The harp is one of the stringed instruments that have a couple of individual strings running vertically at an angle to its soundboard. The term harp comes from an Old English word hearpe, which is closer to the Old High German word harpha. Around the world, harps vary in several sizes. Some … Read more
The glockenspiel is a percussion instrument that is played through hitting or scrapping. It may look like a xylophone, but it is definitely called the glockenspiel. The name glockenspiel is a German word that means bell play, for it refers to the sound of a small bell. Initially, the early glockenspiel has … Read more
The French horn is a brass instrument that is often associated with professional bands and orchestras. Despite having a geographical name, the French horn is actually German. The name French horn is used way back in the 17th century. During that time, French makers were notable in making hunting horns. With this, … Read more
There are several types of percussion instruments. One classification under percussion is the idiophone, wherein it can be made to vibrate in several ways. Relatively, most of the idiophones were either struck or vibrate. An example of this is the instrument called flexatone. The flexatone, also known as fleximetal, is a percussion … Read more
A dizi is a Chinese bamboo flute instrument that is notable in traditional Chinese music. This Chinese flute is played horizontally, like the western flute. Most commonly, the Dizi is carved out of a single piece of bamboo with a cork-lined blow-hole. The body of this flute features six finger holes in … Read more
The dabakan is a percussion instrument that originated in the Philippines. It is a single-headed drum that is usually played along with the other instruments in the kulintang ensemble. Interestingly, the dabakan is the only non-gong instrument among the five main instruments in the ensemble. According to history, the name dabakan originated … Read more
Cowbells are hand percussion instruments that originated to freely roaming animals. Initially, the cowbell was used by the herdsmen in order to identify the herd to which the animals belonged. These cowbells were usually placed in the animal’s neck, making the bell ring whenever the animal move. With this, it would also … Read more
A clavinet is an electronic version of the instrument clavichord. Since it is an electronic instrument, it requires a keyboard amplifier to produce a particular sound level.It was invented by a German musician named Ernest Zacharias in the 1950s and 1960s. Along with the other electromechanical instruments, the Clavinet was manufactured by … Read more
