Bridges Of Modern String Instruments example essay topic

Neil Proff Music History The Physical Evolution of the Keyboard: From Monochord to Harpsichord Since the first person heard the wind whistle through the trees or the sea in a seashell humans have been drawn to sound. Being the oppressive and ingenious species that we are we felt the need to capture these sounds and any others that we could to keep for our own. Eventually people like Pythagoras and gods such as Apollo found that by stretching materials and picking / plucking them that they would produce sounds and that the tighter you stretched these strings the higher the sound would go. These were the early beginnings of the pianoforte. The first ancestor of the modern pianoforte is the monochord (diagram 1).

A monochord is a wooden box with a single string stretched lengthwise down the middle. The string sits raised on bridges very dissimilar to those of a violin or cello. These bridges positioned approximately 2 inches in from each end. They are simple and usually triangular shaped pieces of hard durable material such as ebony or walnut. Between these two bridges are two taller bridges that may be moved by each hand to alter the pitch given.

The philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras used a monochord to study the fundamentals of sound. Proff 2 The next logical step in this evolutionary chain was as sure as a spoiled child's demands. Now that I have what I want I want more of it. Thus came the psaltery (diagram 2). The psaltery was a great leap fourth from the monochord.

It was a small trapezoid shaped box with many strings stretched over it. However unlike the monochord the psaltery did not have movable bridges to change the pitch while playing and furthermore these bridges were much more like the bridges of modern string instruments. The psaltery was played by picking the strings (which were obviously tuned to different pitches) with the fingers or with a pick. This was an extremely popular instrument in the Middle Ages but as the music got more complicated and simple accompaniment wasn't enough it was soon swallowed by progress. Next we come to a point in time where a great leap had to be made. Musicians had made positive steps forward in the way of pitch and time but of only one or two notes at a time.

What was needed was an in instrument that gave players control of many pitches simultaneously. The mechanism that was invented was the keyboard and the first use of that mechanism was the clavichord. The clavichord is the oldest keyboard instrument to use strings (diagram 3). It is a rectangular box set horizontally on four legs.

The strings run parallel with the long sides Proff 3 of the case, as does the keyboard, which sits off center to one end or the other. At the opposite end of this rectangle is the soundboard. The soundboard is a box taking up one quarter of the total length of the instrument. It is usually made of softwood with an "f" shaped hole cut in it to amplify the sound coming from the strings, which are situated just above it.

The keys sit on a simple rocker mechanism and strike the strings with brass blades called tangents. Under normal circumstances the strings are deadened by felt dampers lying very near to on end of the strings. As the key is depressed it strikes the string just past the felt damper and creates a temporary bridge for that string allowing it to vibrate. For the note to continue to vibrate the player must keep the key depressed.

Also, due to the nature of the mechanism on the clavichord it is possible for the player to create vibrato by varying the amount of pressure put on a key once it has been depressed. Unfortunately due to the size and construction of the clavichord it has an extremely soft sound making it impossible to be heard in noisy surroundings. The church had always been the center of the musical world and as music gained complexity the need arose for a keyboard instrument that could be used in the noisy setting of a cathedral or church. So, at the same time the clavichord was using the keyboard mechanism with the traditional strings the organ (which used air and pipes to produce immense volume) was being introduced (diagram 4). The organ used the Proff 4 keyboard in two different and distinct ways. There were two treble keyboards (called manuals) in front of the player for use with the hands and one larger set that were operated by the feet.

The principle of the organ was a's simple as making a coke bottle hum. An air pump (usually operated by extra help) fed air into a group of columns called wind trunks. Above these were a set of many pipes of varying lengths and widths. The air was prevented from going up the pipes by thin pieces of wood called sliders. With no keys depressed the organ was silent except for the escape of unused air. As a key on the keyboard was depressed the slider blocking that particular pipe was removed and the stream of air flowed over the opening of the pipe and in to it causing it to resonate.

The principle of the foot pedals is identical but the notes themselves were considerably lower. (bigger pipes) Pipes were made of different materials in different shapes to produce different timbres some used reeds as well as air. Although the organ attained incredible popularity the gradual slide from sacred to secular was an unstoppable force. People did not want to have to go to church to enjoy music and there were many other activities that warranted music that were not religious in nature. The remedy to this problem came in the way of the harpsichord (diagram 5). The harpsichord had a mechanism much like that of the clavichord except that its strings were plucked by plectra mounted on the striking mechanism. Above each plectra is a damper Proff 5 which under normal circumstances rests on the string.

As the key is depressed the damper lifts off the string and the plectra plucks the string producing a sound much like an early guitar (diagram 6). As the key comes to rest the note is not heard again because the return side of the plectra is tapered and allows it to pass by the string with minimal noise preceding the damper. The volume of the note depends solely on the stiffness of the plectra. The stiffer that it is the more the string will be displaced and the louder the resonance.

Like the clavichord it had a soundboard but the harpsichords ran almost the entire length of the instrument below the strings allowing it to be very resonant. This made it ideal for social events and musical recreation. It is very much my opinion that this instrument was invented to allow men to play the guitar, which was considered a woman's instrument. Unfortunately the harpsichords major flaw was its inability to play different dynamic contrasts. As the change from prima pr attica to second a pr attica was taking place an instrument was needed that would be as emotive possible. The mechanism of the plectra and damper was abandoned for a return to that of the clavichords.

The clavichord was very emotive and allowed much expressive freedom to the performer. Its problem was that it was just too soft. So holding to the true human spirit bigger became better. The pianoforte was invented by Bartolomeo Cristoforti around 1710.

Originally called the " con piano e forte" which means "with loud and soft", the pianoforte was an instant success. The secret was in the key Proff 6 mechanism which allowed the player to vary the speed at which the hammer (felt tipped tangent) struck the string (diagram 7). Furthermore, the choir of strings in the pianoforte was at it longest 8' long which dwarfed the harpsichord both in volume and color. As much as harpsichord makers tried to compete the lack of dynamics and the changing tastes of the times eventually led to the downfall of the harpsichord.

Over the years the piano, as it is now called, has gone through many modifications but mostly of a synthetic nature. The mechanisms are much the same they have just been made with better materials. The shapes have been adapted for today's tastes in style and electronics have been added to produce a whole new facet of sound. The keyboard has undergone tremendous technological advances and now reigns supreme among the world's instruments. Funny to think that we as a species would go to all this trouble just to be able to make noise.

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