Wind Instruments: Duduk - Harmonica



NameImageTraditionDescription
Duduk Armenia The duduk is a traditional woodwind instrument of Armenian origins. It consists of a trunk (reed pipe) Duduki and Kamishi (reed) and a mouthpiece (reed). The trunk is cut mainly from apricot-tree, mulberry and box trees. It has 8 front keys on the upper side and one key on the lower side. The pipe is 36cm. long. Internal diameter is 10mm.
Dulcian Italy The dulcian is a Renaissance bass woodwind instrument, with an exposed double-reed and a folded conical bore. Equivalent terms include "curtal" in English, "dulzian" in German, "bajón" in Spanish, "douçaine"' in French, "dulciaan" in Dutch, and "fagotto" in Italian.
The predecessor of the modern bassoon, it flourished between 1550 and 1700, but was probably invented earlier. Towards the end of this period it co-existed with, and was then superseded by the baroque bassoon, although it continued to be used in Spain until early in the twentieth century.
Dulzaina Spain The dulzaina is a Spanish double reed instrument in the oboe family. It has a conical shape and is the equivalent of the Breton bombarde.
Many varieties of the dulzaina exist in Spain. In the Land of Valencia it's known as a dolçaina or xeremia and is accompanied by a drum called the tabalet. The Catalan variety of the dulzaina is called a dolçaina or gralla, and the Basque variety is called a Bolin-Gozo.
Dung-Dkar TibetThe dung-dkar (literally “White Conch”) is formed from a white conch shell. It is heavily decorated with ornate patterns with inlaid metals such as bronze and tin and is topped with a bright bead, which is to represent good energy.
The dung-dkar has been used as a religious instrument throughout the recorded history of religious music in Tibet. An example of the dung-dkar being used in an ensemble situation is a traditional offering to Buddha, where the instrument is accompanied by the “sil-snyan” (small cymbals) and the “mchod-rnga” (offering drum). The sound of the ensemble is said to make the ghosts panic and Buddha happy. The playing of the dung-dkar is often left to young boys who will later learn how to play other instruments of Tibetan Buddhism.
Dvodentsivka Ukraine Dvodentsivka (Ukrainian: Дводенцівка) is a double duct flute. Two dentsivkas with the same length are joined together into one dvodentsivka but only one has playing holes. The other pipe has no holes and acts as a drone.
Dvoyanka Bulgaria Dvoyanka is a double flute made of a single piece of wood, with six sound holes on one side. It is most frequently made of ash-wood, plum tree, pear tree, cornel or boxwood. The tune is played on the one pipe, which is accompanied by a flat tone on the other pipe. It is a favorite instrument of shepherds.
Euphonium United Kingdom The euphonium is a conical-bore, baritone-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "beautiful-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" (eu means "well" or "good" and phonium means "voice"). The euphonium is a valved instrument; nearly all current models are piston valved, though rotary valved models do exist.
Fife United States A fife is a small, high-pitched, transverse flute that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore. The fife is a simple instrument usually consisting of a tube with 6 finger holes, and diatonically tuned. Some have 10 or 11 holes for added chromatics.
The fife was one of the most important musical instruments in America's Colonial period, even more widespread than the violin or piano. The fife can still be heard in some Appalachian folk music, playing lively dance tunes.
Flabiol Spain The flabiol, (also known as flaviol, flubiol or fabirol), a woodwind instrument which also is normally played one-handed with a drum. It is one of the 12 instruments of cobla (a traditional music ensemble of Catalonia.) The Flabiol is played with one hand. It measures about 20 - 25 centimeters in length and has five or six holes on its front face and three underneath. The flabiol plays some bars of a high-pitched theme.
The flabiol is usually accompanied by a small drum called a tambori that is held on the left elbow and struck with the right hand.
Flageolet France A flageolet is a woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. The first flageolets were made in the 16th Century and the instrument continued to be made until the 20th Century when it was succeeded by the tin whistle.
Flageolets have varied greatly during the last 400 years. The first flageolets were called "French flageolets", and have four tone-holes on the front and two on the back. This instrument was played by Frédéric Chalon and Samuel Pepys, and Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel both wrote pieces for it.
Floyarka Ukraine The floyarka is a type of sopilka, a traditional Ukrainian flute. It is characterized as an open-ended notched flute. The floyarka is a larger version of the frilka.
The floyarka is a pipe of approximately a 30 cm in length, (approximately 10 cm longer than the frilka). Traditionally, a floyarka had six holes, although now ten holes are also common. One end is sharpened and the breath is broken against one of the sides of the tube at the playing end. The mouthpiece is sharpened into a cone-like edge and the instrument produces a sound similar to that of the flute.
The floyarka is often called a frilka or sometimes zubivka in central Ukraine.
Flugelhorn Germany The flugelhorn (also spelled fluegelhorn or flügelhorn) is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore.
The original German spelling, Flügelhorn, translates into English as wing horn. Purportedly the instrument was used on the battlefield to summon the flanks, or wings, of an army.
Flute Europe The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute is a reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge, instead of using a reed.
The flute appeared in different forms and locations around the world. It has been dated to prehistoric times (30,000 to 37,000 years ago).
The image shows an Etruscan flute player from Tarquinia, Italy.
Frula Croatia A frula is the Croatian and Serbian name for a musical instrument which resembles a small recorder or flute. It is an end-blown aerophone. Similar instruments are played throughout Eastern Europe and the Balkans. It is typically made of wood and has six holes.
The frula is a traditional instrument of shepherds, who would play while tending their flocks.
Fujara Slovakia The fujara is a large folk shepherd's fipple flute of unique design, originating from Slovakia. It is typically 150-170 cm long, tuned in G (A and F are also available). It has three tone holes located on the lower part of the main body.
Traditionally, the fujara was played for recreation, usually by shepherds. Today, though, the fujara has moved from the fields to the stage at folklore festivals in Východná and Detva, both in Slovakia. Also, the instrument has left Slovakia and is played all over the world, especially Western Europe and North America.
Gemshorn Germany The Gemshorn receives its name from the German language, and means, literally, a chamois horn. It refers to an instrument of the ocarina family that was historically made from the horn of the chamois or other suitable animal. The instrument has a sweet, watery tone color.
Gourd Mouth Organ Vietnam A gourd mouth organ is a traditional wind instrument found in many nations of East and Southeast Asia. It is a free reed mouth organ similar to the Chinese sheng but with a windchest made from a dried bottle gourd rather than metal or wood. Its pipes (often five in number) are made of bamboo and it has free reeds that may be made of bamboo or metal.
In China, gourd mouth organs are referred to by the generic name hulusheng. Similar instruments are found in Thailand (where it is called naw among the Lahu, lachi among the Akha, and fulu among the Lisu), Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam (where it is called đing nam or m'buot), and Borneo.
Guan China The guan (管; literally "pipe" or "tube") where northern China version is called guanzi (管子) or bili (traditional: 篳篥) and the Cantonese version is called houguan (喉管). It is classified as a bamboo instrument in the Ba Yin (ancient Chinese instrument classification) system. The guan is a Chinese double reed wind instrument. Unlike instruments in the shawm family, such as the Western oboe or Chinese suona, the guan has a cylindrical bore, giving it a clarinet-like tone.
Gyaling Tibet The gyaling (also spelled gya ling, gya-ling, jahlin, jah-lin, jahling, jah-ling,Rgya-gling etc.) is a double reed shawm traditional to Tibet. It is used specifically in Tibetan monasteries during puja (chanting and prayer) and to welcome lamas and rinpoches. The player uses cyclic breathing technique to provide a continuous sound.
Harmonica Germany A harmonica is a free reed wind instrument. It has multiple, variably-tuned brass or bronze reeds which are secured at one end over an airway slot in which they can freely vibrate. The vibrating reeds repeatedly interrupt the airstream to produce sound. The harmonica has no keyboard.
The harmonica has nicknames, especially in blues music, including: mouth organ and blues mouth organ.



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