Temple block
The temple block is a type of percussion instrument. It is descended from the muyu, an instrument originating from eastern Asia, where it is commonly used in religious ceremonies. Description. It is a carved hollow wooden instrument with a large slit. In its traditional form, the muyu, the shape is somewhat bulbous, but modern instruments are often rectangular in shape. They are generally played in sets of four or more to give a variety of pitches, in which they are also known as tone blocks. In Western music, they can be traced back to early jazz drummers where  they were sometimes called dragons' mouths before being later adopted into widespread orchestral use. An updated version of the instrument, known as granite blocks, is made out of plastic rather than wood. The sound of temple blocks is similar to that of wood blocks, although temple blocks have a darker, more "hollow" timbre. In their most common configuration of five, temple blocks are typically tuned to a pentatonic scale. Despite this, they are generally not considered pitched percussion. Temple blocks are often used as sound effects, such as in Leroy Anderson's "The Syncopated Clock" and "Sleigh Ride", where they  mimic a ticking clock and a galloping horse, respectively. They can also be used to reinforce the melody. John Barnes Chance's "Incantation and Dance" and "Variations on a Korean Folk Song" both have temple blocks introduce and double the motifs that appear within the music.