Musical instrument
Archaeologists in Slovenia uncovered a perforated bone artifact known as the Divje Babe flute. This object dates to between 43,400 and 67,000 years old. Some scholars argue it is the oldest known musical instrument created by Neanderthals. Others claim carnivores chewed the bone instead of humans making holes in it. The debate continues because the evidence remains disputed among experts. More widely accepted flutes exist from the Swabian Alps of Germany. These mammoth bone and swan bone flutes date back 30,000 to 37,000 years. They represent the Upper Paleolithic age and are more commonly accepted as the earliest instruments. Early hominins likely used perishable materials like wood and animal hides for percussion. Time has destroyed these artifacts beyond recovery. Recent studies suggest lithophones or stones used to make sounds existed at Sankarjang in India.
Excavations at the Royal Cemetery in the Sumerian city of Ur revealed nine lyres called the Lyres of Ur. Leonard Woolley carried out these excavations during the 1920s. Carbon dating places the graves containing these instruments between 2600 and 2500 BC. A silver double flute and a sistrum also appeared in these finds. Cylindrical pipes discovered in Ur featured three side holes allowing players to produce a whole-tone scale. This set of reed-sounded silver pipes was likely the predecessor of modern bagpipes. Egyptian culture before 2700 BC bore striking similarity to Mesopotamian instruments. Historians conclude civilizations must have been in contact with one another. Clappers and concussion sticks appear on Egyptian vases as early as 3000 BC. The civilization made use of sistra, vertical flutes, double clarinets, arched harps, and various drums. When Pharaohs conquered Southwest Asia around 1500 BC, cultural ties renewed. New Kingdom people began using oboes, trumpets, lyres, lutes, castanets, and cymbals.
The carnyx is an instrument attested to the Iron Age Celts dated to 300 BC. Its bell end crafted from bronze formed into a screaming animal head held high above heads. When blown into, it emitted a deep harsh sound while the tongue clicked when vibrated. Believed intended for battlefields to intimidate opponents, this instrument stands apart from others. In China, idiophones were extremely important so most early instruments were idiophones. Poetry of the Shang dynasty mentions bells, chimes, drums, and globular flutes carved from bone. The Zhou dynasty saw percussion instruments such as clappers, troughs, wooden fish, and yu. Southeast Asian innovations included xylophones and metallophones during Indian influence ending around 920 AD. Balinese and Javanese music made use of bronze versions of these instruments. The gong was part of every category of human activity in maritime Southeast Asia including Java. Pre-Columbian South American cultures used pan-pipes alongside varieties of flutes and shell trumpets. Only the flute could produce a melody among their idiophones and wind instruments.
The proliferation of electricity in the 20th century led to electrophones or electronic instruments. Sachs called electromechanical instruments those with mechanical parts producing vibrations picked up by electrical components. Examples include Hammond organs and electric guitars. Radioelectric instruments like the theremin produce music through hand movements around two antennas. Bob Moog and other inventors developed the first commercial synthesizers in the late 1960s. A 1975 Moog Modular 55 synthesizer filled rooms but now embeds into any electronic device. Samplers introduced around 1980 allow users to sample and reuse existing sounds. They were important to the development of hip hop. MIDI arrived in 1982 as a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments. Modern computers and microchips created an industry of electronic musical instruments. Traditional instrument evolution slowed beginning in the 20th century while new types exploded.
Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs published an extensive classification scheme in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie in 1914. They adopted Victor-Charles Mahillon's system from 1880 but replaced autophone with idiophone. The original system classified instruments into four main groups including chordophones and membranophones. Idiophones produce sound by vibrating the primary body itself such as claves or xylophone. Membranophones create sound via a stretched membrane struck by hand or stick. Chordophones vibrate one or more strings laid out parallel to a sounding board. Aerophones use a vibrating column of air moving freely through space or reedless flutes. Sachs later added electrophones producing sound by electronic means like theremins. Andre Schaeffner disagreed with this method developing his own system in 1932 at the Musée de l'Homme. He believed pure physics rather than construction should determine classification. His system divided instruments into solid vibrating bodies versus those containing vibrating air.
Drum makers in ancient Mexico might include actual human body parts obtained from sacrificial offerings. In New Guinea, drum makers mixed human blood into adhesive used to attach membranes. Mulberry trees hold high regard in China so instrument makers use them for zithers. The Yakuts believe making drums from lightning-struck trees gives special connection to nature. Musical instrument construction requires years of training practice and sometimes apprenticeships. Most makers specialize in one genre like luthiers making only stringed instruments. Some builders focus on artistic approaches creating experimental instruments for individual styles. Keyboard interfaces generate sounds by wind fanned or pumped or vibrating strings hammered. The theremin senses proximity of hands triggering changes without physical contact. A MIDI controller keyboard may have sliders knobs and buttons changing synthesizer parameters. Working hours for full-time instrumentalists average three hours daily though many spend forty weekly.
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Common questions
What is the oldest known musical instrument created by Neanderthals?
The Divje Babe flute dates to between 43,400 and 67,000 years old. Some scholars argue this perforated bone artifact from Slovenia was made by Neanderthals while others claim carnivores chewed it.
When were the Lyres of Ur excavated in the Royal Cemetery at Sumerian city of Ur?
Leonard Woolley carried out these excavations during the 1920s. Carbon dating places the graves containing these instruments between 2600 and 2500 BC.
How did the carnyx function as an Iron Age Celtic instrument dated to 300 BC?
This bronze instrument featured a bell end crafted into a screaming animal head that emitted a deep harsh sound when blown into. The tongue clicked when vibrated to intimidate opponents on battlefields.
Who developed the first commercial synthesizers in the late 1960s?
Bob Moog and other inventors developed the first commercial synthesizers in the late 1960s. A 1975 Moog Modular 55 synthesizer filled rooms but now embeds into any electronic device.
What classification scheme for musical instruments did Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs publish in 1914?
Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs published an extensive classification scheme in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie in 1914. They adopted Victor-Charles Mahillon's system from 1880 but replaced autophone with idiophone to classify instruments into four main groups including chordophones and membranophones.