A Brief History of Musical Instruments

Articles on Musical Instruments | Topics: instruments, instrument

by Veleda Quinn

Many musical instruments began as a method of communication and then graduated to being included in ritual and religious ceremonies. Drums have been around for thousands of years. The Indians of North America, the Malinke people of New Guinea or the early inhabitants of Indonesia all these people had in common the early use of drums. The original design of the early drum has really changed very little but instead been adapted to its many uses.

Most drums are commonly cylindrical with either one open end or both ends covered with something that is stretched tightly across the top. At one time this was animal skin. Drums can also be cone shaped, or bowl shaped depending on the type.

Kettledrums originated in Hungary where they were made for their cavalry. The drums were mounted on either side on the rider's horse. They got their name because they were made of copper and shaped like a soup kettle. These drums are the biggest in the drum family. At one time there were drums in Africa, called talking drums, with players so skillful that the sounds could in fact reproduce the modulation and pitch of human voices. These drums were a means of communication.

Bongo drums can trace their origins to Cuba sometime around the early eighteen hundreds. The conga drum is thought to have originated in Africa where they were made from hollowed out trees. When they came to Cuba they were likely made from salvaged barrels. They were incorporated first into religious ceremonies and eventually became part of rumba music. Then in the 1950s, using the conga drums, the Cuban style of music joined jazz and became salsa.

Quote of the Day

Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will be rapid and discoveries made of which we have at present no conception. I begin to be almost sorry I was born so soon, since I cannot have the happiness of knowing what will be known a hundred years hence.

—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)

The origin of the guitar can be traced back to Spain. The first ones had only four strings and were very small. Early in its history it had to fight for acceptance from those who preferred the lute. In the late seventeen hundreds a sixth string was added but it wasn't until the middle to late eighteen hundreds before the guitar became the instrument we are familiar with today. In 1946 the catgut stings were replaced by nylon. This made a significant improvement.

Originally the piano was named the fortepiano when it was invented in the early seventeen hundreds in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori. Although the exact date this was invented remains unknown there are records showing the instrument in use as early as 1700. As time went on the name was shortened and others made their own models with pedals being added to them. The piano was likely designed based on earlier similar instruments like the harpsichord. Gottfried Silbermann was an organ builder who took the early piano, and though his work showed that he was making almost identical copies of the original, he expanded on the ideas to improve the sound quality. He was the originator of the foot pedal, the dampener, which in some form is on all modern pianos. Interestingly originally Bach did not like the instrument he first saw in around 1730, but nearly twenty years later seeing an improved model, he decide he approved. It was Steinway and Sons who became the biggest company of piano manufacturers in America. They had many ideas and their innovations are what have made the modern piano.

Tracing its roots back to medieval times the violin of that day resembled more a fiddle. The instrument developed during the renaissance to what we are now familiar with. Around the same time the viola and cello were produced. Everyone has heard of the work of Antonio Stradivari. He made violins, the famous line called Stradivarius, which are known not just for the breathtaking sound they made but for their beauty as well.

Violas were believed to first made around the fifteen hundreds. Gaspara da Salo, a well-known cello maker, was originally thought to have been the inventor of the viola until earlier examples were found. There were questions amongst composers on what to do with this instrument. It didn't have the light higher sound of the violin or the deep resonating tones of the cello. Yet it survived the confusion and went on to be a much appreciated sound.

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