| Name | Image | Tradition | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tromba Marina |  | Europe | A tromba marina, or marine trumpet (Fr. trompette marine; Ger. Marientrompete, Trompetengeige, Nonnengeige or Trumscheit, Pol. tubmaryna) is a triangular bowed string instrument used in medieval and Renaissance Europe that was highly popular in the 15th century and survived into the 18th century. The tromba marina consists of a body and neck in the shape of a truncated cone resting on a triangular base. It is usually four to seven feet long, and is a monochord (although some versions have sympathetically-vibrating strings). It is played without stopping the string, but playing natural harmonics by lightly touching the string with the thumb at nodal points. The image was scanned from Olga Racster's _Chats on Big and Little Fiddles_ Frederick A. Stokes, NY 1922. |
| Trombone |  | Europe | The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, it is a lip-reed aerophone; sound is produced when the player’s buzzing lips (embouchure) cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate. The trombone is usually characterized by a telescopic slide with which the player varies the length of the tube to change pitches, although the less common valve trombone uses three valves similar to those on a trumpet. Today, the trombone can usually be found in wind ensembles/concert bands, symphony orchestras, marching bands, military bands, brass bands, brass choirs, etc. |
| Tromboon |  | United States | The tromboon (also called a babone) is a musical instrument made up of the reed and bocal of the bassoon attached to the body of a trombone in place of the trombone's mouthpiece, combining the "worst" aspects of each instrument: a reed and a slide. The name of the instrument is a portmanteau of "trombone" and "bassoon". The sound quality of the instrument is best described as comical, loud, and annoying. This instrument is called for in the scores of P. D. Q. Bach in his oratorio The Seasonings as well as the Serenude (for devious instruments). |
| Trompeta China |  | Cuba | The trompeta china (also called corneta china), a Cuban traditional wind instrument, is actually the Chinese suona, an instrument in the oboe family introduced to Cuba by Chinese immigrants during the colonial period (specifically the late nineteenth century). The trompeta china is used primarily in Cuban carnival music, particularly in the eastern region of Santiago, where it is an integral part of the comparsa (carnival musical ensemble). In addition to its use in Cuba, the Canadian jazz saxophonist and flutist Jane Bunnett has taken up the trompeta china and uses it with her Afro-Cuban jazz band. |
| Trumpet |  | Egypt | The trumpet is a musical instrument in the brass family. It has the highest register in the brass section. A musician who plays the trumpet is called a trumpet player or trumpeter. The most common trumpet by far is a transposing instrument pitched in B flat - the note read as middle C sounds as the B flat 2 semitones below - but there are many other trumpets in this family of instruments. The most common type is the B-flat trumpet, but C, D, E-flat, E, F, G and A trumpets are also available. The oldest trumpets date back to 1500 BC and earlier. The bronze and silver trumpets from Tutankhamun's grave in Egypt, bronze lurs from Scandinavia, and metal trumpets from China date back to this period. |
| T'rưng |  | Vietnam | The T'rưng is a suspended bamboo xylophone from Vietnam. It has been used to imitate the sound of water. |
| Tsuri-daiko |  | Japan | Tsuri-daiko (釣太鼓)is a Japanese drum used in gagaku music, a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court for several centuries. It is a drum on a stand with ornately painted head, played with a padded stick. The tsuri-daiko image was taken by Zhang Yuwen in Beijing, China, May 2007. |
| Tsuzumi |  | Japan | The tsuzumi (鼓), also known as kotsuzumi, is a Japanese shoulder drum. It consists of a wooden body shaped like an hourglass, and it is tought with two drum heads with cords that can be squeezed or released to increase or decrease the tension of the heads respectively. This mechanism allows the player to raise or lower the pitch of the drum while playing, not unlike the African talking drum. The tsuzumi is the only Japanese drum that is struck with the hands. The tsuzumi plays roles in both Noh and Kabuki theater music, but it is also used in Japanese folk music. |
| Tsymbaly |  | Ukraine | The tsymbaly (Ukrainian: цимбали) is the Ukrainian version of the hammered dulcimer. It is a chordophone made up of a trapezoidal box with metal (steel of bronze) strings strung across it. The tsymbaly is played by striking two beaters against the strings. The strings are strung in groups of 3-5, which are tuned in unison. The bass strings may have 1 or 2 wrapped strings tuned in union. |
| Tuba |  | France | The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched of brass instruments. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. An orchestra usually has a single tuba, though occasionally a second tuba is required. It serves as the bass of the brass section, though its versatility means it can double as reinforcement for the strings and woodwinds, or increasingly as a solo instrument. The euphonium is sometimes referred to as a tenor tuba, and is pitched one octave higher (in B-flat) than the BB-flat contrabass tuba. The image shows the comparison of euphonium (left) and tuba (right). |
| Tubular Bell |  | Europe | Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Each bell is a metal tube, 30–38 mm (1¼–1½ inches) in diameter, tuned by altering its length. They range from C4 (middle C) to F5. Tubular bells are typically struck on the top edge of the tube with a rawhide- or plastic-headed hammer. Often, a sustain pedal will be attached to allow extended ringing of the bells. The bands of the Indian Army use these bells when playing the Hymn Abide With Me. Tubular bells are used in popular music, as well. Tubular bells have been popularized in western culture by the song Carol of the Bells. |
| Tulum |  | Turkey | The Tulum (Guda (გუდა) in Laz) is a musical instrument, a form of bagpipe from Turkey. It is droneless with two parallel chanters, usually played by the Pontic Greeks (particularly Chaldians), Laz and Hamsheni people. |
| Tumbi |  | India | The tumbi is a traditional North Indian instrument from the Punjab region. The high pitched, single string plucking instrument is associated with folk music of Punjab and presently very popular in Western Bhangra Music. The instrument is made of a wooden stick mounted with a Toomba or wooden resonator covered with skin. A metallic string is passed on a resonator over a bridge and tied to the key at the end of the stick. The string is struck with the continuous flick and retraction of the forefinger. |
| Tumpong |  | Philippines | The tumpong is a type of Philippine bamboo flute used by the Maguindanaon, half the size of the largest bamboo flute, the palendag. A lip-valley flute like the palendag, the tumpong makes a sound when players blow through a bamboo reed placed on top of the instrument and the air stream produced is passed over an airhole atop the instrument. This masculine instrument is usually played during family gatherings in the evening and is presently the most common flute played by the Maguindanaon. |
| Turkish Crescent |  | Turkey | A Turkish crescent, (also Turkish jingle, çevgan, Chinese pavilion, jingling johnny, Schellenbaum, chapeau chinois) is a percussion instrument consisting of a long pole with numerous bells connected to one end, using crescent shaped crosspieces and has been traditionally used for military bands and parades. It was used as a percussion instrument within the Janissary band as a way to keep time with music and marching. It was used on the first beat of every measure. |
| Turkish Ney |  | Turkey | The Turkish ney reed flute, together with the Turkish tanbur lute and Turkish kemençe fiddle are considered the most typical instruments of Classical Turkish music. A rim-blown, oblique flute made of reed, the Turkish ney has six finger-holes in front and a thumb-hole in back. Sizes range from the lowest, Davud (in E/mi, 95 cm long), to the highest, Bolahenk nısfiye (in d/re, 52.5 cm long). Nearly all Turkish neys have a mouthpiece. The classical Turkish ney's closest relatives in other countries, the Arab nay and the Persian ney, do not use a mouthpiece, but rather blow against the sharpened edge of the tube. Noted recent ney players include Niyazi Sayın (see image), Akagunduz Kutbay, and Süleyman Erguner (torun). |
| Turntable |  | United States | The phonograph, or gramophone, was the most common device for playing recorded sound from the 1870s through the 1980s. In more modern usage, this device is often called a turntable, record player, or record changer. The earliest known invention of a phonographic recording device was the phonautograph, invented by Frenchman Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville and patented on March 25, 1857. It could transcribe sound to a visible medium, but had no means to play back the sound after it was recorded. Thomas Alva Edison announced his invention of the first phonograph, a device for recording and replaying sound, on November 21, 1877, and he demonstrated the device for the first time on November 29. The device was patented on February 19, 1878 as US Patent 200,521. The image shows an Edison cylinder phonograph ca. 1899. |
| Txalaparta |  | Spain | The txalaparta is a specialized Basque (an autonomous community in the Kingdom of Spain) music device of wood or stone, similar to Romanian toacă. It is classified as an idiophone (a percussion instrument.) In its traditional construction (known as the txalaparta zaharra), the txalaparta is made of a pair of long wooden boards held up horizontally on two ends and then beat vertically with special thick drum sticks held upright in the hands. On the two ends, between the long board and the supports, corn husks are placed for vibration. Music is made using the txalaparta by having one or more performers produce differing rhythms, playing with wood knots and spots of the boards for different tones. |
| Txistu |  | Spain | Basque Country (an autonomous community in the Kingdom of Spain) is home to a lively style of folk music called trikitixa, based on a diatonic accordion and a tambourine. Another traditional Basque instrument used in the trikitixa is the txistu. The txistuis a kind of recorder that became a symbol for the Basque folk revival. The name may stem from the general Basque word ziztu (to whistle.) This three-holed recorder can be played with one hand, leaving the other one free to play a percussion instrument. |
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