Musical Instruments
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Jul 2, 2005, 20:29

ACCORDION -- Free Reeds. Europe. A predecessor of the concertina, and a successor of the mouth harmonica. It was invented by one Damian, of Vienna, in 1829. It is a rectangular case containing bellows in folds. The bellows are worked by the left hand, while the right is occupied with the keyboard at one end, which contains from five to fifty keys. The reeds are arranged in two sets, and sound alternately as the bellows are being opened or closed. The left hand has two or more keys for the bass harmony. These are played with the thumb and second finger. Selections in one key only can be played. The instrument varies in size, although it is always portable.

AEOLIAN HARP — Europe. This is generally placed in the open sash of a window and the wind blowing upon the strings causes them to sound harmonic tones, according to its varying pressure. It sometimes possesses two sets of strings, in which case the angle of the frame is placed toward the wind and both sides sound. It has a sound board and bridges. King David, according to the Bible story, suspended his harp above his couch, and the north wind played upon it. There is also the chronicle of St. Dunstan of Canterbury, who was accused of sorcery because his harp was placed in such a position that the wind blowing against it caused the strings to sound,

AEOLINA — See mouth harmonica.

AEOLODICON — See aeolodion.

AEOLODION or AEOLODICON — Free Reeds. Europe. This resembled and antedated the harmonium. The tone was at first produced by steel springs, but later the springs were constructed of wood, and more properly called reeds. They made the tone softer, and perhaps enabled it to take the place of an organ in churches. The brass tubes were arranged much as the present-day stops. It had a compass, when first invented, of six octaves. It is said to have been the idea of J. T. Eschenbach, of Hamburg, in 1800.

AGWEL — Vibrating Membranes. Africa. A bottle-shaped hand drum from Morocco.

AKAM — Plucked Strings. Africa. An instrument of the same description as the wambee, which is found among the Fan Tribe, Gaboon, French Congo. See wambee.

ALGOJA — Vertical Flute. India. A flageolet of bamboo, usually with five finger-holes, and frequently played in pairs.

ALPINE HORN — Cup Mouthpiece. Europe. A conical bore with a cupped mouthpiece and a bell. The horn is very long, and nearly straight; its least length is three feet, and the longest specimen in the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art measures seven feet four inches. It is composed of wood and bark, and is wrapped about with a reed. The herdsmen and mountaineers of Switzerland use it in giving signals and in making their rustic melodies. Its quality of tone is somewhat modified by the narrowness of the bore in comparison with the length.

ALTHORN Cup Mouthpiece. Europe. Two forms of the tuba, the tenor in E flat or F, and the barytone in B flat, are given the name of Althorn. It is not properly an orchestral instrument, but replaces the French horn in military bands. Its upright bell making it more easy to play on horseback, recommends it, as also its less complicated method. Wagner and a few other composers call for the Althorn in orchestral scores.

AMMA-NO-FUYE — Vertical Flute. Japan. A double bamboo whistle.

ANANDA LAHARI — Plucked Strings. India. A cylinder of wood, one end of which is covered with skin. A single string fastened to the center of the membrane and passing through the open end is held taut by the left hand, and plucked by a bit of ivory or bone held in the right hand.

ANGRA OCWENA -- See wambee.

ANTSIVA - Cup Mouthpiece. Africa A conch-shell trumpet from Madagascar.

APOLLO LYRA — Free Reed. Europe. An instrument of the early Nineteenth Century. The case was shaped like a lyre with an enlarged base, hence the name. One of these instruments, which are of minor importance, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It has two sets of free reeds, which are acted upon by forty-six black and pearl touches, arranged in two rows. The lower row acts upon one set of reeds, and by means of a coupling mechanism the upper acts upon all the reeds. The left hand of the performer operates a sliding piston which pumps the bellows supplying the wind.

ARCHIMANDORA — Plucked Strings. Europe. This has a deep pear-shaped body, with a long neck. It is, indeed, a large Mandora, " archi " signifying that it is the largest of the family in question. It has never been as popular as the mandolin.

ARCHLUTE — Plucked Strings. Europe. A large pear-shaped body, in fact an ordinary lute furnished with an additional peg box, in order to give greater length to the bass strings. A specimen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is four feet and seven inches in length. The number of pegs differed greatly, and the instrument was very difficult to tune, as several of the strings were doubled, the extra string being tuned an octave higher. Spruce was considered an admirable wood for use in the manufacture of the arch-lute, and it was often highly ornamented, much artistic effort being expended upon the roses in the belly, which numbered from one to three. The strings were of both wire and gut. The archlute was popular during the Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, and was used entirely for instrumental music. It carried the bass in conjunction with the violone in Corelli's sonatas, and it finds a place in Handel's " Giulio Cesare."

ARCHIVOLE DI LIRA — See lyre.

ARGHOOL — Single-Beating Reed. Egypt. A pipe with six finger-holes bound to a longer pipe without holes, which acts as a drone-pipe. It is occasionally played by boatmen on the Nile. Representations are found in the ancient sculptures, greatly resembling the diaulos of the Greeks.

ARPICORDO—Italian name for the harpsichord, which see.

AULOS — Vertical Flute. Greece. This was the most important wind instrument of the Greeks, and has been generally translated flute, but the name is doubtless more comprehensive, including reed instruments also. It was in numerous forms, and was often double, with one pipe longer than the other. This difference has been explained by the supposition that the two were tuned in different modes. Two formed a set of tibiae impares, which was played by the same performer, the longer or bass pipe being held in the left hand.

AZUMA-KOTO — Plucked Strings. Japan. (Eastern Koto.) A koto having three sympathetic wire strings. It is bound along its length in wicker to preserve the idea of hunting bows tied together. See koto.