10 Average Questions about Music to My Ears

Answer: Sitar

The sitar became famous around the world after it was used by some of the earlier rock and roll bands. This fretted sting instrument has a gourd-like body with a long neck. It has numerous strings, the exact number varies depending on which part of India it comes from. It is usually played with a plectrum or with the fingernails. The sitar is usually made of toon or teak wood.

Answer: Metal

Similar to the xylophone, the glockenspiel is different in that the bars are made of metal instead of wood like the xylophone. It is also, usually, higher in pitch as well as smaller in size. This percussion instrument can be played horizontally on a stand or in the lap, as well as vertically, as is often seen in marching bands.

Answer: False

Although the Scottish bagpipes may be the most well-known type of bagpipe, they were not invented there. They were brought over from Italy when the Roman Empire was in control of much of Europe. There is a sculpture of bagpipes that can be found in Turkey, that dates to at least 1,000 B.C. Images of bagpipes have been found in manuscripts, paintings, and sculptures from many areas around the Mediterranean and show the large regional variations to be found in this wind instrument known for its mournful, yet mesmerizing, sound.

Answer: Soprano saxophone

One of the more unusual types of saxophone, the soprano sax is a single reed woodwind heard primarily in jazz or classical music. Because of a similarity of sound, it is sometimes used in place of the oboe, and is considered by some, to be much easier to master than the oboe.

In 2001, a new instrument known as the aulochrome was created by joining two soprano saxophone together. The player can play one horn at a time or both in unison or in harmony.

Answer: No two didgeridoo are exactly the same.

The didgeridoo is a uniquely Australian instrument. They were usually made from eucalyptus limbs that had been hollowed out by termites. As no two branches are exactly the same, no two didgeridoos are exactly the same. They have no reeds and it is not illegal to try and make one. Today, didgeridoos are made from a huge variety of materials including, but not limited to, hemp, plastic, glass, leather, and ceramic.

These non-traditional instruments are usually produced for the tourist trade.

Answer: Jew's harp

Originally known as a jewes trump, the exact origin of the instrument and its name are a matter of debate among musical scholars. This twangy sounding instrument has many different names, but is most commonly called a Jew's harp. This instrument has been used for centuries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

It has been used in ritualistic music during healing rites and to soothe sick babies.

Answer: Hurdy-gurdy

The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument which is played in a manner similar to the violin except that the strings are rubbed by a rosined wheel instead of a bow. The wheel is turned with one hand while the other hand plays the tune on the keys. The hurdy-gurdy usually has two strings which run through the key-box which changed the length of the string when a key is pressed thus changing the note being played.

The speed with which the wheel is cranked also changes the tones of the instrument. The sound of the hurdy-gurdy is often compared to the sound of Scottish bagpipes.

The exact origin of this instrument is a matter of scholarly debate, but is thought to have originated in either southern Europe or possibly the Middle East.

Answer: Lyre

The Greek lyre is a stringed instrument that was usually strummed with a plectrum as opposed to being plucked like a harp is. Many of these lyres were intricately decorated. The bottom of the instrument was often made with the shell of a turtle at the bottom, with two wooden arms which curved upwards and outwards.

As they were not tuned by tightening or loosening the strings as is often seen in many stringed instruments, it is thought that the different notes were obtained by using gut strings of different thickness'.

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin invented the glass Armonica around 1761. In Italian, the word 'armonia' mean harmony. This instrument was one of Franklin's favorite inventions and Mozart was so taken with the instrument that he wrote compositions specifically for it.

The Armonica is played in a similar fashion to rubbing a wet finger around the rim of a wine glass. The Armonica has a succession of glass bowls attached to a spindle. The tuning is achieved by the size selection of each bow. The large the bowl, the deeper the pitch.

The player wets their fingers and by touching the spinning bowls, they create music.

Answer: Spoon

Spoons are often used as a percussion instrument in folk music from many European countries. A pair of spoons are held in one hand, with the concave sides facing away from each other. The spoons are played by bouncing the backs of the spoons together in a rhythmic manner.

They are usually struck with the palm of the hand or against the leg. Different size spoons may be used, and both wooden or metal spoons are played.