We all know about the four orchestral instrument families: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion. But have you heard of the following beauties? The research I did for this article became quite overwhelming. I had NO idea there were so many different kinds of musical instruments.
The Theremin The Hurdy Gurdy
The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument in which the strings are rubbed by a rosined wheel instead of a bow. The wheel is turned by the player's right hand, while the left hand plays the tune on the keys in the keybox. Two of the strings (usually), called the chanters or melody
strings, run though the keybox and their vibrating length is shortened by the key pressing against it. Several drone strings are outside the keybox, and so sound the same note all the time. For this reason the hurdy-gurdy sounds similar to a bagpipe. A small movable bridge on one of the drones can be made to vibrate rhythmically by cranking the wheel harder, and this buzzing is used for a rhythmic accompanyment to the tune. Lark in the Morning
Lark In The Morning is a musician's service founded in 1974 that specializes
in hard-to-find musical instruments, music, and instructional materials.
This is the type of information that can be found at Lark in the Morning. The African Art Connection -- Music
This site is by East African arts
specialists, bringing you the finest examples of Kisii stone carvings, wood carvings, musical instruments, tribal artifacts, and masks.
Sugar Belly's bamboo Sax
A name developed from "bamboozaphone" to
"bamboozafoon" to "bamboo zafoon" to just "zafoon", also spelled "xaphoon." I eventually moved closer to the bamboo forests, and even took out a patent in several countries.
Japanese Traditional Instruments a TAIKO, which is a Japanese drum the SHAMISEN
The theremin was invented in 1919 by Leon Theremin (1896-1993). This unique instrument is still popular today in experimental music circles. The theremin is played by waving one's hands near two metal antennae -- one for pitch and the other for volume. The antennae vary the frequency of two oscillators. To create the sound, a fixed oscillator is mixed with the variable pitch oscillator and their difference (or beat frequency) is amplified. Go here to learn more about the theremin.
This is the Bate's Collection from England with entries that include the Javanese Gamelan, the double-manual harpsichord, the seven-key serpent, and the hand horns.
You'll find:
