The Mandolin
The mandolin has been around since the end of the 16th Century, although it didn’t look much like the instrument we know today. It evolved in the 18th century and was built in several varieties in different Italian towns, the Neapolitan mandolin becoming the representative type. It was played widely throughout Western Europe from around 1700 to 1810. In the late 1800s a stronger bowl back instrument was developed in Naples, Italy by the Vinaccia family. Known today as the Neapolitan mandolin, this instrument has a bent soundboard, moveable bridge, metal strings and is plucked with a pick. At the end of the 1800s, the Neapolitan mandolin was popular both in Italy and throughout Western Europe. It spread to the U.S. with Italian immigration.
The instrument conceived by the Gibson Company in the early 1900s today dominates the Mandolin in the U.S. Built more like a violin with carved single pieces of wood for the front and back, most modern American flat backs are based on Gibson designs. All three of these instruments: Baroque mandolin, round back or Neapolitan mandolin and flat back mandolin, are still played and the musical traditions from the different periods survive on all continents.
Mandolins evolved from the Lute family in Italy during the 17th -18th centuries, and the deep bowled mandolin produced particularly in Naples became a common type in the19th century. The original instrument was the mandola (mandorla is almond in Italian and describes the instrument body shape) and evolved in the 15th century from the lute. Later, smaller mandola was developed and became known as a mandolina.
Mandolins can be used for a variety of occasions. The Italian mandolin is used for birthdays, or births of a baby. Anniversaries, and especially weddings, I know my parents had a mandolin at there wedding. Mandolins have a soft and gentle sound perfect for these occasions.
The mandolin is played kind of like a guitar, but has obvious differences. There are many artists that play the mandolin, but the only one that I know of is my Aunt. (Adriana Vitale). She has not mastered the mandolin but she can play decent, sometimes. She said “When played right the mandolin has a nice deep gentle sound and sounds as beautiful as it looks, but when I play it, it sounds like a ukulele”.
It is believed that the Irish brought to the region the fiddle and the pipes. It is believed that the first stringed instrument, the dulcimer was brought by the Germans, Norwegians, Swedish and French. The dulcimer became known as the 1“Hog Fiddle” or “Music Box”.
In a complete Mariachi group today there are as many as 6 to 8 violins, 2 trumpets, and a guitar, which are all standard European instruments. Then there is a high-itched, round-backed guitar called the vihuela, which when strummed in the traditional manner gives the mariachi its typical rhythmic vitality; a deep voiced guitar called the guitarr'o which serves as the bass of the ensemble; and a Mexican folk harp, which usually doubles the base line, but also ornaments the melody.
He used his influences from growing in a poor, lower-class family in Kentucky in order to create a new type of music genre that did not include the mainstream trends of Hillbilly music. He and his musical partners created a band that did not use any electrical instruments or drums; they kept everything very traditional. Monroe and his friends named their band “The Bluegrass Boys”. Bluegrass became very popular in the South. It was a smoky mountain sound like the Folk music of the Scot-Irish immigrants. Monroe did not know that Bluegrass would boom to be one of the most popular genres of music in America. Today, there are thousands of Bluegrass, Blues and barbeque festivals every year in America. There is even a region in Western Kentucky called the “Bluegrass, Blues & Barbecue Region”. It is “famous across the world” for its food, shopping and
came from the Italians. Their new flavor and pasta dishes won the country over and is
Batrolomeo Cristofori brings the piano into the musical arena around 1709 in Florence, Italy. One of Cristoforis previous instruments, the harpsichord, actually brought about the idea of the piano. Cristofori wanted to develop a more dynamic instrument, because the harpsichord had such a small dynamic range. His answer to that problem was the ‘gravicembali col piano e forte,’ which meant harpsichord with soft and loud. This long name was shortened to pianoforte, and then eventually forte was dropped, and now these modern instruments are known as pianos. As the keeper of instruments in Prince Ferdinand’s court in Florence, Cristofori reinvented the harpsichord into the piano. The actual date that he created the piano is unknown, but
The Native American flute is the third oldest known musical instrument in the world, with bone flutes dating back over 60,000 years. The first instrument found were drums, then varies whistle were made. Over time, the instrument evolved with many different materials and shapes. And these difference and changes reflect the culture of that time. Virtually, flutes were used all types of hardwoods and softwoods in history.
The Harpsichord was first introduced around the 14th century. The definite origins of the harpsichord are unknown, but the first reference to the Harpsichord was made in Burgundy in 1450. The baroque era is highly recognised for its flamboyant, exaggerated and grandeur presentation. The music represented these elements through the use of ornamentation, which diminished when the classical era began. The music also focused on a more expressive, rather than perfected method.
Played on acoustic instruments (natural sound): Banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass fiddle, dobro (resophonic guitar) Instrumental leads used to show off technical ability Distinctive vocal harmonies Originations of Bluegrass Bill Monroe - "The father of Bluegrass" Grew up in Rosine, Kentucky (Ohio County) Music takes its name from Bill Monroe's band, The Blue Grass Boys &nb Arnold Schultz, black "blues" singer and guitar player. Timeline: 1911 - Bill Monroe born on September 13 1940's - development of bluegrass music 1950's - people began referring to his style of music as Bluegrass 1960's - concept of "bluegrass festival" introduced 1996 - Bill Monroe died on September 9 1997 - Bill Monroe inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Because of his influence on popular music. Bluegrass Music featured in: Films of "Bonnie and Clyde", "Deliverance" Television Shows of "The Beverly Hillbillies", "The Dukes of Hazard". Written Overview A sample overview of the history of bluegrass music follows.
several centuries. It began in Italy in the 14th century, and in the 15th century,
they first started up this new style, so when the french took in the Italians
When country music bean in America, there were no professional musicians. The typical musician sang only to entertain himself, his family, or at local events. At first, most country music was sung unaided or played on a lone fiddle or banjo. At the turn of the century, Sears, Roebuck & Co. began advertising affordable guitars in its nationally available catalogs, as well as sheet music and songbooks. The mandolin also became available and soon string bands were being formed with different combinations of instruments.
Music has shaped the lives of people throughout history. Even in its earliest forms, music has included use of instruments. One of the oldest musical instruments known is a variation of the flute; the original flute is thought to date back nearly 67,000 years ago. Tonight we are going to move throughout the eras with a history of instrumental music. This concert will begin with the Renaissance Era and continue through time until we have reached modern instrumental music.
The major classes of musical instruments used in the High and Late Renaissance include plucked strings, bowed strings, brass, double reeds, other winds, keyboards, and percussions (McGee, 1985). Lutes, drums, and trumpets were often used, but the instruments that were especially popular during the Renaissance include the bass viol, treble viol, viola, violin, tenor sackbut, cornetto, bass sackbut, curtal, tenor shawm, bass recorder, and harpsichord (McGee, 1985).
Being that the both the harpsichord and the clavichord were popular keyboard instruments, instrument makers were looking for ways to improve their designs. One such instrument maker was Bartolomeo Cristofori. Cristofori was an Italian harpsichord creator that ended up inventing the piano, or the Gravicembalo col piano e
Over the years I have gotten really good and learned quite a lot of songs. I love the violin so much because I love this high sounds of it. Sometimes when I hear a violin playing really high while the whole orchestra is playing low I think it sounds pretty.