Instrument History, Importance, Visual Qualities

Question 1

What are the ITM instruments I need to know about?

Answer 1

fiddle, harp, uilleann pipes, accordions (piano, box, melodeon), concertina, wooden flute, tin whistle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, bodhran, bones, clavinet

Question 2

Describe the harp’s importance/history

Answer 2

national symbol of Ireland, most popular instrument in Ireland until the 17th century, generally associated with women today but historically associated with men (as music was mainly learned and performed by men)

Question 3

Describe the harp’s instrumental/visual qualities

Answer 3

22-36 strings (nylon or gut - the latter is older and less common today), older Irish harps were portable and a lot smaller

Question 4

Describe the uilleann pipes’ importance/history

Answer 4

the only instrument designed and developed for Irish music, dated to the late 18th century, uilleann = elbow, mainly associated with men

Question 5

Describe the uilleann pipes’ instrumental/visual qualities

Answer 5

PARTS: cloth covered leather bag, double reed chanter, drones, bellows, regulators (to change the notes of the pipe - like a harp pedal)

Question 6

Describe the fiddle’s importance/history

Answer 6

same instrument as the violin, one of the most famous and accessible instruments (most commonly associated with Irish music/sound), appeared in Ireland in the 1600s

Question 7

Describe the fiddle’s instrumental/visual qualities

Answer 7

can imitate the pipes’ ornaments (need practice, otherwise is how the two sounds are differentiated), left hand controls the melody notes (like on a guitar with frets) - right hand controls the sound (with the bow)

Question 8

What are the different types of accordions?

Answer 8

piano accordion & melodeon (first invented, less popular now), button/box accordion (most common today) - ALL USE RIGHT HAND FOR MELODY AND LEFT HAND FOR BASS

Question 9

Describe the instrumental qualities of concertinas

Answer 9

both hands contribute to the melody (pull/push), can’t play drones or harmonies

Question 10

When are accordions and the concertina from?

Answer 10

the late 19th century

Question 11

Describe the importance/history/visual qualities of flutes

Answer 11

made of wood (not metal), no keys-only holes, originated from baroque flutes (late 18th century), super popular in the North/West of Ireland

Question 12

Describe the importance/history/visual qualities of whistles

Answer 12

each tuned to a specific key, easy to play (6 holes in a row), cheap, portable, often the first instrument one learns when wanting to play Irish music

Question 13

How are flutes and whistles similar?

Answer 13

they use similar fingerings

Question 14

Describe the guitar’s importance/history

Answer 14

first arrived in Ireland as a parlour instrument (associated with the upper classes) IN THE 19TH CENTURY, became popular in ITM in the 20th century (played as a harmony - introduced chords into ITM), generally only on guitar in a jam session (can get too jumbled with two improvised chords at a time)

Question 15

Describe the guitar’s musical/visual qualities

Answer 15

6 strings

Question 16

Describe the mandolin’s musical/visual qualities

Answer 16

tuned like a fiddle (sibling instrument), 8 strings (4 pairs), plucked with a pick (can’t do chords)

Question 17

Describe the banjo’s importance/history

Answer 17

became popular in the 1960s (due to the folk revival in the US)

Question 18

Describe the banjo’s musical/visual qualities

Answer 18

plucked strings, 4 strings (also tuned like a fiddle), loud sound (good for playing dances/loud events)

Question 19

Describe the bouzouki’s importance/history

Answer 19

originally a Greek instrument (someone brought it to Ireland in the 1970s)

Question 20

Describe the bouzouki’s musical/visual qualities

Answer 20

tinny and metallic sound, plays the melody or accompaniment, Irish bouzoukis have 8 strings (4 pairs), Irish bouzouki has a flat back (the Greek one is rounded)

Question 21

Describe the history/importance of the bodhran

Answer 21

became popular in ITM after 1950,

Question 22

Describe the bodhran’s musical/visual qualities

Answer 22

wooden frame with goatskin stretched across it, lots of tonal and rhythmic possibilities (based on where you hit it and have your hand on the inside)

Question 23

Describe the bones’ history/importance

Answer 23

became popular in the 1960s after being highlighted by the Chieftans

Question 24

Describe the bones’ musical/visual qualities

Answer 24

pair of percussive sticks, historically cow ribs - often wooden today

Question 25

Describe the importance/history of the clavinet

Answer 25

used by Stevie Wonder, often used in many genres of music like funk, jazz, reggae, rock, and soul

Question 26

Describe the clavinet’s visual/musical qualities

Answer 26

amplified keyboard (needs to be connected to an amp), metallic strings (metallic sound), plays chords and low notes, kind of droney, (4 pickups - 2 on top, 2 underneath)