The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1920-04-03
FOLK MUSIC - INSTRUMENTS.

Folk-musie and minstrelsy were pro-
life in the invention and application
Of instruments. The multitude of
records here is bewildering, especially
in the light of manuscripts, architect
ural carvings, and poetic and other
literary references. In the search for
novel effects the variety of instrument
tai forms in widespread use was prob
ably greater than ever since, for with
the rise of scientific misunderstanding
in the 18th century and of real instru-
mental styles of composition, a few
main types drove the rest from the
field. 1t is likely that dancing stimu
lated this attention to instruments,
since they were useful for marking
its rhythm and figures and for enrich
ing its interest. But another stimulus
was the desire for genuine accOmpani-
ments for singing desire which, like
solo song itself, was lacking in the
current contrapuntal system. There are
some indications. too, that Independent
instrumental music was attempted,
though il was slight.
No exhaustive catalogue of mediaeval
instruments can be given. The list is
too long and complicated. Various
shapes and names are known to us,
but they cannot always be brought to-
gether with certainty, and evidently
both were liable to curious and capri
elous variations. In the stringed
group we find elementary irons of all
the well-known types-harps, Tyres, dull
elmers, lutes, etc, in countless modif-
cations, with peculiar special types, like
the 'trumscheit' or nun s fiddle, and the |
organistrum' or 'hurdy-gurdy'-esse
tally q viol sounded by revolving
wheel and fitted with a rude keyboard. |
In the wind group, there are many
representatives of the flute, oboe, and
trumpet families, with bagpipes and
Pans pipes, besides the organ and its
petite varieties.
In the percussion group there are
drums, bells, castanets and elappers of
al sorts. The key board as a means
OF controlling a complex instrument
ike the organ was already known, and
application to stringed instruments of
the Tyre or viol was understood,
though it had not been combined with
suleimer as in the pianoforte.
All these instruments, except the or
,an, were mainly the products of pop
lar ingenuity, though at the end of
lie 18th century they began to engage
Re serious attention Of thoughtful
ausicianA.
The more favorite instruments were
ften made in several sizes, 50 that Of
aeh there might be a graded series
rom treble to bass, making an instru-
Mental choir. It seems that before
earned musicians had fixed upon the
Otion Of true harmony as the basis
composition, popular music had
eeOgnized it and had begun to apply it
d solid ehord-efeets from instruments
different pitch. Similar experiments
ere Of course made with voices. Such
forts were essentially diverse from
hose Of true counterpart, since the
everal voiee-paTts were not developed
Independently or equally, but as eOnsti-
lents in the massive or total effect.
would appear, therefore, that the
lediaevAl eageness for concerted in
-umental effects Is memorable, not
imply because It fastened the ma
unity Of leading solo instruments, like
he violin, hut because 1t involved
'ne recognition Of true harmony -
lstinct from eOunterpOint u