When studying music, it is important to put musical instruments in historical context in order to fully understand their evolution over time. In many cases, the instruments we know and love today came from humble beginnings, many centuries ago.
Clarinet
The first clarinets appeared in Islamic and Asian countries at least 700 years ago. With a sound similar to the saxophone, clarinets were introduced in Europe as folk instruments. By the late 1600s prominent instrument builders were making clarinets.
The clarinet is a versatile instrument that spans musical styles. Clarinets are featured in Mozart’s Concerto in A, as well as the swing and jazz music of the Big Band era.
Cornet
The cornet is a descendant of the post horn, a short instrument used to signal the approach of a mail wagon. In 1828 valves were added to the post horn and the modern cornet was born.
It has a mellow sound that was instantly popular with 19th century composers. Jazz bands often featured the cornet until it was replaced by the trumpet. Today we find the cornet in school, community, and military bands.
The cornet looks a lot like the trumpet. Both are valved brass instruments pitched in Bb, but the coronet is smaller.
Flute
The flute is an ancient Asian instrument that appeared more than 1000 years ago. In Hinduism, Krishna is often seen playing a flute.
The flute is held sideways, and notes are sounded by blowing into the mouthpiece and covering different groups of holes along the body of the instrument. Most flutes are made of metal, but they can also be made from wood, bone, or glass.
Before the mid-19th century, flutes only had open holes to change the notes, similar to a recorder. A new system, invented by Theobald Boehm in the 1830s, featured the keys and springs used today.
Oboe
The oboe is a French instrument that was first used in the court of Louis XIV. It has a wooden body and a double reed.
Oboes were the solo instrument of choice in the early 18th century by such composers as Bach and Telemann. Musician Eric Sampson once wrote, "In the hands of a trained professional, the oboe produces a hauntingly beautiful sound that seemingly floats above the rest of the orchestra. In the hands of an untrained amateur, it can summon romantically inclined geese!"
Saxophone
Adolph Sax invented the saxophone, a single reed instrument, and showed it for the first time at the Brussels Exhibition in 1841. It is a hybrid instrument that shares characteristics with the clarinet and the oboe.
Originally one could choose from 14 different sizes and keys of saxophones. Today four sizes have become standardized – the soprano, the alto, the tenor, and the baritone.
You can hear the saxophone in Ravel’s Bolero and many marching band pieces by John Phillip Sousa. In the 1940s, jazz musicians like Charlie Parker and John Coltrane made the saxophone famous as a sexy, romantic instrument.
Trombone
The unique feature of the trombone is its sliding mechanism, which allows the instrument to play distinct, separate notes or glissandi (sliding notes). The name trombone is derived from trombe, the Italian word for trumpet, and one, which means big.
Its design has changed very little over time. By the late 16th century, there were three sizes of trombones: alto, tenor and bass. Today, most bands and orchestras feature the tenor trombone.
Trumpet
Drawings dating to 1500 BC show the trumpet in Egyptian culture. Ancient trumpets have been found in Rome, Israel, Greece, South India, China, Tibet, and Japan. They were made from bamboo, silver, shell, ivory, wood, or bone.
Early trumpets were a long tube with a bell on one end, and were made of silver or bronze. They were mostly used for communication – to call an Army into battle or announce someone’s arrival. Trumpeters did not perform “music” until the Renaissance.
No sound will come out on a trumpet unless the player “buzzes” the lips, a skill that is hard for the beginner to master. In the 1940s, the trumpet became the lead instrument in jazz performances. It can be brassy, mellow, or anything in between.
Violin
The first violins appeared in the 16th century. Antonio Stradivari, best known for his famous Stradivarius violins, was one of many Italian instrument makers in the Golden Age of violin manufacturing. Each one he created is unique. Today it is estimated that only 1000 of his instruments still exist, and most of those are cellos.
The violin enjoys a place of prominence in the orchestra – the best violinist is known as the “Concert Mistress (or Master)” and leads the rest of the sections in tuning their instruments before the conductor appears on stage.
Conclusion
A basic knowledge of the history of musical instruments can enrich the experience of listening to music. The rich textures and tones of each instrument work together to create the comprehensive picture a composer is trying to create in your mind. As Andres Segovia once said, "M
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usic is like the ocean, and the instruments are little or bigger islands, very beautiful for the flowers and trees, or the contrary."
Kim Kenney - Kim Kenney graduated summa cum laude from Wells College in Aurora, NY with a major in American history and minor in creative writing, ...
