassoon is used in a symphony, less often in a brass band, as well as a solo and ensemble instrument.

The bassoon is a long hollow-conical tube. For greater compactness, the air column inside the instrument is, as it were, doubled. The main material for making bassoon is maple wood.

The bassoon body consists of four parts: the lower knee (“boot” having a U-shape), the small knee (“wing”), the large knee and the bell. A thin long metal tube, bent in the shape of the letter S (hence its name - es), departs from the small knee, on which a cane is placed - the sound-generating element of the bassoon.

On the body of the instrument there are numerous holes (about 25―30), opening and closing of which the performer changes the pitch. Only 5-6 holes are finger operated; the rest are operated using a complex valve mechanism.

WITH
axophone(from Sax - the surname of the inventor and Greek φωνή - "sound", French saxophone, Italian sassofono, German Saxophon) - a wind musical instrument, according to the principle of sound production, belonging to the wood family, despite the fact that it was never made of wood ... The saxophone family was designed in 1842 by the Belgian music master Adolphe Sachs and patented by him four years later. Since the middle of the 19th century, the saxophone has been used in a brass band, less often in a symphonic band, also as a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra (ensemble). It is one of the main instruments of jazz and related genres, as well as pop music. The instrument has a full and powerful sound, melodious timbre and great technical mobility.

The fingering of the saxophone is close to the fingering of the oboe, but the lips are not tucked so much, and the principle of sound extraction is similar to the sound production on the clarinet, but it is a little easier to make the ear cushions. The saxophone registers are more homogeneous than the clarinet registers.

The possibilities of the saxophone are very wide: in terms of technical mobility, especially in legato, it competes with the clarinet, a large amplitude of sound vibration is possible, a clear accentuated staccato, planed transitions from one sound to another. In addition, the saxophone has a significantly greater sound power than that of other woodwind (similar to that of a French horn). His ability to blend organically with both woodwind and brass groups helps him successfully blend these groups in timbre.

In jazz and in the performance of modern music, saxophonists use a wide variety of playing techniques - frullato (tremolo on one note with the help of the tongue), resonant sound, performance in ultra-high register with harmonic sounds, polyphonic sound, etc.

F lajolette(fr. flageolet, abbreviated from the old ph. flageol - flute) - an ancient high-register flute, flute.

The first known harmonolet was made in France by the craftsman V. Juvigny, in 1581.

It is a tube made of boxwood or ivory with a cylindrical or reverse conical section channel, with 6 finger holes and a whistle device.

From the beginning of the 18th century, it consisted of two abutting parts, and the upper (with a whistle device) was increased (total length 300 mm) and turned into a special chamber with a tampon that sucks in moisture.

There are French harmonics (with four holes on the front side, and two on the back), and English (with all six holes on the front side). In addition, there is a double harmonic - with a single whistle device and two tubes, which allows you to extract two sounds simultaneously.

Due to the high melodic sound, the harmonic was used to train birds to whistle various melodies.

The harmonic became most widespread in the 17th century, and was later supplanted by the piccolo flute.

Flajolette was used in their works by J.S.Bach, G.F.Handel, K.V. Gluck and W.A.Mozart.

AND
italian bagpipes unusual in that it has two tubes to play the melody - one for each hand. All 4 tubes have two reeds. The air blown into the tubes passes through the two reeds and produces an organ-like sound. The Italian bagpipes are played in small towns, accompanied by a giamella (small pipe), especially at Christmas.

The Italian bagpipes are always played with giaramella - a conical pipe. They can often be heard together around Christmas time. The Italian bagpipe belongs to the "Piffero" bagpipe genus

G
beneficial harmonica(colloquial "(mouth) accordion", harp (from the English harp)) is a common reed musical instrument. Inside the harmonica there are copper plates (reeds) that vibrate in the air stream created by the musician. Unlike other reed musical instruments, the harmonica does not have a keyboard. Instead of a keyboard, the tongue and lips are used to select a hole (usually linear) that corresponds to the desired note.

The harmonica is most often used in such musical directions as blues, folk, bluegrass, blues-rock, country, jazz, pop.

A musician playing a harmonica is called a harper.

Chromatic harmonics allow you to play all 12 notes in an octave (including semitones). They are more difficult to learn to play than diatonic ones, but you can play any melody on them without mastering special playing techniques such as bending. Harmonics of this type actually consist of 2 harmonics in one package. Switching between them and extracting halftones is achieved using a special switch button - a slider, located on one of the sides of the instrument.

Diatonic harmonics use a diatonic scale (for example: C, D, E, F) without semitone intervals between notes (C #, D #, and so on). Playing the diatonic harmonica without using any special techniques resembles playing the piano with only white keys, without black keys. Diatonic harmonics have a range of 1-4 octaves.

The blues harmonica is by far the most popular. It usually has 10 holes, each can be played with both draw and blow. With certain skills of the game, you can play chromatically using special techniques - bends and reversals. It is sold in various keys and settings, but the most common is C major.

In Tremolo Harmonica, two sound plates sounding simultaneously are slightly out of tune in relation to each other, creating a tremolo effect. Thus, there are 2 reeds for each note, and the sound is richer. The presence of the A note in the lower octave allows you to fully play Russian melodies.

The octave harmonica is another kind of diatonic. In it, two sound plates sounding simultaneously are tuned exactly to an octave relative to each other. This gives a higher volume and a different timbre to the sound.

The bass harmonica is actually two separate instruments, one on top of the other, hinged on either side. Each hole plays only for the exhalation, and for each note there are two sound plates, tuned in an octave.

The chord harmonica, like the bass harmonica, also consists of two movably fixed plates, the double reeds of which are tuned to an octave. But unlike bass harmonics, it has notes for both exhalation and inhalation, which allows you to use different chords.

G
both(from the French hautbois, literally "tall tree", English, German and Italian oboe) is a woodwind musical instrument of the soprano register, which is a conical tube with a system of valves and a double cane (tongue). The oboe acquired its modern look in the first half of the 18th century. The instrument has a melodious, but somewhat nasal, and in the upper register - a sharp timbre.

Instruments, considered direct predecessors of the modern oboe, have been known since antiquity and have survived in their original form in different cultures. Folk instruments such as bombarda, bagpipes, zhaleika, duduk, gaita, chitiriki, zurna, together with instruments of the New Age (musette, oboe proper, oboe d'amur, English horn, baritone oboe, baroque oboe) make up an extensive family of this instrument.

The oboe is used as a solo instrument in chamber music and in symphony orchestra.

The repertoire for the oboe is based on works of the Baroque era (works by Bach and his contemporaries) and classicism (Mozart). The compositions of romantic composers (Schumann) and contemporary composers are performed less often.

The first oboes were made of reed or bamboo - a natural cavity inside the tube was used to create the body. Despite the fact that some folk instruments are still made in this way, the need to find a more durable and resistant material to changes in the situation quickly became apparent. In search of a suitable option, music masters tried different samples of wood, usually hard, with the correct arrangement of fibers: boxwood, beech, wild cherry, rosewood, pear. Some baroque oboes were made of ivory.

In the 19th century, with the addition of new valves, an even stronger material was required. Ebony turned out to be a suitable option. Ebony wood remains the main material for the production of oboes to this day, although exotic woods such as cocobolo and "purple wood" are sometimes used. Experiments were carried out to create oboes from metal and plexiglass. One of the latest technological innovations is applied by Buffet Crampon: Green Line tools made from a material consisting of 95% ebony powder and 5% carbon fiber. With the same acoustic properties as ebony instruments, Green Line clarinets are much less sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, which reduces the risk of instrument damage, and is also lighter and cheaper.

A
ngli horn(Italian corno inglese, French cor anglais, German Englisch Horn) or alto oboe is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of oboe.

The structure of the English horn is similar to the oboe, but it has a larger size, a pear-shaped bell and a special curved metal tube, with the help of which the cane is connected to the main body.

The fingering of the English horn is exactly the same as the fingering of the oboe, but due to the longer body length, it sounds a clean fifth lower.

The playing technique and strokes when playing the English horn are the same as on the oboe, but the English horn is somewhat less technical. In his performance, the most typical cantilevered, drawn-out episodes in legato. The timbre of the English horn is thicker, full and soft compared to the oboe.

The actual sounding range of the English horn is from e (small octave E) to b2 (second octave B flat). The highest sounds in the range are rarely used. With the same fingering as the oboe, the English horn sounds a fifth below it, that is, it belongs to the number of transposing instruments in F.

Italian composers of the late 18th - first half of the 19th century notated the part of the English horn in the bass clef, an octave lower than the actual sound. In the French tradition, it was customary to write notes for him in the rare mezzo-soprano key. The most common notation was in the alto key (it was later used by some composers of the 20th century, in particular, S.S.Prokofiev). In modern scores, the English horn part is written in the treble clef a clean fifth above the actual sound.

An orchestra usually uses one English horn (rarely two), and its part can be a temporary replacement for one of the oboes (usually the last one by number).

TO
yena(Quechua qina, Spanish quena) is a longitudinal flute used in the music of the Andean region of Latin America. Usually made from cane. Has six upper and one lower finger holes. Usually made in the G tuning. The kenacho flute (Quechua qinachu, Spanish quenacho) is a version of the kena with a lower sound, in the D tuning. It is similar in construction and sound production to the Japanese shakuhachi flute: it does not have a whistle, only an oval notch with a wedge-shaped section at the upper end. To extract the sound, the musician puts the upper end of the flute to his lips and directs the air flow to the wedge. Thanks to this design, compared to a block flute, the range of air flow control possibilities is increased, which gives the instrument a lively, expressive sound.

F
leita-piccolo ( often referred to simply as piccolo or piccolo; ital. flauto piccolo or ottavino, fr. petite flûte, German. kleine Flöte) is a woodwind musical instrument, a type of transverse flute, the highest sounding instrument among the wind instruments. It has a brilliant, in the fort - a piercing and sibilant timbre. The piccolo is half the length of the ordinary flute and sounds an octave higher, and a number of low sounds cannot be extracted on it. The piccolo range is from d² to c5 (the D of the second octave is up to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that have the ability to take c² and cis². Notes are written one octave lower for readability.

The construction of a piccolo flute is generally the same as that of a big flute, however, the hole in the ear cushion (head) is smaller in diameter, there is no knee and the holes in the body of the instrument are located closer to each other. The length of the piccolo is about 32 centimeters, which is almost half the length of a large flute, the drilling diameter is 1 centimeter. Piccolo flutes are made of wood, metal, less often of other composite materials. The technique of playing the piccolo flute is the same as on the grandfather, but full mastery of the instrument requires a long, focused period of mastery on the part of the performer (unlike, for example, the alto flute).

The main area of ​​application of the piccolo is symphonic and brass bands, its use as a solo instrument refers to isolated cases (Vivaldi - Concerto C-dur).

The forerunner of the piccolo flute is the harmonic, which was widely used in military music in the Middle Ages. The piccolo flute itself was constructed in the 18th century and at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries became a part of the symphony orchestra, where it became one of the highest instruments in the register. In military and brass bands of the 19th century, piccolo flutes were often used in D-flat or E-flat; today such instruments are extremely rare.

Usually, a symphony orchestra uses one piccolo (rarely two), the part of which in the score is placed on a separate line above the parts of the big flutes (that is, over all other instruments of the orchestra). Quite often the piccolo part is a temporary replacement for one of the big flutes. The most common function of the piccolo flute in an orchestra is to support the upper voices in the overall sound, but sometimes composers trust this instrument and solo episodes (Ravel - Piano Concerto No. 1, Shchedrin - Piano Concerto No. 4), Shostakovich - Symphonies No. 9 and No. 10) ...

Clarinet(Italian clarinetto, French clarinette, German Klarinette, English clarinet or clarionet) is a woodwind musical instrument with a single reed. It was invented around 1700 in Nuremberg, and has been actively used in music since the second half of the 18th century. It is used in a wide variety of musical genres and compositions: as a solo instrument, in chamber ensembles, symphony and brass bands, folk music, on stage and in jazz. The clarinet has a wide range, warm, soft timbre and provides the performer with wide expressive possibilities.

Details of the clarinet, such as the single-reed mouthpiece and ring valve system, are borrowed almost unchanged from the saxophone.

Bassethorn(German Bassethorn; French cor de basset; Italian corno di bassetto) is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of clarinet.

Basset horn has about the same structure as a regular clarinet, but is longer, which is why it sounds lower. Its tube diameter is generally somewhat wider than that of a regular clarinet, which makes the regular clarinet mouthpiece unsuitable for it and uses the alto clarinet mouthpiece. For compactness, the modern basset horn tube is slightly curved at the mouthpiece and at the bell. The instruments, built in the 18th - 19th centuries, had a more complex shape with several bends and a special chamber, where the air channel changed direction several times, turning into an expanding metal bell.

The instrument is equipped with several additional valves, expanding its range down compared to a clarinet to a note down to a minor octave (as written in the treble clef). These valves are operated with the right thumb (typical for German models) or with the little fingers (for French instruments).

Basset horn is a transposition instrument. Usually it is used in F (in F scale), that is, it sounds a clean fifth below the written notes. Often the notes for such an instrument are written like the notes for the French horn - in the bass clef one fourth above the written notes, in the violin clef - one fifth below. Basset horns in other tunings (G, D, Es, A, B) were used sporadically in the 18th century, but were not widely used. The basset horn tone is similar to the clarinet tone, but slightly more matte and mellow.

The range of the modern basset horn in F is from large octave F to B-flat second and higher (it is possible to extract sounds up to F third, but they are not always stable in intonation)

A
cordeon(from French accordéon) - musical instrument, hand harmonica. In 1829 this name was given by the Viennese organ master K. Damian to the harmonica improved by him. In the Russian tradition, it is usually customary to name only instruments with a piano-type right keyboard (usually several timbre registers) - in contrast, for example, to the button accordion. However, the name "button accordion" is also sometimes found. Some of its varieties are called the button accordion.

At the end of the 19th century, accordions were produced in large quantities in Klingenthal (Saxony). Until now, the most common in Russia are accordions of the "Weltmeister" company (various brands, for example, Diana, Stella, Amigo). There are also other manufacturers, both foreign (Horch, Hohner) and Russian (Birch, Mercury).

It is believed that those who can play the piano will easily learn to play the accordion. However, with the external similarity of accordion and piano keyboards, their keys have different sizes, it is also necessary to take into account completely different principles of sound production, playing techniques and the position of the performing apparatus. But at the same time, it is easier for the accordionist than for the button accordion player to master the piano.

Tabla- Indian percussion musical instrument.

T
there is no in-person information about the origin of the scoreboard. But according to the existing tradition, the creation of this instrument (like many others, whose origin is unknown) is attributed to Amir Khusro (XIII century). The very name "tabla" is foreign, but this has nothing to do with the instrument: there are ancient Indian reliefs depicting such pairs of drums, and even in "Natyashastra" - a text almost two thousand years ago - it is mentioned about river sand of a certain quality, which is part of the paste for membrane coating.

There is a legend about the birth of the Tabla. During Akbar's time, there were two professional performers in Pakhawaj. They were bitter rivals and constantly competed with each other. Once, in a heated battle of a drum competition, one of the rivals, Sudhar Khan, was defeated and, unable to bear his bitterness, threw his Pakhawaj down to the ground. The drum shattered into two parts, which became tabla and dagga.

The big drum is called bayan, the small drum is called daina.

There are several gharana (schools) tabla, the most famous are six of them: Ajrara gharana, Benares gharana, Delhi gharana, Farukhabad gharana, Lucknow gharana, Punjab gharana.

One of the most famous musicians who made this instrument famous all over the world is the Indian musician Zakir Hussein.

M arakas or maraka (Spanish maraca) - the oldest percussion-noise instrument of the indigenous inhabitants of the Antilles - the Taino Indians, a type of rattle that emits a characteristic rustling sound when shaken. Currently, maraki are popular throughout Latin America and are one of the symbols of Latin American music. Typically, a musician playing marakas uses a pair of rattles, one in each hand.

In Russian, the name of the instrument is often used in a not quite correct form "maracas" (masculine, singular) or "maracas" (masculine, plural). This is due to the mechanical transfer into Russian speech of the Spanish name of the instrument in the plural (Spanish maracas), supplemented in addition by the ending of the plural characteristic of the Russian language. The more correct form of the name is maraka (feminine singular; plural maraki).

T ambourine- an old musical drum of a cylindrical shape, as well as a dance in a bipartite size and music to it.

Tambourine was known in the south of France around the 18th century. Usually the same performer played the flute (similar to a harmonic) and accompanied himself on the tambourine.

Charles-Marie Widor argued that the tambourine "differs from an ordinary drum in its highly elongated appearance and the absence of a harsh sound." Joseph Baggers adds that the tambourine is not only longer and narrower than an ordinary drum, but, in contrast, has strings stretched over the skin, which gives the instrument its characteristic "somewhat nasal deafness." On the contrary, the French military conductor of the 18th century M.-A. Suye be careful. He simply combines these positions and claims that the tambourine has "a very long body and often without strings - sans timbre".

B
onang- Indonesian percussion musical instrument. It is a set of bronze gongs, with the help of cords fastened in a horizontal position on a wooden stand. Each gong has a bulge (penchu) in the center. The sound is produced by striking this bulge with a wooden stick wrapped around the end with a cotton cloth or rope. Sometimes, spherical resonators made of burnt clay are suspended under the gongs. The sound of a bonang is soft and melodious, slowly fading away.

In gamelan, the bonang usually performs harmonic functions, but sometimes he is entrusted with leading the main theme.

Among bonangs, there are male (wangun lanang) and female (wangun wedon). In the former, the gongs have high sides and a more convex surface; in the latter, they are lower and flatter. Also, depending on the size, bonang penerus (small), bonang barung (medium) and bonang penembung (large) are distinguished.

H
flesh(Italian celesta - "heavenly") - a small keyboard-percussion musical instrument, outwardly similar to a piano, sounding like bells.

The sound is produced with hammers driven by keys (the hammer mechanism resembles that of a piano, but is more simplified). Hammers strike steel plates, which are mounted on wooden resonators. The range of celesta is from c1 (to the first octave) to c5 (to the fifth octave).

Ernest Chausson was the first to use celesta in the orchestra in music to Shakespeare's The Tempest (1888).

During his visit to Paris, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky heard the celesta and was so fascinated by its sound that he introduced the part of this instrument into his compositions: the ballad Voevoda (1891) and the ballet The Nutcracker (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; 1892).

Celesta is used almost exclusively as an orchestral instrument to create a special flavor by Gustav Holst in the Planets suite, Dmitry Shostakovich in the thirteenth symphony and other academic composers. The celesta also plays the part of the glass harmonica, an instrument that has become obsolete, but envisaged in the works of some 19th century composers. As a rule, the staff pianist of the orchestra plays the celesta (in the absence of a celesta, her part can be played on the piano).

Also among composers of the 20th century, they used celesta in their works Bartok (Music for strings, percussion and celesta, 1936), Britten (opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1960), Glass (opera Akhenaten, 1984), Feldman (Philip Guston ", 1984).

Notes for celesta are written on two staves one octave below the actual pitch. In the score of a symphony orchestra, her part is located under the part of the harp, above the parts of string instruments.

The sound of this instrument was used by the Depeche Mode group in some of their works.

G
ender(gendir) - Indonesian percussion instrument. Consists of 10-12 slightly convex metal plates, fixed horizontally on a wooden support with cords. Bamboo resonator tubes are suspended from the plates. Gender plates are selected according to the 5-step slandro scale or the 7-step pelog scale.

The sound is produced by striking two short rubber-tipped wooden sticks. Compared to its related gambang, gender has a softer timbre. This instrument requires a virtuoso technique from the performer, since extremely fast hand movements are required when performing pieces in an improvisational manner. Often women play the role of gender.

In gamelan, gender carries out a variational development of the main theme given by the gambang.

Depending on the size of the instrument, varieties are distinguished: gender penerus (small), gender barung (medium) and gender penembung (large).

TO
astagnets(Spanish castañetas) is a percussion musical instrument, which consists of two concave shell-plates, in the upper parts connected by a cord. Plates have traditionally been made of hardwood, although fiberglass is increasingly being used for this. Castanets are most widespread in Spain, southern Italy and Latin America.

Similar simple musical instruments, suitable for rhythmic accompaniment to dance and singing, were used in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

The name of the castanets in Russian is borrowed from Spanish, where they are called castañuelas ("chestnuts") because of their resemblance to chestnut fruits. In Andalusia they are more often called palillos ("sticks").

In world culture, castanets are most strongly associated with the image of Spanish music, especially with the music of Spanish gypsies, flamenco style, etc. Therefore, this instrument is often used in classical music to create “Spanish flavor” (for example, in J. Bizet’s opera “Carmen "). In a symphony orchestra, for the convenience of performers, castanets are most often used fixed on a special stand (the so-called "castanet machine").

TO
alimba- the oldest and most widespread instrument in Africa (especially in Central and South, on some of the Antilles). Its wide popularity is evidenced by the abundance of names that designate the kalimba among various tribes: Tsantsa, Sanza, Mbira, Mbila, Ndimba, Luembu, Lala, Malimba, Ndandi, Izhari, Mganga, Lyembe, Selimba, etc., of which the "official" in us is "tsantsa", in the West - "kalimba". Kalimba is used in traditional rites and by professional musicians. It is called the "African hand piano"; it is quite a virtuoso instrument designed for playing melodic patterns, but quite suitable for playing chords. Mostly used as an accompanying instrument. Large kalimbs give a unique low rumble to the lively bass rhythms of African music, small ones emit a completely ghostly, fragile sound, similar to a music box.

On the resonator body (it can be of different shapes) there is a row or several rows of wooden, bamboo or metal plate-tongues, which serve as a sound source. The simplest samples have a flat one, the more complex ones have a cavity resonator made of a tortoise shell, dugout wood, hollow pumpkin, etc., tongues are attached to the resonator board (4-30). The high nut limits the sounding part of the reeds. When playing (standing, walking, sitting), the kalimba is clamped with the palms of the hands bent at right angles and tightly pressed to the sides, or held on the knees, with the thumbs and forefingers of both hands pinched and released the free (upper) ends of the tongues, bringing them into a state vibration. Kalimbs come in a variety of sizes; body length 100-350 mm, tongues length 30-100 mm, their width 3-5 mm. The sound scale of the kalimba depends on the number of reeds.

WITH
steel drum(English steelpan) - percussion instrument with a certain pitch. Used in Afro-Caribbean music such as calypso and juice. Invented in the 1930s, some sources consider the steel drum to be the only non-electronic musical instrument invented in the 20th century.

The instrument appeared after the adoption in Trinidad and Tobago of a law prohibiting membrane drums and bamboo sticks for the performance of music. The drum was forged from steel barrels (in large quantities left on the beaches after the end of the Second World War), from steel sheets with a thickness of 0.8 - 1.5 mm. Tuning the instrument consists in shaping petal-shaped areas in this steel sheet and giving them the desired sound with hammers. Instrument readjustments may be required once or twice a year.

Usually, several types of instrument are played in an ensemble: the melody is ping-pong, the tune boom forms the harmonic base, and the bass boom keeps the rhythm. The instrument is even represented in the armed forces of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago - since 1995 there has been a "steel band" under the Defense Forces, which is the only military band in the world to use a steel drum.

B
ongo(Spanish bongó) - Cuban percussion instrument: a small double drum of African origin, which is usually played while sitting, holding the bongo between the calves of the legs. In Cuba, the bongo first appeared in the Oriente province around 1900. The drums that make up the bongos are of different sizes; the smaller of them is considered "male" (macho - Spanish macho, literally "male"), and the larger - "female" (embra - Spanish hembra, "female"), the main drum. Traditionally, the lower-tuned "female" drum is located to the right of the bongocero musician. Bongos are widely used in both traditional Cuban music and Latin American music in general.

In the 1920s, the bongo was tuned lower than it is now, and it was played in a technique similar to playing the conga, including changing the tension of the membrane during play. Initially, the leather was attached to the body of the drum with nails, and a small brazier filled with coals was used to tune the drum, which was placed between the legs during the game.

Modern bongos are tuned higher than before, which is more in line with the role of these drums as a solo instrument. Now the technique of playing the bongo is based primarily on the rhythmic pattern "martillo" (Spanish martillo, "hammer"). The bongo part can also be dubbed with other percussion instruments such as the senserro, especially when the volume and intensity of the ensemble rhythm increase.

T
arelki- a percussion musical instrument with an indeterminate pitch. Plates have been known since ancient times, meeting in China, India, and later in Greece and Turkey.

They are a convex disc made of special alloys by casting and subsequent forging. There is a hole in the center of the cymbal for attaching the instrument to a special stand or for attaching a belt.

Among the basic techniques of the game: strikes with various sticks and mallets on suspended cymbals, strikes of paired cymbals against each other, playing with a bow. The sound stops when the musician puts the cymbals on his chest.

Typically, the cymbals hit with the downbeat, along with the big drum. Their games are written side by side. The sound of cymbals in forte is sharp, brilliant, wild, in piano - rattling, but much softer. In an orchestra, cymbals primarily dynamically emphasize the climax, but often their role is reduced to colorful rhythm or special visual effects.

In jargon, musicians sometimes call a set of cymbals "iron".

T ridge- folk musical instrument, idiophone, replacing claps of hands.

The ratchets consist of a set of 18 - 20 thin planks (usually oak) 16 - 18 cm long. They are connected with a tight rope threaded through the holes in the upper part of the planks. To separate the planks, small pieces of wood, approximately 2 cm wide, are inserted between them at the top.

There is another design of the ratchet - a rectangular box with a wooden gear placed inside, attached to a small handle. A slot is made in one of the walls of this box, in the hole of which a thin elastic wooden or metal plate is fixed immovably.

The ratchet is held on to the rope with both hands, sudden or smooth movements make it possible to make different sounds. In this case, the hands are at the level of the chest, head, and sometimes rise to attract attention with their appearance.

P During archaeological excavations in Novgorod in 1992, two plaques were found, which, according to V.I.

Ratchets were used in wedding ceremonies for the performance of dignified songs with dancing. The choral performance of the majestic song is often accompanied by the performance of an entire ensemble, sometimes numbering more than ten people. During the wedding, rattles are decorated with ribbons, flowers, and sometimes bells.

R scholarly bells usually made in a set, tuned to the notes of the scale. Whole choruses (teams) of bell ringers play on bells. Musicians are required to have exceptional precision, regularity and dexterity of their fingers. The sound is produced by swift movements of the performer's hand, which causes the bell tongue to bounce against the bell body. Bell playing is very popular in the UK and USA, where choirs of 10 OR 12 performers play large sets of bells.

In England, during the 19th century, groups of bell ringers gathered, which in total had up to 200 bells, on which they played the melodies popular at that time.

Have
free installation(drum kit, drums from eng. drums) - a set of drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments, adapted for the convenient playing of a drummer. Commonly used in jazz, rock and pop music.

For individual instruments, the setups are played with drum sticks, various brushes and beaters. The hi-hat and bass drum are played with pedals, so the drummer plays while sitting on a special chair or stool.

Different genres of music dictate the stylistically appropriate composition of the instruments in the drum kit.

1. Plates | 2. Floor tom-tom | 3. Tom-tom

4. Bass Drum | 5. Snare drum | 6. Hi-hat

A standard drum kit includes the following items:

Crash is a cymbal with a powerful but short sound for accents.

Ride (ride) - a cymbal with a ringing, hissing sound.

Hi-hat - two cymbals mounted on one shaft and controlled by a pedal.

Drums:

The snare drum is the main instrument of the kit.

3 volumes: high tom-tom (high tom-tom), low tom-tom (middle tom-tom) - both are colloquially called altos, floor tom-tom (or simply volume, floor tom-tom).

Bass drum ("kick", bass drum).

The number of instruments in a set is different for each performer and his style. The smallest setups are used in rockabilly and Dixieland jazz, and the setups for progressive rock, fusion, and metal performers usually include a wide range of instruments: drummers use additional cymbals (combined by the term effect cymbals: splash, china, etc.) and toms or snares, two hi-hats are also used.

Some manufacturers offer a different drum kit with 1 hook and 2 floor tom toms. Performers using this setup include Phil Rudd (AC / DC) Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Hena Habegger (Gotthard) and John Bonham (Led Zeppelin).

Heavy music (metal, hard rock, etc.) often uses two bass drums or a double pedal (the so-called "cardan") - two pedals connected by a cardan shaft so that both beaters hit the same bass drum one by one.

There is also a stand-up version of the drum kit (the so-called cocktail drum).