• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: Music Instruments

The origin of music instruments as we know them now.
Like "akunting" a primitive African instrument, made with, I don't know the word in English, a body from a kind of fruit, or wood, not solid but with a big resonance and a few chords, and it's considered as the "ancestor" of the banjo.
Are ther chordians who know more about it?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Wiltshire, England
  • Registered: 2007-06-06
  • Posts: 176

Re: Music Instruments

I've tried to look into this one, but Google insists that I'm misspelling Accounting and tries to offer me a job as an accountant smile

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Music Instruments

Maybe I misspelt it, take a look on google searching for African instruments?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: Music Instruments

In the USA, the banjo was a much more popular folk instrument than the guitar back in the 1800's.  The history of musical instruments is fascinating since the creation and spread of designs and technology can also trace the mixing of ethnic cultures.

Stringed instruments like the lute, lyre, rebec, oud, violin, and sitar have ancient roots.
Here are some links related to banjo history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akonting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo
http://www.banjomuseum.org/banjohistory.htm

One of the most prized banjo collections in the world is owned by a Japanese businessman.  It includes primitive home-made relics along with highly elaborate masterpieces. There is a beautiful book cataloging his collection along with some historical info on the various manufacturers.  I'll post that book's title later.

Here in America, the manufacturing of musical instruments became big business in the 1800s.  The influx of skilled artisans from Europe (along with growing demand for instruments) enabled many innovations in design, materials and manufacturing.

In recent years, Japanese manufacturers (Yamaha, for one) have gained prominence in manufacturing stringed, brass, and woodwind instruments.  Just like with the auto industry they have streamlined the research, design, and manufacturing process to produce instruments of consistent quality from modestly-priced student-grade models on through the-price-is-no-object professional quality.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Music Instruments

Roger, against thanks for this info. There has been indeed a big evolution, and I found a link on the net. www.worldmusiccentral.org
I also know that the guitar, as we know it today had a lot of changes during even centuries.
The guitar usually has six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten, and twelve string guitars also exist. Guitars, I think, and here I mention modern versions, where made already 300 years ago in Europe, but in the USA, people like Martin, originally from Germany, made together with other luthiers to the guitar, more acoustic, we see andplay today.
I own a lot of books, concerning guitars, but I prefer to post it, because of the evolution and perfection, even going up to the first electric, or electro-acoustic guitar, and who had a tremendous impact on the music now.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Music Instruments

Again, is there someone who knows a lot about the origin of modern US music. I know one thing there are A LOT OF INFLUENCES, if you see the American Population.
I even know the numbers and %

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: south africa
  • Registered: 2007-07-20
  • Posts: 135

Re: Music Instruments

go have a look at sites about gourd banjos and see what u think. they're really beautiful. my hub.made one from a set of instructions on www.dhyatt.com and www.diynetwork.com