Greek goddess wisdom, Athena invented the flute, the god Pan made the shepherd's pipe, and meanwhile the Indian god Narada invented and gave people a harp-shaped instrument - the veena. But these are just myths. Musical instruments were invented by people. This is not surprising, because man is the first musical instrument. And the sound he makes is his voice.
With his voice, primitive man conveyed information to his fellow tribesmen and reported his emotions: fear, joy, love. To make the “song” more interesting, he stomped his feet and clapped his hands, knocked stone on stone and hit the stretched mammoth skin. Thus, the objects surrounding the person began to turn into musical instruments.
If you divide the instruments according to the method of extracting sound from them, you will get three groups– drums, winds and strings. So why did primitive man knock, what did he blow, and what did he pull? We don't know what exactly the first musical instruments were, but we can guess.
First percussion instruments were made from dried animal skins and all kinds of hollow objects: wooden blocks, shells of large fruits, and later clay pots. They hit them in different ways: fingers, palms, sticks. Ancient drums and tambourines were used in ritual ceremonies and military operations. A African tribes With the help of combat they even communicated with each other at a distance.
Next group – winds. It is unknown why ancient man blew into a piece of bamboo, a reed reed, a horn or a hollow bone of an animal, but it became an instrument when special holes appeared. On the territory of modern Hungary and Moldova, pipes and tweeters are found that date back to the era Upper Paleolithic. And most ancient instrument believed to be a flute found in southwest Germany. More precisely, these are the remains of an instrument resembling a flute made from swan bone, which is more than 35 thousand years old! IN rock art You can also find an image of the first wind instruments.
The first string instrument It is considered to be a hunting bow. While pulling the bowstring, the ancient hunter noticed that when he plucked it, the bowstring “singed.” And the stretched vein of the animal “sings” even better, and most importantly longer, if you rub it with the hair of the animal. This is how the bow appeared, a stick with a tuft of horsehair stretched over it, which was driven along a string made from twisted animal sinews, and later from silk threads. This divided string instruments into plucked and bowed instruments. Also, ancient people noticed that strings stretched over a hollow object resonated - they sounded louder and richer. The resonator can be a clay vessel, a dried pumpkin, but, of course, wood sounds best.
The most ancient stringed instruments are the lyre and the harp. Similar instruments are found among all ancient peoples. Ur harps are the oldest stringed instruments found by archaeologists. They are over 4500 years old!
The truth is that we cannot say exactly what the first musical instrument looked like, but that music, even in its primitive form, was a part of life primitive man, That's for sure!
The abundance of wind, string and percussion instruments speaks of the cultural wealth of the ancient Russians. Absorbing the sounds of nature, people created simple rattles and whistles from scrap materials. Every child in Rus' had the skills to make and play simple musical instruments. This was an integral part folk culture and life since the times Ancient Rus'. Many of them are used to this day unchanged - others have been improved and formed the basis of folk orchestras.
Russian folk music (instruments):
Balalaika
The balalaika has become a symbol of Russian culture. This is a three string plucked instrument with a triangular deck. The first mentions of the instrument date back to the 17th century. But mass distribution I received the instrument only a hundred years later. The classical balalaika originated from the East Slavic domra with two strings and a round soundboard.
Status folk instrument was assigned to her for a reason. The root of the word balalaika is the same as in the words balakat or balabolit, which mean meaningless, unobtrusive conversation. So the instrument most often served as an accompaniment for the leisure of Russian peasants.
Gusli
Another stringed folk instrument, but much older than the balalaika. The first historical evidence of the use of gusli dates back to the 5th century. The ancestor of the instrument has not been precisely established, but, according to the most common hypothesis, they originated from the ancient Greek cithara. There were several types of gusli with a resonator various shapes and the number of strings from 5 to 30.
Gusli of all types (wing-shaped, helmet-shaped, lyre-shaped) were used to accompany the voice of the soloist, and the musicians were called guslars.
Horn
A small mouthpiece wind instrument with a bell at the end of the barrel and six playing holes (at the same time the name of a group of wind instruments). The traditional horn was carved from juniper, birch or maple. The ensemble and dance variety of the instrument originated from the signal horns of shepherds and warriors, who accompanied both leisure and work.
The first information about horns recorded on paper dates back to the 17th century, but in fact they began to be used much earlier. Since the 18th century, references to horn ensembles have appeared.
Domra
The traditional Slavic plucked string instrument is the ancestor of the balalaika. The fundamental differences from the first to the last lie in the configuration of the deck (oval and triangular, respectively). It became widespread in the 16th century, presumably evolving from Mongolian two-stringed plucked instruments.
There are three- and four-string versions of the instrument. Domra was considered an instrument of traveling buffoons (domra player - domrachey).
Accordion
Bayan is a Russian folk musical instrument with Bavarian roots. The constructive basis for it was the harmonica. The first instrument was created by master Mirwald in 1891, and the very next year button accordions appeared in Russia. However, the name of the instrument was first mentioned in 1903 (before that it was called chromatic harmony).
This is a solo concert or ensemble instrument. However, he often accompanies people's leisure time at public celebrations or family holidays.
Russian accordion
The hand accordion came to Russian musical culture along with the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. Her ancestor was chinese instrument shen. Chinese ancestor passed long haul from Asia to Russia and Europe, but the harmonica received mass popular love after the 1830s, after the opening of the first production. But even with established production, most of the instruments were made by folk craftsmen, which contributed to a wide variety of designs.
Tambourine
It is almost impossible to establish the time and place of the appearance of the tambourine as a musical instrument - it was used in various rituals of many peoples. Ritual tambourines most often consist of a leather membrane on a round wooden frame - a shell. Bells or round metal plates were often suspended from the shell of Russian musical tambourines.
In Rus', any percussion musical instrument was called a tambourine. The military and ritual tambourine clearly stands out. They served as the basis for musical tambourines used during buffoon performances and other entertainment events.
Firewood
Percussion instrument with a telling name firewood “grew” from an ordinary bundle of firewood. Its operating principle is similar to a xylophone. The sound is extracted with a special beater made of wooden plates. A recess is selected at the bottom of each plate, the depth of which determines the pitch of the sound. After adjustment, the plates are varnished and bundled. Dried birch, spruce and maple are used to make firewood. Maple firewood is considered the most euphonious.
Whistle
A small ceramic wind instrument, the whistle, was often equipped with decorative elements. Bird whistles with decorative paintings were especially popular. Preferred creatures and designs often indicate the region where the tool was made.
The whistles make high trills. Some types of whistles are filled with water and then the trills are produced with a shimmer. Whistles were created as children's toys.
Ratchet
A series of wooden plates fastened with cord is the Slavic ratchet. Shaking such a bunch creates sharp popping sounds. Ratchets are made from durable wood - oak, for example. To increase the volume, spacers about five millimeters thick are inserted between the plates. The instrument was used at fairs and folk festivals to attract attention to a particular performance.
Wooden spoons
Another symbol of Russian culture is wooden spoons. This is the only percussion instrument that can be eaten. Ancient Russians used spoons to make rhythmic sounds as much as they used them to eat. Spoons made of different types of wood with characteristic paintings are used in sets of two to five. The most common option is with three - two are clamped in the spooner’s left hand, and with the third he hits the lower sides of the scoops.
The music of past centuries is not broadcast by modern radio stations, but lives in ancient books and museums. They are no longer played, but some people still remember musical instruments forgotten by civilization.
We all know what a piano, grand piano, trumpet, violin, guitar and drum look and sound like. What did their “grandmothers” and “grandfathers” look and sound like? We won’t be able to reproduce the sounds of an ancient orchestra, but we will tell you about ancient musical instruments.
1. Lyre
Back in Ancient Greece musical instruments were created, which over time acquired a classic appearance and became the basis for the creation of new modern species. The lyre is the most popular musical instrument during the development of the Ancient Greek state. The first mention of the lyre dates back to 1400. BC e. This instrument has always been identified with Apollo, since the first lyre was given to him by Hermes. And it sounded, accompanying beautiful poems. The lyre is not played today, but the term "lyric" has immortalized the instrument.
2. Kifara
It is rightfully considered one of the first string instruments and is a direct descendant of the lyre. Musicians holding a cithara in their hands were depicted on ancient coins, frescoes, clay amphorae and paintings. This instrument was very popular in Persia, India and Rome. Unfortunately, it is impossible to accurately reproduce the sound of the kithara today, but thanks to literary description it was reconstructed.
3. Zither
This plucked string musical instrument became most widespread in Austria and Germany in the 18th century. It appeared in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. Similar instruments were found among the peoples of China and the Middle East.
4. Harpsichord
A plucked keyboard musical instrument that gained immense popularity in the Middle Ages. The first information about the harpsichord dates back to 1511. Unique tool Italian work from 1521 has survived to this day. Externally, the harpsichords were finished very elegantly. Their body was decorated with drawings, inlays and carvings. However, by the end of the 18th century, the harpsichord was replaced by the piano; it was supplanted and completely forgotten in the 19th century.
5. Clavichord
One of the oldest stringed percussion-clamped musical instruments. Outwardly it was very similar to a harpsichord, but had a more powerful sound. The clavichord, created in 1543, is today housed in the Museum of Musical Instruments in Leipzig, Germany. Greatest Composers Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven created many works specifically written for the clavichord.
6. Harmonium
This wind reed keyboard musical instrument was very popular in late XIX century. In everyday life it was called the “organ”. The creator of the harmonium is a Frenchman named Deben, who received a patent for the manufacture of the instrument in 1840. Today the harmonium can only be seen in museums.
7. Beat
An ancient Slavic percussion instrument. It was made of iron, which was struck with a mallet. Bilo also played the role of a church bell and signaling instrument for the Old Believers.
8. Horn
The main instrument of Russian buffoons of the early Middle Ages. Outwardly it was very similar to a violin and was considered its Slavic prototype. Horn - wooden bowed instrument pear-shaped with three strings.
9. Hurdy Wheel
This keyboard musical instrument originated in Central Europe in X-XI centuries. Originally, the hurdy-gurdy required two people to play because the keys were on top. One turned the knob, and the second played a melody. Later the keys were placed at the bottom. First in Russia hurdy-gurdy appeared in the 17th century. People playing this instrument performed spiritual verses and biblical parables.
10. Kobza
Ukrainian national plucked string musical instrument. It is believed that the kobza was brought to Ukraine by Turkic tribes, but the instrument acquired its final appearance in these lands. The image of the kobzar, who accompanied his songs and thoughts by playing the kobza, was immortalized in his work by T. Shevchenko. Kobza was a favorite instrument Ukrainian Cossacks and villagers, but after 1850 it was replaced by a bandura.
11. Rainstick
The rain flute is an exotic ancient musical instrument that was used by the shamans of the Southern and North America to control the rain element. It perfectly imitated the sound of water pouring or falling rain. Previously it served as a cult instrument in the ancient rites of local aborigines. Today, rhinestone acts as a talisman for housing against envy and malice.
12. Kalimba
The oldest musical instrument of African tribes. Today in parts of Central and Southern Africa it is used in traditional ceremonies. The Kalimba is called the "African hand piano".
This instrument was known in the 16th century. under another name – zinc, the same “great-grandfather” of wind instruments. It was invented by the Frenchman Edme Guillaume. A serpent is a curved tube that looks very much like a snake. The instrument was made from wood or bone, covering the base with tanned leather. Sometimes the serpentine tip was made in the shape of a reptile's head.
In 1752, an instrument was invented in St. Petersburg that replaced an entire orchestra, which consisted of 40-80 hunting horns, each of which was carefully processed and tuned to its own unique sound. It is clear that size mattered here: the largest horn sounded low, and the smallest produced high notes.
15. Ionic
Until recently, this musical instrument was an integral part of any vocal and instrumental ensemble. Ionica is a trademark of electric musical instruments produced in the German Democratic Republic in 1959. In the Soviet Union, the term “ionics” began to be used in relation to all small-sized keyboard instruments. Over time, it was replaced by transistor devices, which were more reliable.
Ancient musical instruments are sometimes valued more than modern ones. The reason is that similar tools are different high quality work. The first musical instruments are considered to be winds, pipes and tweeters of various types. Naturally, you can only admire such exhibits in a museum. But there are a number of tools that can be purchased at auctions.
An ancient musical instrument is a broad concept. It is understood as products that produce sounds and were made back in the days of Ancient Greece and Egypt, as well as less “old” objects that are capable of emitting musical sounds and having a resistor. It is noteworthy that percussion instruments that produce musical sounds do not have a resistor.
1) The ancestor of stringed instruments is the hunting bow, which was used by our ancestors. Since the string produced a methodical sound when pulled, it was subsequently decided to string several strings of different thicknesses and lengths, resulting in sounds of different ranges.
Replacing the enclosure with a full box resulted in sounds that were beautiful and melodic. To the first string instruments can be attributed:
- Gusli.
- Guitar.
- Theorbu.
- Mandolin.
- Harp.
It is worth paying attention to violins, which are in particular demand. The most popular violin maker is Antonio Stradivari. Experts agree that Antonio made the best violins in 1715; the quality of these instruments is simply amazing. Distinctive feature The master's work should be considered a desire to improve the shape of the instruments, changing them to a more curved one. Antonio strived for perfect sound and melodiousness. He decorated the body of the violins with precious stones.
In addition to violins, the master made harps, cellos, guitars and violas.
2) A wind musical instrument can be made of wood, metal or other material. Essentially, it is a tube of various diameters and lengths that produces sound due to air vibrations.
The larger the volume wind instrument, the lower the sound it makes. There are wooden and copper instruments. The principle of operation of the former is simple - it is necessary to open and close holes that are located at different distances from each other. As a result of such actions, air masses vibrate and music is created.
To the vintage wooden instruments include:
- flute;
- bassoon;
- clarinet;
- oboe.
The instruments got their name from the material from which they were made in those days, but modern technologies do not stand still, so the material was replaced partially or completely. Therefore, today these instruments look different and are made from different materials.
Get sound from brass instruments is obtained by changing the position of the lips and due to the force of the air being blown in and out. Later, in 1830, a mechanism with valves was invented.
Brass instruments include:
- Trombone.
- Pipe.
- Tubu et al.
In most cases, these instruments are made of metal, and not only copper, brass and even silver are used. But the works of medieval masters were made of wood partially or completely.
Perhaps the most ancient wind instrument is the horn, which was used for various purposes.
Bayans and accordions
Bayans, accordions and all types of accordions are classified as reed musical instruments.
Traditions allow us to call only those instruments that have a keyboard with right side. But in the USA, the concept of “accordion” also includes other types of hand accordions. At the same time, varieties of accordions may have their own names.
Around the end of the 19th century, accordions were made in Klingenthal; German accordions are still in demand among Russian musicians.
There are also hydroid models that can be classified as artifacts; most of these models are no longer in use, but require attention due to their rarity and uniqueness.
Shrammel's button accordion is an instrument that has a unique structure. On the right side there is a push-button keyboard. This type of accordion is used in Viennese chamber music.
Trikitix accordion - on the left side there is a 12-button bass, on the right side there is a keyboard.
The chromatic accordion from Britain, despite the fact that the instrument is made in Germany, is considered the favorite instrument of musicians from Scotland.
The old "Schwitzerörgeli" accordion has similarities with the Belgian bass system, and the accordion is also called an organ from Scotland.
It is also worth paying attention to one copy from the USSR - this is the “Baby” accordion, which has a unique design. The peculiarity of this instrument is that the accordion is smaller in size. It was used to educate children, but not only. Due to its compactness, the instrument has some structural features:
- the first row is the bass and the second row is the chords;
- major and minor missing;
- one button performs the role of two.
You can buy such an accordion today inexpensively compared to models from Germany intended for training. Despite the fact that the accordion has various reviews and there is criticism of the instrument, it is considered ideal for teaching children.
A bit of nationality
There are not so few folk instruments; each nation has its own. The Slavs were distinguished by the quantity and quality of models. Some of the first instruments of the Slavs are:
- Balalaika.
- Accordion.
- Tambourine.
- Dudka.
1) The balalaika, along with the accordion, is considered a symbol of Russia and is perceived as the most widespread instrument. Historians do not answer when exactly the balalaika appeared; the approximate date is considered to be the 17th century. The balalaika consists of a triangular body and three strings, the vibration of which leads to the appearance of music.
The balalaika acquired its modern appearance in 1833, thanks to the musician Vasily Andreev, who began improving the balalaika.
2) The button accordion is a type of hand accordion that was designed by a Bavarian master. A similar type of accordion was discovered in Russia in 1892. In 1907, a master from St. Petersburg, Pyotr Egorovich Sterligov, made an instrument for harmonica player Yakov Fedorovich Orlansky-Titarenky. The work took the master about two years. And the instrument received its name in honor of the singer and storyteller named Bayan.
3) The tambourine is an instrument of indefinite pitch that has its own variations in different cultures. It is a circle covered with leather on both sides; metal bells or rings were also attached to the tambourine. Tambourines had different sizes and were often used for shamanic rituals.
But there is also an orchestral tambourine - the most common instrument today. A plastic tambourine is a round wooden hoop covered with leather or other membrane.
4) The pipe is a type of folk wind instrument that was common in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The pipe is a small tube with holes.
Keyboard instruments
One of the most famous instruments that has survived to this day is the organ. Its original design had its own peculiarities: the organ keys were so large that you had to press them with your fists. The sound of the organ invariably accompanied church services. This instrument dates back to the Middle Ages.
The clavichord is very similar to the piano, but its sound was quiet, so there was no point in playing the clavichord in front of a large number of people. The clavichord was used for evenings and playing music at home. The instrument had keys that were pressed with your fingers. Bach had a clavichord, he played musical works on it.
The clavichord was replaced by the piano in 1703. The inventor of this instrument was a master from Spain, Bartolomeo Cristofori, who made instruments for the Medici family. He called his invention “an instrument that plays quietly and loudly.” The principle of operation of the piano was as follows: the keys had to be struck with a hammer, and there was also a mechanism for returning the hammer to its place.
The hammer struck a key, the key struck a string and caused it to vibrate, causing a sound; there were no pedals or dampers. Later, the piano was modified: a device was made that helped the hammer drop halfway. The modernization has significantly improved the sound quality and facilitated the process of playing music.
There are quite a lot of ancient instruments; this concept includes models of Slavic culture, accordions made in the USSR and violins from the time of Antonio Stradivari. It is difficult to find such an exhibit in private collections; for the most part, you can admire rare instruments in various museums. But some models are successfully sold at auctions, asking buyers to pay a not too high price for the instruments. Unless, of course, we are talking about specimens that fall under the concept of “antiques”.
Did you know that several years ago archaeologists discovered the oldest musical instrument? Do you think this is some kind of fossilized primitive proto-drum or prehistoric double bass from a mammoth skull? No matter how it is! Hurry up - under the cut!
It turns out that the most ancient musical instrument is
it's a flute!
In 2009, in one of the caves in southwestern Germany, archaeologists found the remains of an instrument reminiscent of the familiar flute:
Its age is more than 35 thousand years. This flute is 21.8 cm long and only 8 mm thick. Five round holes were punched in the body, which were closed with fingers, and at the ends there were two deep V-shaped cuts.
This flute, as you probably already guessed, is made not of wood, but of bone - here the opinions of scientists differ: some say that it is a bone from a swan's wing, others - a griffon vulture. This is the oldest, although far from the first discovery of such a tool. Researchers believe that southwest Germany is the site of one of the first settlements of our European ancestors who came from Africa. Now they are making assumptions that our prehistoric ancestors had a well-developed musical culture. ()
In general, flutes are not the only thing that archaeologists find. Among the ancient musical instruments in different times found: bone pipes and flutes, animal horns, pipes made of shells, drums made of animal skins, rattles made of stone and wood, musical [hunting] bows. The oldest musical instruments (flutes and tweeters) were found on the territory of modern Hungary and Moldova, and date back to the Paleolithic era - approximately 2522 thousand years BC, and the oldest musical notation - the 18th century BC, was found during excavations Sumerian city of Nippur (territory of modern Iraq).
During excavations of the site of primitive hunters in Ukraine, interesting discoveries were made. At the site of the plague they found a whole “orchestra”; there were so many ancient musical instruments there. Pipes and whistles were made from bone tubes. Rattles and rattles were carved from mammoth bones. Dry leather covered the tambourines, which hummed when struck by a mallet.
Obviously, the melodies performed on such musical instruments were very simple, rhythmic and loud. In one of the caves in Italy, scientists found footprints on fossilized clay. The tracks were strange: people either walked on their heels or jumped on tiptoes on both legs at once. This is easy to explain: a hunting dance was performed there. The hunters danced to menacing and exciting music, imitating the movements of powerful, dexterous and cunning animals. They chose words to the music and in songs they talked about themselves, about their ancestors, about what they saw around them.
Gradually more advanced musical instruments appeared. It turned out that if you stretch the skin over a hollow wooden or clay object, the sound will become louder and stronger. This is how the ancestors of drums and timpani were born. (