What types of wind instruments are there? Types of wind instruments

Musical instruments are designed to produce various sounds. If the musician plays well, then these sounds can be called music, but if not, then cacaphony. There are so many tools that learning them is like exciting game worse than Nancy Drew! In modern musical practice, instruments are divided into various classes and families according to the source of sound, material of manufacture, method of sound production and other characteristics.

Wind musical instruments (aerophones): group musical instruments, the sound source of which is vibrations of the air column in the barrel bore (tube). They are classified according to many criteria (material, design, methods of sound production, etc.). IN symphony orchestra The group of wind musical instruments is divided into wooden (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) and copper (trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba).

1. Flute is a woodwind musical instrument. The modern type of transverse flute (with valves) was invented by the German master T. Boehm in 1832 and has varieties: small (or piccolo flute), alto and bass flute.

2. Oboe is a woodwind reed musical instrument. Known since the 17th century. Varieties: small oboe, oboe d'amour, English horn, heckelphone.

3. Clarinet is a woodwind reed musical instrument. Constructed in the early 18th century In modern practice, soprano clarinets, piccolo clarinet (Italian piccolo), alto (so-called basset horn), and bass clarinets are used.

4. Bassoon - a woodwind musical instrument (mainly orchestral). Arose in the 1st half. 16th century The bass variety is the contrabassoon.

5. Trumpet - a wind-copper mouthpiece musical instrument, known since ancient times. The modern type of valve pipe developed to the gray. 19th century

6. Horn - a wind musical instrument. Appeared at the end of the 17th century as a result of the improvement of the hunting horn. The modern type of horn with valves was created in the first quarter of the 19th century.

7. Trombone - a brass musical instrument (mainly orchestral), in which the pitch of the sound is regulated by a special device - a slide (the so-called sliding trombone or zugtrombone). There are also valve trombones.

8. Tuba is the lowest sounding brass musical instrument. Designed in 1835 in Germany.

Metallophones are a type of musical instrument, the main element of which is plate-keys, which are struck with a hammer.

1. Self-sounding musical instruments (bells, gongs, vibraphones, etc.), the source of sound of which is their elastic metal body. Sound is produced using hammers, sticks, and special drummers (tongues).

2. Instruments such as the xylophone, in contrast to which the metallophone plates are made of metal.

Stringed musical instruments (chordophones): according to the method of sound production, they are divided into bowed (for example, violin, cello, gidzhak, kemancha), plucked (harp, gusli, guitar, balalaika), percussion (dulcimer), percussion-keyboard (piano), plucked -keyboards (harpsichord).

1. Violin is a 4-string bowed musical instrument. The highest in register in the violin family, which formed the basis of the classical symphony orchestra and string quartet.

2. Cello is a musical instrument of the violin family of the bass-tenor register. Appeared in the 15th-16th centuries. Classic designs created Italian masters 17-18 centuries: A. and N. Amati, G. Guarneri, A. Stradivari.

3. Gidzhak - stringed musical instrument (Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen, Uyghur).

4. Kemancha (kamancha) - a 3-4-string bowed musical instrument. Distributed in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Dagestan, as well as the countries of the Middle East.

5. Harp (from German Harfe) is a multi-string plucked musical instrument. Early images - in the third millennium BC. In its simplest form it is found in almost all nations. The modern pedal harp was invented in 1801 by S. Erard in France.

6. Gusli is a Russian plucked string musical instrument. Wing-shaped psalteries (“ringed”) have 4-14 or more strings, helmet-shaped ones - 11-36, rectangular (table-shaped) - 55-66 strings.

7. Guitar (Spanish guitarra, from Greek cithara) - stringed plucked instrument lute type. Known in Spain since the 13th century, in the 17th-18th centuries it spread to the countries of Europe and America, including as folk instrument. Since the 18th century, the 6-string guitar has become commonly used; the 7-string guitar has become widespread mainly in Russia. Varieties include the so-called ukulele; in modern pop music an electric guitar is used.

8. Balalaika is a Russian folk 3-string plucked musical instrument. Known since the beginning. 18th century Improved in the 1880s. (under the leadership of V.V. Andreev) V.V. Ivanov and F.S. Paserbsky, who designed the balalaika family, and later - S.I. Nalimov.

9. Cymbals (Polish: cymbaly) - a multi-stringed percussion musical instrument ancient origin. Included in folk orchestras Hungary, Poland, Romania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, etc.

10. Piano (Italian fortepiano, from forte - loud and piano - quiet) - common name keyboard musical instruments with hammer mechanics (grand piano, upright piano). The piano was invented in the beginning. 18th century Appearance modern type piano - with the so-called double rehearsal - dates back to the 1820s. The heyday of piano performance - 19-20 centuries.

11. Harpsichord (French clavecin) - a stringed keyboard-plucked musical instrument, the predecessor of the piano. Known since the 16th century. There were harpsichords of various shapes, types and varieties, including the cymbal, virginel, spinet, and clavicytherium.

Keyboard musical instruments: a group of musical instruments united by a common feature - the presence of keyboard mechanics and a keyboard. They are divided into various classes and types. Keyboard musical instruments can be combined with other categories.

1. Strings (percussion-keyboards and plucked-keyboards): piano, celesta, harpsichord and its varieties.

2. Brass (keyboard-wind and reed): organ and its varieties, harmonium, button accordion, accordion, melodica.

3. Electromechanical: electric piano, clavinet

4. Electronic: electronic piano

piano (Italian fortepiano, from forte - loud and piano - quiet) is the general name for keyboard musical instruments with hammer mechanics (grand piano, upright piano). It was invented at the beginning of the 18th century. The emergence of a modern type of piano - with the so-called. double rehearsal - dates back to the 1820s. The heyday of piano performance - 19-20 centuries.

Percussion musical instruments: a group of instruments united by the method of sound production - impact. The source of sound is a solid body, a membrane, a string. There are instruments with a definite (timpani, bells, xylophones) and indefinite (drums, tambourines, castanets) pitch.

1. Timpani (timpani) (from the Greek polytaurea) is a cauldron-shaped percussion musical instrument with a membrane, often paired (nagara, etc.). Distributed since ancient times.

2. Bells - orchestral percussion self-sounding musical instrument: a set of metal records.

3. Xylophone (from xylo... and Greek phone - sound, voice) - a percussion, self-sounding musical instrument. Consists of a series wooden blocks various lengths.

4. Drum - a percussion membrane musical instrument. Varieties are found among many peoples.

5. Tambourine - a percussion membrane musical instrument, sometimes with metal pendants.

6. Castanets (Spanish: castanetas) - percussion musical instrument; wooden (or plastic) plates in the shape of shells, fastened on the fingers.

Electromusical instruments: musical instruments in which sound is created by generating, amplifying and converting electrical signals (using electronic equipment). They have a unique timbre and can imitate various instruments. Electric musical instruments include the theremin, emiriton, electric guitar, electric organs, etc.

1. Theremin is the first domestic electromusical instrument. Designed by L. S. Theremin. The pitch of a theremin varies depending on distance right hand performer to one of the antennas, volume - from the distance of the left hand to the other antenna.

2. Emiriton is an electric musical instrument equipped with a piano-type keyboard. Designed in the USSR by inventors A. A. Ivanov, A. V. Rimsky-Korsakov, V. A. Kreitzer and V. P. Dzerzhkovich (1st model in 1935).

3. Electric guitar - a guitar, usually made of wood, with electric pickups that convert vibrations metal strings into hesitation electric current. The first magnetic pickup was made by Gibson engineer Lloyd Loehr in 1924. The most common are six-string electric guitars.

French horn(from German Waldhorn - “forest horn”, Italian corno, English French horn, French cor) - a brass musical instrument of the bass-tenor register. Originated from a hunting signal horn, entered the orchestra into mid-17th century century. Until the 1830s, like other brass instruments, it did not have valves and was a natural instrument with a limited scale (the so-called “natural horn”, which was used by Beethoven). The horn is used in symphony and brass orchestras, as well as as an ensemble and solo instrument. Currently, it is used mainly in F (in the F tuning), in brass bands also in Es (in the E-flat tuning). The actual sound range of the horn is from H1 (B counter octave) to f² (F second octave) with all intermediate sounds along the chromatic scale. Notes for the horn are written in the treble clef a fifth higher than the actual sound and in the bass clef a fourth lower than the actual sound (previously notated without key signs). The timbre of the instrument is somewhat rough in the lower register, soft and melodious on the piano, light and bright on the forte - in the middle and upper register.

The horn is good at playing long notes (including on the organ station) and melodies of wide breathing. The air consumption on this instrument is relatively small (not counting the extreme registers).

IN
Agner tuba(German Wagnertuba, English Wagner tuba, Italian Tuba wagneriana or Tuba di Wagner, French Tuba wagnerien; the name comes from the name of the composer Richard Wagner) - a brass musical instrument of the bass-tenor register, combining the design features of the horn and tuba . The name “Wagner tuba” is not entirely correct, since this instrument is closer in design to a horn, and moreover, it uses a horn mouthpiece, so in the vast majority of cases it is played by professional horn players. It is more correct to classify it as a type of horn. However, the existing name developed historically in several European languages. The sound of the Wagner tuba resembles a euphonium, so in the absence of this instrument in the orchestra, the euphonium often replaces it.

The invention of this instrument is attributed to Richard Wagner, who first used it in his works. Presumably, the inventor of the saxophone, Adolf Sax, also took part in the design of the Wagner tuba. The Wagner tuba is used quite rarely by composers. The most famous musical works with the participation of this instrument - Richard Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring of the Nibelungen”, Anton Bruckner’s symphonies No. 7, 8 and 9, Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “Petrushka”, Richard Strauss’s operas “Electra” and “Woman without a Shadow”, as well as his “Home Symphony” .

T rub (natural), despite its centuries-old history, the instrument is very young. However, this is true! The trumpet is a child of technological progress, its production is associated with metal processing and the first instruments that can be called a trumpet appeared around 3600 BC - in the Bronze Age.

Known are Egyptian trumpets from the reign of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (1500 BC), Roman trumpets: lur, cornu, lituus, buccina. Each round of progress was invariably reflected in the quality and shape of the manufactured pipes. The thickness of the metal sheet from which the tool was made changed, the quality of soldering joints improved, and the metal itself from which the pipe was made (bronze, silver, copper) also changed. Naturally, there was a variety of instrument forms. The main thing remained - the purpose of the pipe. For centuries it was used in the retinues of rulers and as a signaling instrument among troops.

Finally, by the beginning of the 17th century, the pipe acquired different qualities and shape. This is how composers knew it, from Monteverdi and Purcell, to Mendelssohn and Berlioz. (The first mention of instrument makers, such as Schnitzer in Germany, dates back to approximately 1590.) Over the next two centuries, the shape of the pipe would change little. We now call this instrument a natural trumpet. The sounds on it are produced by blowing and built according to overtones. Due to the long length of the instrument, the lower (pedal) note was located in a large octave, and scale-like passages could be used from the eighth overtone.

The “golden age” of the natural pipe was the 17th century. The natural trumpet shines in the works of such masters as G. Purcell, A. Scarlatti, A. Vivaldi, G.F. Telemann and reaches the heights in the music of G.F. Handel and J.S. Bach. The role of the trumpet in the music of that time is twofold. Firstly, the trumpet remains a signal instrument and a group of trumpets (usually three players) together with timpani create a festive, inviting sound. Secondly, composers use the upper register of the solo trumpet for moving phrases and anniversaries (for example, in the sonatas of G. Purcell and A. Corelli, concertos by A. Vivaldi, G. F. Telemann, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 by J. S. Bach) and they brilliantly combine it with a solo voice (six arias by A. Scarlatti, arias from cantatas by J. S. Bach and oratorios by G. F. Handel). The trumpet enters into competition with the voice on equal terms. Alas, such competitions were not always successful for trumpet players. Let us remember the film “Castrato Farinelli” about the famous virtuoso singer, where there is a scene in the market square when Farinelli enters into competition with a trumpeter and defeats him, turning out to be more virtuoso.

History has preserved for us the names of trumpeters of that time. This is Girolamo Fantini, the author of eight trumpet sonatas and “Modo per impare a sonare di tromba” - the first published school of trumpet playing, D. Shore, I. Clark, for whom G. Purcell and G.F. Handel, as well as Johann Gottfried Reiche from Leipzig - the first performer of the music of J.S. Bach. The end of the 18th century marks the beginning of the technical changes that brought the pipe to its current appearance and quality. Performers needed a chromatic instrument, and composers began to use more and more complex combinations of tonalities in their compositions. The first chromatic trumpet (reported on it dates back to 1793) had valves installed in the manner of flute and clarinet ones. Although this innovation was not further developed, since with open valves the trumpet lost sound, the valved trumpet was immortalized in the concerts of I. Haydn (1798) and I.N. Hummel (1803), commissioned by the Viennese trumpeter Anton Weidinger (1766-1852). These concerts are still the most popular in the trumpet players' repertoire. The experiments continued. Their practical meaning was to use some mechanisms to lengthen the instrument's tube, thus lowering the notes of the natural scale. Do not think that during these searches the natural pipe has lost its position. Chromatic instruments have so far been inferior to natural ones in sound quality and composers have had to show miracles of ingenuity, finding more pauses for changing crowns or, like G. Berlioz and the early R. Wagner, using four natural trumpets different systems in pairs.

T
piccolo shirt, like the small D trumpet, it was invented at about the same time and for the same purpose - for playing ancient music. Its beautiful, sonorous timbre and wide range made it possible to revive many beautiful works by old masters.

In 1884, the famous German trumpeter Julius Kozlek (1835-1905), after many experiments, designed a trumpet in A tuning with two valves, on which he could easily play the most difficult clarino parts. Moreover, using a mouthpiece with a deep cone-shaped cup, he achieved an unusually light and beautiful timbre of sound.

The piccolo trumpet has 4 valves and 4 additional crowns. The fourth valve is a quartet valve, that is, it lowers each natural sound by a quart. It serves to fill the zone from C to F of the first octave, as well as to build individual inaccurately intonated sounds. The instrument has an additional tube for tuning from B-flat to A.

Nowadays it is played with a smaller mouthpiece, which makes it easier to produce sounds in the upper register and clearer intonation.

The piccolo trumpet began to be used in orchestras in the 20th century (for example, Stravinsky in “Petrushka”, where there is a famous piccolo trumpet solo). And in solo practice when performing early music, the instrument is even more popular than the D trumpet.

Such wonderful trumpeters as Adolf Scherbaum, Ludwig Güttler, Maurice Andre, Wynton Marsalis, Hakan Hardenberger and many others played and still play small trumpets and piccolo trumpets.

T
ruba(Italian tromba, French trompette, German Trompete, English trumpet) is a brass musical instrument of the alto-soprano register, the highest in sound among brass instruments. The natural trumpet has been used as a signaling instrument since ancient times, and became part of the orchestra around the 17th century. With the invention of the valve mechanism, the trumpet received a full chromatic scale and from the middle of the 19th century became a full-fledged instrument of classical music. The instrument has a bright, brilliant timbre, and is used as a solo instrument, in symphony and brass orchestras, as well as in jazz and other genres.

Pipes are made of brass or copper, less often - of silver and other metals. Already in antiquity, there was a technology for making an instrument from one single sheet of metal.

At its core, a pipe is a long tube that is bent solely for compactness. It narrows slightly at the mouthpiece, widens at the bell, and in other areas has a cylindrical shape. It is this tube shape that gives the trumpet its bright timbre. When making a pipe, an extremely accurate calculation of both the length of the pipe itself and the degree of expansion of the bell is important - this radically affects the structure of the instrument.

The basic principle of playing the trumpet is to obtain harmonic consonances by changing the position of the lips and changing the length of the air column in the instrument, achieved using a valve mechanism. The trumpet uses three valves that reduce the sound by a tone, a semitone and a tone and a half. Simultaneously pressing two or three valves makes it possible to lower the overall scale of the instrument to three tones. Thus, the trumpet receives a chromatic scale.

On some types of trumpet (for example, the piccolo trumpet) there is also a fourth valve (quart valve), which lowers the tuning by a perfect fourth (five semitones).

The trumpet is a right-handed instrument: when playing, the valves are pressed with the right hand, the left hand supports the instrument.

TO
paw trombone differs from a regular trombone in that the pitch of notes is changed by three valves (a similar principle is used in the orchestral trumpet). These valves give the performer quite a lot of freedom, but the sound of a valve trombone is inferior in brightness and richness to a regular trombone. Until the mid-20th century, valve trombones were widespread in dance ensembles and theater orchestras, but now they are mostly used in jazz music.

TO
ornette(Italian cornetto - “horn”) or cornet-a-piston (French cornet à pistons - “horn with pistons”) - a brass wind musical instrument that resembles a trumpet, but has a wider and shorter tube and is equipped not with valves, but pistons. It originates from the postal horn. It was constructed in France around 1830.

The volume of the actual sound of the cornet coincides with the range of the trumpet - from e (minor octave E) to c3 (up to the third octave). Used in B-flat (in B) and A (in A) tunings, notes are usually written without key marks, a tone or one and a half (depending on the tuning) higher than the actual sound.

In the 19th century, cornets were often introduced into the orchestra along with trumpets. Despite the fact that trumpets were already chromatic instruments, composers rarely trusted them with solo and virtuoso episodes. It was believed that the cornet has greater virtuoso capabilities and a softer timbre than the trumpet. Cornets were used in orchestral works by Berlioz (symphony “Harold in Italy”), Bizet (music for the drama “La Arlesienne”), Tchaikovsky (Italian Capriccio, “Francesca da Rimini”). One of the most famous solo numbers for the cornet is the Neapolitan Dance from Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake.

In the second half of the 19th century, the cornet was very popular. In 1869, a cornet class was opened at the Paris Conservatory; the founder and first professor was the famous virtuoso cornetist Jean Baptiste Arban.

In the 20th century, improvements in trumpet design and the skill of trumpet players virtually eliminated the problem of fluency and timbre, and cornets disappeared from the orchestra. Nowadays, orchestral parts of cornets are performed, as a rule, on trumpets, although sometimes an original instrument is used.

The cornet is an ordinary member of a brass band, where he performs the melodic voice. It was used in the early stages of jazz, but later gave way to the trumpet.

Currently, in addition to the brass band, the cornet is used as a teaching instrument and occasionally as a soloist.

T
uba(Italian from Latin tuba - “trumpet”, English tuba, German Tuba, French tube) is a wide-bore brass musical instrument, the lowest in register. The modern model of the instrument was designed in the second quarter of the XIX century by Adolphe Sax. The tuba has a harsh, massive timbre; the sound of the tuba is difficult to intonate. It is used mainly in a symphony orchestra, where it plays the role of a bass instrument in a brass section. It is actively used in brass bands, relatively less often in various jazz and pop orchestras and ensembles. The tuba appears relatively rarely as a solo instrument.

In a symphony orchestra, as a rule, one, less often two or three, tubas are used. The tuba usually plays the role of bass in a group of brass instruments. In the score, the tuba part is written below the other instruments of this group, often on the same line as the third trombone part.

Thanks to the valve mechanism, the tuba is a fairly technically flexible instrument (which does not apply, however, to the most extreme registers), however, in fast scale-like diatonic and chromatic passages, as well as in arpeggios, the intonation of the tuba becomes indistinct.

Staccato on the tuba sounds quite distinct, although somewhat heavy. It works better in forte than in piano.

Valve trills are used on the tuba; in addition, it is possible to extract several trills with the lips in the upper register.

Due to the rather impressive weight of the instrument, performers rarely play standing, using a support belt or, sometimes, a whole system of them. Usually playing the tuba while standing is a necessary measure caused by the fact that the orchestra plays in motion (on the march). In other situations when the orchestra plays standing, it is not uncommon for tuba players to remain seated: since they are usually placed in the farthest row of the orchestra, this does not spoil the appearance of the orchestra at the front.

A variety of mutes have been created for the tuba. But due to the “silent protest” that performers have to carry an already difficult instrument, musicians, for the most part, boycott the use of mutes.

E
electric guitar- a type of guitar with electric pickups that convert vibrations of metal strings into vibrations of electric current. The signal from the pickups can be processed to produce various sound effects and then amplified for playback through speakers. The word “electric guitar” itself arose from the phrase “electric guitar,” but many people forget about this, mistakenly calling it “electronic guitar.”

Some people think that electric guitars are made of plastic or metal, but in fact they are usually made of wood. The most common materials are alder, ash, mahogany (mahogany), maple. Rosewood, ebony and maple are used as fingerboards.

The most common are six-string electric guitars. The classic tuning of a six-string guitar is similar to that of an acoustic guitar: E B G D A E. Quite often the “dropped D” tuning is used, in which the bottom string is tuned to D (D) and lower tunings (Drop C, Drop B), which are used mainly by metal and alternative music guitarists. In seven-string electric guitars, most often the additional low string is tuned to B (B). An eight-string guitar is an electric guitar with an additional 7 and 8 strings for extremely heavy music. First made to order and used by the Swedish metal band Meshuggah. Thanks to the popularity of this group, the first mass-produced 8-string guitar, the Ibanez 2228, was released for fans of this type of music.

Typical, most popular and one of the oldest models of electric guitars are the Telecaster (released in 1951) and Stratocaster (1954) from Fender, as well as the Les Paul (1952) from Gibson. These guitars are considered reference guitars and have many copies and imitations produced by other companies. Many of today's large musical instrument companies started out producing only copies of the popular Fender and Gibson models. However, subsequently such companies as Rickenbacker, Ibanez, Jackson, Yamaha, Hamer (English), B.C. Rich, ESP, Schecter and others have released their own ranges of instruments that have become very popular in the world.

B ac guitar- a plucked string musical instrument designed for playing in the bass range. Used in many musical styles and genres as an accompanying and, less often, solo instrument. Since its appearance in the middle of the 20th century, it has become one of the most common bass instruments.

The bass guitar part in a piece of music is called a bass line or bass line, and the player who plays the bass guitar is called a bass guitarist or bass player.

The main area of ​​application of the bass guitar is modern popular and jazz music, in classical music The bass guitar is used less frequently than the regular six-string guitar. The role of the bass guitar in an ensemble also differs from the role of a regular guitar - the bass guitar is more often used for accompaniment and rhythmic support than as a solo instrument.

The bass guitar sounds an octave lower than usual. It is completely symmetrical (that is, each subsequent open string is tuned a fourth lower than the previous one), so the standard tuning of a bass guitar is the same as the tuning of the four bass strings of a regular guitar, only an octave lower (the tuning of the bass guitar is the same as the tuning of the double bass). The range of an ordinary four-string bass guitar in classical tuning is just over three octaves - from E counter octave to G first octave.

Unlike other types of guitars, the bass guitar has the following design features, due to the need to obtain a lower sound range:

Big sizes;

Increased scale length (864 mm (34") versus 650 mm for a classical guitar);

Thicker strings;

Reduced number of strings (4-string bass guitars are the most common).

Historically, the bass guitar first appeared in the form of an electric bass and only then was an acoustic version created, in contrast to the guitar, where everything was the other way around - first the emergence of an acoustic guitar, and then its transformation into an electric guitar.

AND
The instrument, descended from the ancient zither, appears before us in one of the most skillful professional incarnations.

Hungarian dulcimer to this day they are found mainly in Hungarian gypsy ensembles, where they are masterfully played by musicians dressed in national costumes.

IN late XIX century, when the concert version of the Hungarian dulcimer appeared, the instrument was still considered ethnic, folk, despite the fact that maestro Franz Liszt turned to it.

The situation was changed by outstanding representatives of the Hungarian school of composition Béla Bartók and Zenon Kodály. Later they were joined by Igor Stravinsky, who never missed an opportunity to experiment with any new sound. The individual timbre and style of the Hungarian dulcimer embellished and diversified the musical fabric of his composition Tale about a Fox.

C itra(German: Zither) is a plucked string musical instrument that became most widespread in Austria and Germany in the 18th century. It has a flat wooden body of irregular shape, on top of which are stretched from 30 to 45 strings (depending on the size of the instrument). Several strings closest to the performer (usually 4-5), stretched over a fingerboard with metal frets, are plucked by putting on thumb right hand with a plectrum, a melody is played on them. The remaining strings serve as chord accompaniment and are played with the remaining fingers.

Highlight different kinds zither: treble zither, bass zither, concert zither, etc. The total volume of the group is from G counteroctave to D fourth octave. In orchestral works, the zither most often plays solo.

The zither is famous in Western Europe from the end of the 18th century, appeared in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. Similar instruments of ancient origin are found among many peoples. Thus, zithers were common in China and the Middle East.

TO
oto(Japanese 琴) or Japanese zither is a Japanese plucked musical instrument. The koto, along with the hayashi and shakuhachi flutes, the tsuzumi drum and the shamisen lute, is a traditional Japanese musical instrument.

Similar instruments are characteristic of the culture of Korea (kayageum) and China (qixianqin).

The history of the koto as a Japanese musical instrument dates back more than a thousand years. It was introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period (710-793 CE) as an instrument for the palace orchestra and was used in gagaku (雅楽) music. Koto reached its peak in the Heian era, as an invariable attribute of aristocratic education and pastime. One of the most famous pieces written specifically for koto is the composition “Rokudan no Shirabe” (六段の調べ, “Music of the Six Steps”) created in the 17th century by the blind master Yatsuhashi Kengyo.

The koto is played using false nail picks (kotozume, Japanese 琴爪), placed on the thumb, index and middle fingers of the right hand. Modes and keys are adjusted using string bridges immediately before playing.

Playing the koto is one of the traditional Japanese national arts, which became widespread primarily at the imperial court. However, even today this instrument is very popular. Thanks to its plasticity, koto finds application in modern Japanese music and contributes to its development.

There are currently two main types of tools:

A seven-string “kin” 1 m long - used as a solo instrument;

and “so” - from 1.80 to 2.00 m long, with the number of strings from 13 and above - used as an orchestral instrument.

G
itara Torres. This type of guitar was produced from 1852 by a Spanish master named Antonio de Torres Jurado, who lived in Almeria.

Torres's guitar was the standard basis for the modern classical guitar. Torres increased the size of the guitar's body and redesigned the internal structure, which significantly improved the sound of the instrument.

This guitar is the direct predecessor of the modern acoustic guitar. It received its name in honor of its creator, Antonio de Torres (1817-1892). The guitar has a large body, especially in the lower part. Inside, under the top deck, resonating strips are located in a certain way, the task of which is to enhance the sound and improve the tone.

The fan system is a set of deck-reinforcing strips on inside decks that fan out from the outlet. It distributes vibrations and enriches the sound of the instrument. Torres did not invent the fan system, but he did improve it. He established the optimal number (seven) of fan springs and a new principle for their location. They seem to direct air towards the listener.

Stand: Torres' stand was another one. important step. Since 1857, the master began to use a lower nut (bone) on a stand, which allowed him to precisely adjust the height of the strings. The strings, passing through the stand, are attached to it with knots.

Sheika: This is one of the most important parts of making a guitar. Here the thickness of the neck, the top, and the height of the stand should be taken into account. Torres increased the width of the neck on the tuning box side to 5 cm, which made it easier to play with the left hand. The neck angle determines the position of the string relative to the frets and the nature of the sound depends on the angle of tension of the string relative to the top soundboard. The neck has become wider and slightly more convex in relation to the plane of the soundboard and continues all the way to the sound hole, which coincides with the 12th fret

Materials: He pays special attention to the choice of wood for the top, but is not overly concerned with the choice of material for the cosmetic elements. In addition, he used cypress, maple, rosewood and other woods for the back and sides, with no particular preference. Torres himself worked with wood that was too thin. This made the guitar more lively, but perhaps more fragile.

Finishing (rosettes, etc.): He made both simple rosettes and more delicate and complex ones, but always followed the context. It depends on what the client paid for. Most of his guitars had simple finishes. Unless, of course, this concerned the functional parts of the instrument.

The rest: He took into account various elements - neck thickness and shape, nut width, tuning head angle, mechanics, mix and match of materials, finish, etc. and so on.

U
kulele(from Hawaiian ʻukulele [ˈʔukuˈlele]) is a four-stringed plucked musical instrument. Appeared in the 1880s as a development of the braguinha, a miniature guitar from the island of Madeira, related to the Portuguese cavaquinho. The ukulele is common on various Pacific islands, but has been associated primarily with Hawaiian music since Hawaiian musicians toured at the 1915 Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. The standard tuning is GCEA (Sol-Do-E-A).

The name is translated according to one version as “jumping flea”, since the movement of the fingers when playing the ukulele resembles the jumping of a flea, according to another - as “a gift that came here”.

There are 4 types of ukulele:

soprano (total length 53 cm) - the first and most common type;

concert (58 cm) - slightly larger;

tenor (66 cm) - appeared in the 20s of the XX century;

baritone (76 cm) - the largest, appeared in the 40s of the 20th century.

B
Alalaika- Russian folk three-stringed plucked musical instrument, from 600-700 mm (prima balalaika) to 1.7 meters (double bass balalaika) long, with a triangular slightly curved (in XVIII-XIX centuries also oval) wooden body. The balalaika is one of the instruments that has become (along with the accordion and, to a lesser extent, the pity) a musical symbol of the Russian people.

The body is glued together from separate (6-7) segments, the head of the long neck is slightly bent back. The strings are metal (In the 18th century, two of them were gut strings; modern balalaikas have nylon or carbon). On the neck of a modern balalaika there are 16-31 metal frets (until the end of the 19th century - 5-7 fixed frets).

The sound is clear but soft. The most common techniques for producing sound: rattling, pizzicato, double pizzicato, single pizzicato, vibrato, tremolo, rolls, guitar techniques.

Before the transformation of the balalaika into a concert instrument at the end of the 19th century by Vasily Andreev, it did not have a constant, widespread system. Each performer tuned the instrument in accordance with his manner of performance, the general mood of the pieces being played, and local traditions.

The system introduced by Andreev (two strings in unison - the note "E", one - a quart higher - the note "A" (both "E" and "A" of the first octave) became widespread among concert balalaika players and began to be called "academic". There is also a “folk” tuning - the first string is “G”, the second is “E”, the third is “C”. In this tuning, triads are easier to play; its disadvantage is the difficulty of playing on open strings. In addition to the above, there are also regional traditions of tuning the instrument. The number of rare local settings reaches two dozen.

In the modern orchestra of Russian folk instruments, five varieties of balalaikas are used: prima, second, viola, bass and double bass. Of these, only the prima is a solo, virtuoso instrument, while the rest are assigned purely orchestral functions: the second and viola implement chord accompaniment, and the bass and double bass perform the bass function.

The balalaika is a fairly common musical instrument that is studied in academic music schools in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

The duration of balalaika training in a children's music school is 5 - 7 years (depending on the age of the student), and on average educational institution- 4 years, in a higher educational institution 4-5 years. Repertoire: arrangements of folk songs, transcriptions of classical works, original music.

Keyboards

ABOUT
Hammond's organ is an electric organ that was designed and built by Lawrence Hammond in April 1935. Hammond organs were originally sold to churches as an inexpensive alternative to pipe organs, but the instrument was often used in blues, jazz, rock and roll (1960s and 1970s) and gospel. The Hammond organ gained wide popularity in military ensembles during the Second World War and in the post-war years.

Currently (2011) the Hammond brand is owned by Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd., and is called Hammond Suzuki Co., Ltd.

To simulate the sounds of an organ with rows of pipes in multiple registers, the Hammond Organ used additive synthesis of a sound signal from a harmonic series. This technological solution is reminiscent of Thaddeus Cahill's early Telharmonium models, where each individual signal was created by a mechanical phonic wheel rotating under an electromagnetic pickup. The Hammond organ is often called an electronic organ, which, in principle, is not entirely true. In a strict sense, the Hammond organ should be called an electric organ, since the sound in the original instruments is not generated by an electronic oscillator, but by a mechanical phonic wheel.

A characteristic feature of Hammond organs were small levers that could be used to mix different signal shapes in different ways. Later models of instruments also had electromechanical vibrato. The distinctive "click" sound, which was originally more of a design flaw, quickly became part of the signature Hammond organ sound. This feature is taken into account when creating modern copies of original instruments. At the same time, accurately simulating the sound of a Hammond organ based on electronic circuits is quite difficult, since in this way it is only difficult to accurately reproduce changes in the phase relationship between the phonic wheels.

Leslie speakers were widely used in Hammond organs, although Leslie was initially a serious competitor to Hammond. The Leslie speakers had a rotating component to create a vibrato effect and very soon became the de facto standard for Hammond organs, as they created the typical "growling" sound.

The B-3 has always been and remains the most popular model, although the C-3 differs only in details appearance. Conventionally, “Hammond organs” can be divided into two groups:

full-size console organs such as B-3, C-3, A-100, having two 61-key manuals

compact spinet organs such as the L-100 and M-100, which have two 44-key manuals.

Most Hammond organs do not have a full AGO pedal set, which significantly increased the cost and size of the instrument (as well as weight: the total weight of the B3 model with bench and pedal set was 193 kg).

Basic information The viola (althorn) is a brass wind musical instrument from the saxhorn family. Due to its rather dull and inexpressive sound, the scope of use of the viola is limited to brass bands, where it usually performs middle voices. The range of the alto is from A to b1 (A of the major octave - B-flat of the first). Video: Viola (altohorn) on video + sound Thanks to these videos you

Basic information The horn (German waldhorn (forest horn), Italian corno, English french horn, French cor) is a wind brass musical instrument of the bass-tenor register. The horn is used in symphony and brass orchestras, as well as as an ensemble and solo instrument. Origin The French horn came from a hunting signal horn and entered the orchestra in the middle of the 17th century. Until the 1830s, like other copper

Basic information Helikon (from the Greek helix - twisted, curved) is the lowest sounding brass musical instrument. Helikon is used only in military bands. It is convenient for use in the army because a musician can play it, for example, while sitting astride a horse - the curved tube of the helicon is hung on the left shoulder, and the player’s hands remain free.

Basic information Horn (from German horn - horn) is a brass wind musical instrument, the ancestor of all brass instruments. The Horn device resembles a trumpet, but it lacks a valve mechanism, which is why its performance capabilities are sharply limited: the Horn can reproduce notes only within harmonic consonances. The pitch of the sound when playing the bugle can only be adjusted using the embouchure.

Basic information Karnai is an Uzbek folk wind brass musical instrument, related to brass based on the principle of sound production. Widely distributed in Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Karnai is a long, sometimes more than two meters, usually unbent pipe. In register and timbre it is close to the trombone. Karnai is characterized by the performance of military or ceremonial signals. The instrument has a powerful and strong sound. IN

Basic information Cornet (Italian cornetto - horn) or cornet-a-piston (French cornet a pistons - horn with pistons) is a brass wind musical instrument that resembles a trumpet, but has a wider and shorter tube and is equipped not with valves, but with pistons . Design, application The range of the actual sound of the cornet coincides with the range of the trumpet - from e (minor octave E) to c3

Basic information A postal horn is a cylindrical wind copper or brass musical instrument with a mouthpiece, without valves or vents, used to signal the arrival or departure of a postman on foot or on horseback and has become an international symbol of mail. The post horn was the predecessor of the cornet-a-piston. Origin, history The postal horn goes back to the horn of butchers (herdmen), who, by blowing on the horn, announced

Basic information Saxhorns are a family of brass musical instruments with a wide scale. These are oval-shaped chromatic instruments in which the tube gradually widens from the mouthpiece to the bell (unlike traditional brass instruments, which have a mostly cylindrical tube). Saxhorns were designed by Adolf Sax in the second quarter of the 19th century. Saxhorns form a family that includes: alto; tenor;

Basic information Serpent (French serpent - snake) is an ancient brass musical instrument, the ancestor of several modern wind instruments. It got its name due to its curved shape. Design The serpentine barrel with a conical bore without a bell, usually with 6 finger holes, is covered with leather. The serpent was made from a variety of materials: wood, copper, zinc. Had a mouthpiece very similar to the mouthpieces of modern brass

Basic information Trombone (Italian: trombone - large trumpet) is a brass wind musical instrument of the bass-tenor register. The trombone has been known since the 15th century. It differs from other brass instruments by the presence of a backstage - a special movable U-shaped tube, with the help of which the musician changes the volume of air contained in the instrument, thus achieving the ability to perform sounds of the chromatic scale (on the trumpet, horn and

Wind instruments

Surprisingly, there is no ethnic group in the world whose musical tradition has neglected the expressive capabilities of wind musical instruments. Despite all the diversity of their types, they use the same principle of sound generation: the vibrations of air blown into the tube are amplified by the air column located in it. Tools have evolved along with culture and society. At first, shells, hollow horns of animals and plants served as tubes, and only much later other materials began to be used - wood, alloys, plastic.

Today, wind instruments are conventionally divided into wood and brass. But sound quality primarily depends on differences in sound sources:

· in flutes - perhaps the most ancient in origin, the sound is formed due to dissection air flow on a sharp edge;

· for reed instruments, the sounding body is reed reeds (clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, etc.);

· in brass instruments, the sound is formed by the vibration of the musician’s lips, clamped by the cup of the mouthpiece (trumpet, trombone, horn, etc.).

The chromatic scale of woodwinds is provided by a system of pillows that cover holes that change the size of the air column of the tube. Brass wind instruments use mechanisms (valves or slides) that force air flow through additional rings of tubes and thus change the pitch of the sound.

The timbres of wind instruments are extremely diverse. Therefore, they are indispensable in ensembles and orchestras. But let us emphasize one more feature that enhances the popularity of wind instruments: playing them is associated with breathing patterns, which enriches the intonation with the features of human speech and singing.

That is why the art of playing wind instruments requires the musician to have complex skills that are simultaneously related to sound formation, breathing distribution, and intonation. melodic line and control technology for the mechanical part of the tool.

Our online store features a large assortment of wind musical instruments. Sometimes, faced with such a variety, buyers feel confused in choosing. What should you consider when choosing a tool?

Secondly, choosing a tool for primary education, you should know that embouchures - that is, the ways in which the performer’s lips are active, as well as the techniques of playing the brass and woodwinds - are fundamentally different. Therefore, it will not be possible to switch from “copper” to “wood” simply and without losses. Try to decide right away.

Thirdly, consider whether it is worth immediately mastering the “elite” wind instruments. Perhaps it is better to start training and prepare a breathing apparatus on a longitudinal recorder, wind melodica or harmonica, the choice of which in our online store will not leave anyone indifferent.

A list of them will be given in this article. It also contains information about the types of wind instruments and the principle of extracting sound from them.

Wind instruments

These are pipes that can be made of wood, metal or any other material. They have different shape and produce different timbres musical sounds, which are extracted by air flow. The timbre of the “voice” of a wind instrument depends on its size. The larger it is, the more air passes through it, which makes its vibration frequency lower and the sound produced low.

There are two ways to change the output of a given type of instrument:

• adjusting the air volume with your fingers, using rockers, valves, valves, and so on, depending on the type of tool;
• increasing the force of blowing an air column into the pipe.

The sound depends entirely on the flow of air, hence the name - wind instruments. A list of them will be given below.

Varieties of wind instruments

There are two main types - copper and wood. Initially, they were classified in this way depending on the material from which they were made. Now in to a greater extent The type of instrument depends on the way the sound is produced from it. For example, the flute is considered a woodwind instrument. Moreover, it can be made of wood, metal or glass. The saxophone is always produced only in metal, but belongs to the woodwind class. Brass tools can be made of various metals: copper, silver, brass and so on. There is a special variety - keyboard wind instruments. The list of them is not so long. These include harmonium, organ, accordion, melodica, button accordion. Air enters them thanks to special bellows.

What instruments are wind instruments?

Let's list the wind instruments. The list is as follows:

• pipe;
• clarinet;
• trombone;
• accordion;
• flute;
• saxophone;
• organ;
• zurna;
• oboe;
• harmonium;
• balaban;
• accordion;
• French horn;
• bassoon;
• tuba;
• bagpipes;
• duduk;
• harmonica;
• Macedonian gaida;
• shakuhachi;
• ocarina;
• serpent;
• horn;
• helicon;
• didgeridoo;
• kurai;
• trembita.

You can name some other similar tools.

Brass

Brass wind musical instruments, as mentioned above, are made of various metals, although in the Middle Ages there were also those made of wood. The sound is extracted from them by strengthening or weakening the blown air, as well as by changing the position of the musician’s lips. Initially, brass instruments were played only in the 30s of the 19th century, valves appeared on them. This allowed such instruments to reproduce a chromatic scale. The trombone has a retractable slide for these purposes.

Brass instruments (list):

• pipe;
• trombone;
• French horn;
• tuba;
• serpent;
• helicon.

Woodwinds

Musical instruments of this type were initially made exclusively from wood. Today this material is practically not used for their production. The name reflects the principle of sound production - there is a wooden reed inside the tube. These musical instruments are equipped with holes on the body, located at a strictly defined distance from each other. The musician opens and closes them while playing with his fingers. Thanks to this, a certain sound is obtained. Woodwind instruments sound according to this principle. The names (list) included in this group are as follows:

• clarinet;
• zurna;
• oboe;
• balaban;
• flute;
• bassoon.

Reed musical instruments

There is another type of wind instrument - reed. They sound thanks to a flexible vibrating plate (tongue) located inside. The sound is produced by exposing it to air, or by pulling and plucking. Based on this feature, you can create a separate list of tools. Reed wind instruments are divided into several types. They are classified according to the method of sound extraction. It depends on the type of reed, which can be metal (for example, as in organ pipes), freely slipping (as in Jew's harp and harmonicas), or beating, or reed, as in reed woodwinds.

List of tools of this type:

• harmonica;
• Jew's harp;
• clarinet;
• accordion;
• bassoon;
• saxophone;
• kalimba;
• harmonic;
• oboe;
• hulus.

Wind instruments with a freely slipping reed include: button accordion, labial. In them, air is pumped by blowing through the musician’s mouth, or by bellows. The air flow causes the reeds to vibrate and thus produce sound from the instrument. The harp also belongs to this type. But its tongue vibrates not under the influence of an air column, but with the help of the musician’s hands, by pinching and pulling it. Oboe, bassoon, saxophone and clarinet are of a different type. In them the tongue is beating, and it is called a cane. The musician blows air into the instrument. As a result, the reed vibrates and sound is produced.

Where are wind instruments used?

Wind instruments, the list of which was presented in this article, are used in orchestras of various compositions. For example: military, brass, symphonic, pop, jazz. And also occasionally they can perform as part of a chamber ensemble. It is extremely rare that they are soloists.

Flute

This list of pipes related to this type was given above.

The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments. It does not use a reed like other woodwinds. Here the air is cut through the edge of the instrument itself, due to which sound is formed. There are several types of flutes.

Syringa - single-barreled or multi-barrel instrument Ancient Greece. Its name comes from the name of the bird's vocal organ. The multi-barreled syringa later became known as the Pan flute. On this instrument ancient times peasants and shepherds played. IN Ancient Rome Syringa accompanied the performances on stage.

Block flute - wooden instrument, belonging to the whistle family. Close to it are the sopilka, pipe and whistle. Its difference from other woodwinds is that it back side there is an octave valve, that is, a hole for closing with a finger, on which the pitch of other sounds depends. They are extracted by blowing air and closing the 7 holes located on the front side with the musician’s fingers. This type of flute was most popular between the 16th and 18th centuries. Its timbre is soft, melodious, warm, but at the same time its capabilities are limited. Such great composers as Anthony Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel and others used the recorder in many of their works. The sound of this instrument is weak, and gradually its popularity declined. This happened after the transverse flute appeared, which is by far the most used. Nowadays, the recorder is used mainly as a teaching instrument. Beginning flutists master it first, only then move on to the longitudinal one.

The piccolo flute is a type of transverse flute. It has the highest timbre of all wind instruments. Its sound is whistling and piercing. Piccolo is half as long as usual. Its range is from “D” second to “C” fifth.

Other types of flutes: transverse, panflute, di, Irish, kena, flute, pyzhatka, whistle, ocarina.

Trombone

This is a brass instrument (the list of those included in this family was presented in this article above). The word "trombone" is translated from Italian as "big trumpet". It has existed since the 15th century. The trombone differs from other instruments in this group in that it has a slide - a tube with which the musician produces sounds by changing the volume of air flow inside the instrument. There are several types of trombone: tenor (the most common), bass and alto (used less frequently), double bass and soprano (practically not used).

Khulus

This is a Chinese brass reed instrument, having additional tubes. Its other name is bilandao. He has three or four pipes in total - one main (melodic) and several bourdon (low-sounding). The sound of this instrument is soft and melodic. Most often, hulus are used for solo performance, very rarely - in an ensemble. Traditionally, men played this instrument when declaring their love to a woman.