There are a range of different metal percussion instruments that can be found in the modern western orchestra, even though many of them have origins that are not only ancient in nature, but also global as well.

The Triangle - The triangle is a two piece instrument that is comprised of a steel bar that is circular and bent into the shape of an equilateral triangle with one corner left open. The Triangle is played using a metal rod. The triangle is suspended using a loop of string. Originally, the triangle was a sistrum, which is one of the oldest known of all percussion instruments. The sistrum is a U shaped metal frame that has a number of different prongs and bars attached to it, holding metal discs, rings and jingles responsible for clattering together when the musical instrument is shaken about by its player.

The Sistrum instrument was first introduced during the archaeological records of ancient Sumeria, Egypt and also Babylonia around 2500 BC and they are also found in Melanesia and Malaysia. The triangle in the form that we know it for today originally appeared in Europe during the later half of the fourteenth century, and at that point in time it was a triangular shaped sistrum that had rings attached.

The triangle that is found in orchestral music is one that does not feature rings, and it was originally appearing during the 19th century. At this point in time it was being used in order to provide a bit of a sparkle to a number of different orchestrations including the Liszt Piano Concerto #1 as well as Anitra's Dance from Peer Gynt which was composed by Grieg. Classical composers have been including the triangle in their music in order to create unique Turkish musical effects, but this triangle may actually have had jingles attached to it, allowing it to be both shaken and struck to produce unique sounds.

Although the triangle is a simple instrument, it can be tricky to learn how to play it well and it produces a wide range of different tone colors as well. The purest type of sound that the triangle can produce is capable of being produced by striking the instrument as close to the topmost corner as is possible. What this means is that the player is going to be required to have very good aim because they are dealing with a very small playing area.

Playing more difficult or more complex musical rhythms is going to involve using two beaters, and the player has to take care to make sure that the twirling of the triangle is stopped in order for the instrument to be played properly. The triangle can be suspended from the finger of the player and then played open or damped/closed using the other fingers on the players hand as needed.

Photo Credits: karenwithak

Originally posted 2009-08-19 03:02:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Introduction to the Trumpet, pt 2 From the long mouthpieces that the slide trumpet was known for, developed the idea of creating a separate mouthpiece for natural trumpets. The basic design for the mouthpiece during the 16th century and the 17th century was a cupped shape that had a sharp edge and a flat rim. There......
• Metal Instruments 101 pt 2 ... Flexatone continued. It is fixed at the wide end to a metal frame that is approximately 30 cm or 12 in in length that possesses rubber beater or wooden beaters at the lower end, attached to rods. The player will wave the flexatone instrument around so that the beaters......
• Introduction to the Koto A Koto is a stringed instrument that originally came from China and then moved into Japan during the 7th and 8th centuries. The Japanese Koto appears as a large instrument that is approximately 6 feet in length, and it consists of a hollow body that is made from kiri, or......
• Guide to Left Handed Acoustic Guitars One distinctive as well as important group of guitars is the group of left handed guitars. The left handed acoustic guitar is held with the fret board positioned in the right hand, and the guitar player uses his or her left hand to do the picking. The strings of the......
• A Little About Dulcimers A dulcimer is a fretted instrument that most commonly includes three or four strings. The fretting is usually diatonic and spreads along a fingerboard attached to the instrument's body. It became popular in old-time American music in the 1800s. It is believed to have been brought over from Scotland or......

Related Websites

• Congratulations to San Jose Junior Tennis /caption] For the 5th straight year, the juniors at San Jose Swim & Racquet Club in San Jose, California have dominated the summer South Bay League play. With outstanding performances by the boy's 12's, 15's and 18's, SJSRC has captured the best records in league play. There are also divisions......
• Woods to return to golf at the Masters [/caption] Tiger Woods said Tuesday he will return to golf next month at the Masters, ending a four-month hiatus brought on by a sex scandal that shattered his image as the gold standard in sports. “The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with......
• Playing Bass Guitar in a Band People choose one instrument over another, like a bass guitar over a regular guitar, for a variety of different reasons. What makes someone choose a tuba over a flute or drums over a glockenspiel is mostly just the person's preference.  People choose what they like to listen to, what they......
• Music Blogging Adding music capabilities to your blog, your myspace, or your livejournal can be a really excellent way for you to add atmosphere to the pages, further personalizing them for those who visit. When it is done right, adding music to your blog is something that can make it unique and......
• Tennis Glossary Lawn Tennis - This is the original name used to describe modern tennis, based primarily on the fact that it is played on the grass, which was intended to distinguish it from tennis played on a court. Left Court - Left court and advantage court are the same thing. Let......

Online Stores

• Mandolin String Musical Instruments
• Keyboard Musical Instruments Antiques
• Right-Handed Acoustic Guitar Musical Instruments
• Vintage Pre-1980 Brass Musical Instruments
• Viola String Musical Instruments

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, Instrument History, triangle

Tags:

ancient sumeria, archaeological records, classical composers, equilateral triangle, fourteenth century, Melanesia, metal frame, metal percussion, musical instrument, orchestral music, orchestrations, peer gynt, percussion instruments, piano concerto, point in time, prongs, sistrum, steel bar, tone colors, western orchestra