Turkish Bands
All three instruments on this page are typical members of the orchestra's percussion section, but many people don't realise that they come from the Middle East. For hundreds of years Turkey ruled most of what we now call the Middle East and the Turkish bands that spread all over the region and into Europe usually included the triangle, cymbals and bass drum.
Triangle in the Orchestra
About 200 years ago Turkish style music became very fashionable in Europe and so Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven all used triangles in their orchestras to imitate the sound of the popular Turkish bands. Today the triangle is a permanent part of the percussion section and sometimes has very difficult music written for it. Although it seems easy to play, like most percussion it looks easy when it is done well, but when done badly it can completely ruin the music.
Pairs of Cymbals
The cymbals have been used in music for thousands of years and many cultures around the world have used cymbals. The particular type of cymbals shown in the picture originate from the Turkish Janissary bands. They caried pairs of thin matching cymbals that they clashed together as they marched. You can read more about Janissary music here.
...[more]Bass Drum
The bass drum is a large wooden hoop which traditionally had an animal skin stretched across to make the drum 'head'. Modern bass drums use plastic instead of skins but musicians still call the hitting surface a skin. The bass drums used in the bands of the Ottoman Empire were built in much the same way as the modern bass drum.
If you enlarge the image on the right, you can see metal grips which go from one side of the drum to the other. These metal grips are used to tighten the skin of the drum....[more]
If you enlarge the image on the right, you can see metal grips which go from one side of the drum to the other. These metal grips are used to tighten the skin of the drum....[more]
Technology by BT Media and Broadcast
For more information about The Sound Exchange you can email us or phone 020 7921 3900
© 2003-2004 Magneto Technologies / Glowmedia Ltd.