341 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
341 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
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@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@
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@@! @@! @@@ @@! @@@@ @@! @@!
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!@! !@! @!@ !@! @!@!@ !@! !@!
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!!@ @!@!@!@! @!@ @! !@! @!!!:! !!@
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!!! !!!@!!!! !@!!! !!! !!!!!: !!!
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!!: !!: !!! !!:! !!! !!: !!:
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:!: :!: !:! :!: !:! :!: :!:
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:: :: ::: ::::::: :: :: :::: ::
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: : : : : : : : : :: :: :
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(--) hogs of entropy - issue #106 (--)
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the computer underground's source for top-notch essays for
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school presents one of kaia's friends in a special & informative
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report written for a college class!!!
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>> "the triangle" <<
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by -> eric keebler
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The triangle (-Eng, Fr: TRIANGLE; It: TRIANGOLO; Ger.: TRIANGEL)
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is, unfortunately, is perhaps the most neglected of the percussion
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instruments; it is often overlooked by conductors, and given to
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less-skilled players because it is thought to be incredibly simple to
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play. However, the triangle "has, among experienced players, the
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reputation of being the most difficult of all the percussion
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instruments.." Its musical effects are not trifling, either; the French
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composer Widor said that "...when the orchestra would seem to have reached
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its maximum intensity, it suffices to add the Triangle, in order to
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convert red-heat into white-heat."
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The triangle is an instrument found in many cultures. Medieval
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European triangles may have been the descendants of examples brought back
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from Arabian lands by the crusaders. Depictions of medieval triangles show
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a variety of shapes: some are equilateral (with either open or closed
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ends), others are trapezoidal, and still others are stirrup-shaped. Most
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examples also show an important difference from the modern triangle: there
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were rings around the bottom bar. (PICTURE) This gave the instrument a
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continuous, sistrum-like sound (the sistrum being a simple shaken
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instrument). For example, and illustrated encyclopedia made for Henry III
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of France shows a trapezoidal triangle with rings on the lower bar. There
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are also ringless examples, such as in the King W enceslaus IV Bible (late
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14th century) and in a mid-15th-century window in St. Mary's Church,
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Warwick, England, which shows a loop at the top of the triangle so that it
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could be hung on a finger. A triangle beater is always shown.
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The triangle is known to have been used in religious ceremonies;
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we have as evidence numerous denunciations against their use, and also
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edicts every few years prohibiting them. Triangles were also used in
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secular music, such as in accompaniment of a pipe rings can be added to
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modern triangles to achieve the same effect; the rings should be made of
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metal of a slightly smaller diameter than the triangle metal. With care, a
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triangle can supposedly be bent open to add rings and will spring back
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into shape. Also, the softer the music is that the triangle will
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accompany, the fewer is the number of rings that should be added. In
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performance, the ringed triangle's best use is to strike on one beat per
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bar or phrase; it can also mark the beginning of each repetition or
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rhythmic phrase in an isorhythmic motet, and may be used to accent the
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first beat of faburden sections of carols
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The triangle was one of the first purely metal percussion
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instruments to enter the modern orchestra: In 1710, one was used by the
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Hamburg Opera, and in 1717 two triangles were purchased for the Dresden
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Opera. The instrument continued to be used occasionally in operas in the
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early part of the 18th century In 1800, Boieldieu scored for two triangles
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(one high and one low) in his opera Le Calife de Bagdad. All this time,
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triangles still had rings; these rings did not disappear until the middle
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of the nineteenth century, by which time the triangle had become a
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full-fledged orchestral instrument.
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A new wave of interest in the triangle was created by the
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phenomenon of Janissary music, which imitated the military music of the
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Ottoman Turks. (The triangle may have been a part of the Turkish
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"crescent", a decorated musical staff hung with bells.) Examples of such
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triangle use include Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio, Haydn's
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"Military"Symphony and Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
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Notable later examples of later, ringless triangle use include
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Liszt's Piano Concerto in Eb (1853), in which the very prominent triangle
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part caused amusement among hostile critics, and the single triangle note
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which ends the second act of Wagner's Siegfried. The composer Berlioz
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created a list of what he would like to have in his dream orchestra; among
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the 467 instrumentalists were percussionists, including 6 triangles.
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The triangle is found in other cultures as well. The Cajun
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triangle (PICTURE), descended from African triangles, is fabricated from
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the tines of an old horse-drawn hay rake. Triangles are also prominent in
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Greek folk music and Latin American music. In this country, there are some
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non-musical uses of the triangle: it is commonly used on American farms
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and ranches as a dinner bell. Also, one of the largest triangles can be
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found at the American War Cemetery, Epinal: it is 2'3" per side, and was
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used as a fire alert.
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The acoustics of the triangle depend on such factors as the
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instrument's size, shape, and material. In general, larger triangles have
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a lower sound than smaller ones. This sound, however, is not a distinct
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pitch; indeed, a triangle that gives a specific note (such as a closed
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triangle will do) is a poor instrument, so it won't blend properly with an
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ensemble. Triangles are, as their name implies, usually triangular
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(generally equilateral but occasionally isoscoles). Today, pentangles are
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also a vailable (PICTURE). Triangles produce an astonishingly full
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sound-spectrum: one example I found had 39 tones between 700 and 15,500
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hertz, with 13 of prominent volume; the fundamental was one of the weaker
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tones. The use of a wooden stick enhances the fundamental and subdues the
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harmonics, resulting in a soft, mellow tone, while a thin, light metal
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beater enhances the upper partials, giving a light, silvery sound. Many
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instruments are made of hardened steel, such as the Grover Super-Overtone
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Triangles, which are made of a carbon steel alloy; this material causes
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the overtones of the instrument to remain constant throughout dynamic
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range. This triangle is available in 6" and 9" versions. The Grover Series
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II comes in three sizes: the 4" piccolo, the 5" concert, and the 7"
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symphonic models. These are made with a special cymbal alloy. (PICTURE).
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Bronze and iron triangles, in both smooth and hammered versions, are
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produced by the Choroi company. Aluminum triangles should be avoided
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because of their inferior tone. Zildjian produces a "spindle triangle"
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with tapering sides, so that a variety of tone colors can be produced;
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it's made from hardened steel.
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The size of triangle to be used for a particular piece is largely
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left up to the percussionist. One suggestion I found stated that "a rather
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thick steel triangle 10 inches per side and 1/2-inch in diameter is the
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best all around choice"; another said that this would sound too "gongy,"
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and to use a 6" instead for a more characteristic sound. Smaller does not
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necessarily mean softer, and the higher frequencies of a smaller triangle
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can be heard better over the whole orchestra. A "normal" orchestral
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triangle is generally 6 1/2 to 7 inches on a side. Schools should have at
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least two triangles (5 and 7-inch models) while a serious player should
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have at least three: one small, one medium, and one large. For the
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beginning student, two recommended triangles are the Grover 6-inch
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Super-Overtone TR-6 and the Alan Abel Symphonic 6-inch; the latter is
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brighter and has fewer overtones.
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Triangle beaters also deserve consideration. In general, players
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should have at least 3, and one matched set for rolls. It's even better to
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have a pair of each size. General-use beaters should be medium to heavy,
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since these produce a fuller sound; however, softer passages should be
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played with lighter beaters. Grover has standard beaters available in six
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weights (PICTURE), and also has a special tubular beater in 4 sizes
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(PICTURE) in which the beater face is isolated from the core shaft with a
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special rubber compound. Beaters recommended for beginning students are
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the Grover Alloy 303 TB-4 and the Grover Tubular TB-12, both Medium size.
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Some specialty beaters include tapered beaters, brass beaters (steel is
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normally used), wooden sticks, and cotton sticks (which can be replaced by
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a beater with a paper napkin wrapped around the top). One can also
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improvise by buying the "largest nails available" or similar materials at
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a hardware store; it is recommended that such homemade beaters be 9" in
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length.
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Triangle technique involves a lot more than one might at first
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imagine. The triangle clip can be made from a wire clothes hanger and
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fishing line (PICTURE); others suggest using a violin gut A string, as
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cloth or ordinary string can prevent "true resonance" of the triangle.
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Also, a safety line is recommended to avoid an embarrassing crash if the
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string breaks! The triangle must not spin, and is held between shoulder
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and eye height, and may be lowered slightly during rolls. The open end of
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the triangle is on the player's left, unless the player is left-handed, in
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which case the opening is on the right. In general, the percussionist
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plays on the right portion of the bottom bar, or towards the top of the
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right bar; as the striking position is moved to the middle of the bar, the
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volume increases. The beater is held, with a relaxed grip, between the
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thumb and forefinger; relaxation is especially important during soft
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passages. Snare and timpani grips may be used according to the discretion
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of the performer and the nature of the passage. Before playing, lay the
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beater on the triangle to eliminate "missed" strokes; this is analogous to
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setting the hammer before driving a nail, and is especially important for
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soft beats. Strike at a 45 degree angle to get best tone; different
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effects can be produced by using a perpendicular attack. Finesse is
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essential: play as if touching an iron to see if it's hot, and play from
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the wrist. In general, one-beater playing is preferred because it allows
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the player to hold the instrument, providing a line of sight to conductor
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and giving better projection. Playing on the bottom bar yields lower
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overtones, while playing on the upper side gives higher overtones; thus,
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some play lighter passages on the side, and stronger ones on the bottom.
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For rhythmic patterns, clamp the triangle clip to a stand and use two
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beaters at the top corner or on the bottom in the middle. An example is
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found in Dvorak's New World Symphony, the triangle part of which should
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NOT be rolled, as poor articulation may result. For quick rhythmic
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figures, play on any two sides; the principal beats should fall on the
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side next to the opening. Light playing is done with the tip of the
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beater.
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Triangle rolls, notated with a triangular note head or the marking
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"tr---", are played either on the bottom bar or on both sides at once; the
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closer to the middle of the side(s) in question, the louder the roll is.
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Single-beater rolls are played in the upper corner or sometimes the bottom
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corner; in the previous case, for a clean roll ending, the last note may
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be played on the bottom bar. Quadruple-forte rolls are played by moving
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the beater in a circular motion, but this is rare; Holst calls for this
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effect twice in The Planets. At the other end of the spectrum, a
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knitting-needle may be used for quiet rolls. Flams and ruffs are also
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possible. Rolls are terminated by muffling the triangle with the hand that
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is holding the clip.
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The subject of muting the triangle needs some explanation. The use
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of a split finger grip that holds the clamp between 2nd and 3rd fingers
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allows the triangle to be grabbed to muffle the sound; in extreme cases, a
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cloth can be used. Never dampen the instrument except for a grand pause,
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or at the end of the piece where the rest of the ensemble is silent.
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Staccato notes are muffled immediately, but most notes are allowed to
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ring. Some African music is played with a muting technique in the left
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hand to produce rhythmic variations.
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Sometimes triangle special effects are called for. In Stravinsky's
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Petrouchka (1911), a cymbal is hit with a metal stick, presumably a
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triangle beater. In the same composer's Rite of Spring, a gong is scraped
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with a triangle beater. And in Walton's "Facade," a cymbal is struck with
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a triangle!
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Triangle care is fairly straightforward: put it on a padded music
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stand or in its clip when not in use, keep it dry to avoid rust, and store
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it flat to avoid bending.
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One additional note to composers: write triangle parts with lower
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dynamics than those of the instruments it is accompanying, since it is all
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too easy to make the triangle sound like a fire-bell!
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Now I will digress and discuss church-bell harmonics, for reasons
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that will soon become apparent. Church bells have five main harmonics:
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the hum note, the fundamental, the tierce (which is minor), the quint, and
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the nominal or octave. In addition, there are many upper partials; a large
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bell may have 10-100 of these, arrayed over several octaves. (SHOW
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PARTIALS) Bells must be tuned to adjust these partials after the bell is
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cast (SHOW TUNINGS). This is done by removing a small amount of metal from
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the inner surface at certain concentric zones that determine the pitches
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of specific partials; this process lowers the partial, so bells are cast
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sharp.
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Church bells are occasionally called for in orchestral music,
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presenting the challenge of replicating, in a concert hall, the sound of a
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multiple-ton bell or bells. For example, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique
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calls for 2 bells, clearly church-bells (C and G); he suggested pianoforte
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as a substitute. Dalayrac calls for bells in his 1791 opera Camille,
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Cherubini calls for bells in the 1794 work Elisa. Rossini does so in the
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second act of William Tell, requesting a bell that plays a bottom line G
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on the bass clef staff. (In performance, it was never lower than G above
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treble clef staff, 3 octaves higher!!) Meyerbeer, in the 1836 work Les
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Huguenots, specifies bells sounding C and F on the bass clef staff to
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signal a massacre; bells were specially cast for the Paris Opera for the
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occasion. Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture includes a peal of bells, today
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played on an Eb scale of tubular bells; however, in the original score,
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only a tremolo sign is given, and an indication that the bells should be
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large and with no prevailing key. The work was intended for the
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consecration in 1882 of the Moscow Cathedral, which had real bells. The
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Sydney Orchestra bought two heavy and expensive bells, but they ring above
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middle-C, rendering them of little use. Today, the usual substitutes for
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church bells are tubular bells, bell plates, mushroom bells, electrically
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amplified metal bars, piano wires, and clock gongs; the bass tuba is
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sometimes used to support the sound.
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Enter the alemba (an alembic is something that transforms or
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refines). (PICTURE) I first ran across a reference to this instrument
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while researching triangles in the RILM abstracts; reference was made to
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an article in the German periodical Neuland IV (1983-84) by Moya
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Henderson. The abstract read: "The author describes her construction of
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the alemba (an instrument consisting of a row of triangles) and her
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compositions for it." In 1976 she, as a graduate student, had been asked
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to write a piece for 27 triangles (various shapes, but similar pitches),
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and discovered that the addition of resonators resulted in the production
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of low frequencies. This discovery led to the quest for an instrument,
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containing many huge triangles, that could convincingly substitute for
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bells in orchestral works. For the past 18 years, the alemba has been
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undergoing development at the Division of Applied Physics of the CSIRO
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corporation in Australia. construction of a bass alemba revealed the
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problems of lowered upper partials, now audible and obtrusive; these were
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dubbed "feral frequencies". By changing the triangles' shape to something
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similar to the cross-section of a bell, moderate results were obtained;
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computer modeling perfected the design, which came to look like an unbent
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paper clip. The current electronically-amplified instrument has a range of
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E to E 1 1/2 octaves below middle C, and simulates the big bells needed at
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the finale of Puccini's opera Tosca, leading to the instrument's
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commercial name, "The Tosca Bells". An order was placed by Sir Charles
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Mackerras, and treble and bass alembas were used in performances of
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Janacek's Glagolytic Mass and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. The current
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treble product has a range 2 1/2 chromatic octaves; each triangle is
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attached to a resonator tuned to the fundamental of the triangle. The
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octave and twelfth of each triangle is also tuned. The current challenge
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is the development of the bass version; as the pitch drops, so do the
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upper partials, which thus become more noticeably audible and need to be
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tuned. Hopefully the continued development of the triangle-derived alemba
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will at last yield a satisfactory way to bring the sound of church bells
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into the concert hall.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Blades, James. Percussion Instruments and their History. Westport,
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Connecticut: The Bold Strummer, Ltd., 1992.
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Blades, James and Jeremy Montagu. Early Percussion Instruments: from the
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Middle Ages to the Baroque. London: Oxford University Press, 1976, pp.
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11-14 and 45-46.
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Brindle, Reginald Smith. Contemporary Percussion. London: Oxford
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University Press, 1970, pp. 78-80.
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Montagu, Jeremy. Making Early Percussion Instruments. London: Oxford
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University Press, 1976, pp. 34- 36.
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Percussion Anthology: A Compendium of Articles from The Instrumentalist in
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Percussion Instruments. Evanston, Illinois: The Instrumentalist Co., 1980,
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pp. 63, 151, 258-259, and 329-332.
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Randel, Don Michael, ed. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge,
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Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1980, p. 869.
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Sadie, Stanley, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
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London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980, v. 19 (triangle) and v. 2
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(bells).
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INTERNET REFERENCES
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-------------------
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PRODUCTS:
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http://otto.cmr.fsu.edu/~bula_jo/percussion/mallets.html
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http://www.choroi.com/choroi/instmnts/triang.htm
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http://www.mhs.mendocino.k12.ca.us/MenComNet/Business/Retail/Larknet/Percussion
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http://www.mhs.mendocino.k12.ca.us/MenComNet/Business/Retail/Larknet/AfroAmerPercussion
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http://www.tiac.net/users/grover/pro.htm
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http://www.tiac.net/users/grover/series2.htm
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TECHNIQUE:
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http://otto.cmr.fsu.edu/~bula_jo/percussion/acces.html#triangle
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http://www.cfw.com/~raybould/triangle.html
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BELLS:
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http://www.cs.yale.edu/users/douglas-craig/bells/Basic/tuning.html
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ALEMBA:
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http://www.dap.csiro.au/Interest/Rap/alemba.html#Alemba
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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* (c) HoE publications. HoE #106 -> written by eric keebler -- 6/11/97 *
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