The Lack Of Frets And The European Lute

| In the industry of hand crafted goods their pottery showed various types of patterns carved or painted onto them, even stones had fine pictures painted onto them. They usually wrote in a special ink, they had various forms of writing like hieroglyphics, and self-explanatory characters. They usually carved these onto animal bones or tortoise shells. Architecture was built into houses made of wood or carved out of the earth into rows. They listened to folk music and palace music. With their practice in bronze they made fine musical instruments, people engaged into music but they were divided into 3 sections; Wu, music slavery, and Gu.

5,500 year old instruments have been found in what was once known as Sumer. They mostly comprise of lyres, lutes, drums, rattles, harps and wooden and bone wind instruments. The instruments were composed of organic material so very few have remained after thousands of years. What we do have knowledge of Sumerian instruments comes mainly from reliefs, plaques, seals and mosaics that have been discovered. Clay tablets written in cuneiform describe numerous instruments as well as how they were

The Mandinka society consist of the Jali, that is an oral historian this is seen to a role held throughout parts in western Africa. The kora is a harp-lute or bridge harp that is played by the Jali. The kora is similar to the harp. Just like the harp, the kora lie in a plane which is perpendicular to the face. The regular kora has 21 strings, which consist of 10 on the right and 11 on the left. The performer has two distinct sections, that are referred to the birimintingo and the kumbengo that allows the performer show his skill as a musician and as a praise singer. The birimintingo section is marked for solo runs on the kora. During teh kumbengo section the perfor repeats a steady pattern on the Kora while singing praises that relate to the history of the Mandinka or of individual family lineages. The kumbengo rhythms demonstrate the tendency of African musicians to use polyrhythm in the performance. During site 7 we hear a lower and an upper part. The lower represents a root rhythmic pattern, while the upper part interlocks with it and produces a cross rhythm. The repetition of the mumbengo allows the performer to focus on singing, trying to keep the performer of thinking about the kora performance. During the birimintingo section, the kumbengo is usually maintained in the lower part by the thumbs while the fingers play the upper melodic

The Ottoman Empire continued its impact on civilization making strides in art and in music. Because of the Ottoman empire, the percussion instruments were added to further shape the orchestral sound. Cymbals, kettle drum, bells and the side drum were all copied from their use in Ottoman music. Even today, the baton used by drum majors in parades can

Lastly, there is the water drum. This drum sounds completely different from the previous types; it is built differently as well. The water drum is made from an iron kettles or hollowed out and dried calabashes, which are then filled to a specific height with water. Even though this particular drum does not have any direct influences in percussion instruments, it can be easily recreated with a present-day household item like a milk jug. All of these drums are used by Native Americans to connect to The Great Spirit and the Earth.

The ukulele is a member of the lute family of instruments; meaning that the strings run in a plane parallel to the sound table. Most people believe that the ukulele originated in Hawaii however, they actually had their first start in Portugal in 139 B. C in the Lusitania tribe. By the thirteenth century, four-string instruments were being used in Spain, when six-string instruments were introduced in the 1700s the popularity of chordophones exploded. (A chordophone is a musical instrument that makes sound by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points.) Although we all picture ukuleles as a Hawaiian instrument, it wasn't until 1879 that the first ukulele was brought over from Portugal. One of the Portuguese

Even though Celtic Music does not have a set date in which it was created, it still has a long and fervent history. The origins of Celtic music, the historical events, and the style of Celtic music are the key factors that led to the creation of Celtic music.

The Olmec civilization is the first great civilization of Mesoamerica and also one of the longest lasting (1200 B.C.E – 400 B.C.E). The Olmec culture can be said to be the foundation of all subsequent Mesoamerican civilizations. Despite its history and influence, the Olmecs still remain a mystery in areas such as, what they called themselves (Olmec is an Aztec name) and their beliefs, since there are no direct accounts, unlike the Aztec with their codices. However, the Olmecs left behind many artifacts that allow historians to better understand the Olmec way of life. One of the most prominent pieces, the Olmec Ceremonial Axe, also known as the Kunz Axe (after George Kunz who first discovered it), is critical in understanding Olmec culture and traditions because of its unique anthropomorphic style that was ubiquitous in Olmec art. The axe was crafted around 1000 BCE and reportedly found in the southern highland valley of Oaxaca, which is 500 miles away from any Olmec settlement. Although the geographical location does not support the idea that the Kunz Axe is Olmec, the contents of this paper will confirm that it is undoubtedly an Olmec artifact. This paper will visually analyze the physical characteristics of the artifact, describe its function and role within Olmec society, and examine the symbolism that is directly related to religion and beliefs.

Ancient Mesopotamia was home to many artistic and mechanical developments. This was due to the emerging civilizations in the fourth millennium BCE. Among these creations, archaeologists discovered musical instruments, which were carefully crafted by Sumerian artists. One of the most acclaimed artifacts from ancient Mesopotamia is the Bull-Headed Lyre. The discovery of the lyre has reinvented the way that history professionals evaluate early human civilization. The Bull-Headed Lyre has impacted history by creating a foundation for an expression of beliefs about wealth in the Sumerian culture. This will be examined through a visual analysis of the Bull-Headed Lyre, evaluating its discovery, and analyzing its representation of wealth.

In the United States, few symbols represent the American culture and spirit as much as the banjo. Indeed, it is not only symbolic of the evolution of American music, but also of the way in which cultural influences and relationships have evolved since the country was young. When the historical roots and subsequent evolution of this instrument are examined, it becomes clear that it has become an inherent part of the history and culture of the country. From its origins as an imported African instrument, the banjo has evolved to become representative of not only intercultural communication and tolerance, but also of liberation and freedom.

The Sumerians relied on music as part of their culture. They made their own instruments to create their music. The reasons for having music was for entertainment, religion purposes, and to fulfill their functions in life. No one obviously knows what the music sounded like, but knowing what instruments were dominant helps picture what it could've been. Strings were the most dominant of all the instruments they made, probably because they were easier based instruments to construct adding with the pleasure of the sound itself. Percussion was the weakest of the instruments because of its loudness. Horned instruments weren't very big because of their use in the military. Based on the instruments they made the most the type of music they liked was

The Akan drum comes from the Akan culture in West Africa which is now present-day Ghana. The drum was not only used as a musical instrument and for celebrations it was also used for communication between villages. The Akan people would use the instrument as a “talking drum”, they would create different tones and sounds using the Akan language that would tell the villagers whether is was time for celebration or whether it was time for them to go to war.

In order to make it’s impact on traditional music the accordion had to develop a recognizably Irish style of playing in order for it to be associated with the Irish style of playing. As Irish traditional music involves a large variety of dance music tunes whose phrasing, rhythm, pitch and structure served as a crucial element of its particular genre. It might be said that the very construction of the accordion was suited to these elements particularly well especially the rhythmic element. As the same dance tunes that could be played on fiddles and pipes were played on the accordion and could still sound the same even though their sound was in two completely different dialects. Also the dynamic capability of the instrument is ne of the most

The Guitar is a stringed musical instrument with six or twelve strings that is played by either plucking or strumming the strings. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. If an individual were asked to identify a guitar most people would answer the question correctly more so than they would if they were asked about another instrument. When people think about famous guitarists, they more than likely think of famous rock and roll guitarists and do not think about the many other famous guitarists in other musical genres such as jazz or country. The guitar is a well-known instrument that influences many musical genres including Country.

2a. The krar is a type of lyre that composes of “two arms and a crossbar” (Lesson 2). By attaching strings perpendicular to the plane of the crossbar with each string being of different lengths, the plucking or strumming of the strings create sounds of different pitches. This pitch is determined by the placement of the player’s hands on the strings to artificially determine the length of the strings, ultimately leading to the control of different notes that can be produced. The Ethiopian krar from the video happens to be amplified, allowing for the sound to be projected louder. The amplitude of the volume is helpful in the public tourist restaurant setting where the performer is playing the krar. The Ethiopian krar is used in both traditional and popular ensembles so it can be versatile. In the video, the musicians are playing at a traditional restaurant while playing an Ethiopian instrument and Ethiopian tunes. The instrument itself is very much a part of the local culture as much as the music itself. The melody that is being played in the Ethiopian krar video is unique to Ethiopian people as the tune is being played at a traditional restaurant. Through the unique tune, identity and exclusive