Post by Ivory Fair on Jan 13, 2003 23:50:08 GMT -5
The Three Cornered King
of
Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Triangles But Were Afraid to Ask
by some dude
If asked what the clearest instrument of the orchestra is, the one which can be heard cutting through all others when the full orchestra was playing, what would you suggest?
The mighty trumpet? The booming timpani? The piercing piccolo? Actually, the correct answer is possibly the instrument you would least expect - the humble triangle.
A whole review about a little triangle? You bet!
Although they are named after the shape of the instrument, triangles are not in fact a complete shape. There is actually a small gap at one corner to allow the sound to resonate effectively when it is hit by a beater made of the same material. Basically a triangle is a long piece of steel or chrome, which is bent twice to form a triangular shape. All instrumental triangles are equilateral.
The triangle is played by a percussionist who sits at the back of the orchestra with all sorts of odds and ends, as well as the larger percussion - timpanis, drum kit and sometimes xylophone. But it is the little triange which often makes the biggest impact on huge orchestral works. The piece that sticks out in my mind is Sibelius' Finlandia - listen to it and you'll here the triangle keeping the beat while the whole string section is playing, carried along by a little piece of metal, a tenth of the size of the smallest violin.
The triangle is usually held either dangling from a piece of string, or with one finger hooked under the top corner. This allows the sound to resonate when hit with a triangle beater made from the same metal as the triangle itself. If you hit a triangle just once, while holding it correctly, and leave it to resonate, you will notice that the sound continues for much longer than you would imagine - sometimes for up to a minute or longer!
Versatile in all its simplicity, the triangle can also be struck while holding onto one of its sides. This dampens the sound and makes it much shorter. You can use a combination of long and short sounds to make the triangle's role in a piece of music more interesting.
If you are thinking of taking up the triangle professionally, don't be tempted to splash out up to 10 whole English pounds for one. You can practice on a toothbrush and mug until you are ready to take the plunge.
Enjoy.
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Motown Triangle Players Association of America, Incorporated.
of
Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Triangles But Were Afraid to Ask
by some dude
If asked what the clearest instrument of the orchestra is, the one which can be heard cutting through all others when the full orchestra was playing, what would you suggest?
The mighty trumpet? The booming timpani? The piercing piccolo? Actually, the correct answer is possibly the instrument you would least expect - the humble triangle.
A whole review about a little triangle? You bet!
Although they are named after the shape of the instrument, triangles are not in fact a complete shape. There is actually a small gap at one corner to allow the sound to resonate effectively when it is hit by a beater made of the same material. Basically a triangle is a long piece of steel or chrome, which is bent twice to form a triangular shape. All instrumental triangles are equilateral.
The triangle is played by a percussionist who sits at the back of the orchestra with all sorts of odds and ends, as well as the larger percussion - timpanis, drum kit and sometimes xylophone. But it is the little triange which often makes the biggest impact on huge orchestral works. The piece that sticks out in my mind is Sibelius' Finlandia - listen to it and you'll here the triangle keeping the beat while the whole string section is playing, carried along by a little piece of metal, a tenth of the size of the smallest violin.
The triangle is usually held either dangling from a piece of string, or with one finger hooked under the top corner. This allows the sound to resonate when hit with a triangle beater made from the same metal as the triangle itself. If you hit a triangle just once, while holding it correctly, and leave it to resonate, you will notice that the sound continues for much longer than you would imagine - sometimes for up to a minute or longer!
Versatile in all its simplicity, the triangle can also be struck while holding onto one of its sides. This dampens the sound and makes it much shorter. You can use a combination of long and short sounds to make the triangle's role in a piece of music more interesting.
If you are thinking of taking up the triangle professionally, don't be tempted to splash out up to 10 whole English pounds for one. You can practice on a toothbrush and mug until you are ready to take the plunge.
Enjoy.
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Motown Triangle Players Association of America, Incorporated.
