Spanish music is very brightly emotionally colored, it is full of fire and passion, has a clear rhythm and complex string parts. From these sounds, the legs seem to be dancing themselves! This article presents the main Spanish musical instruments, and photos with names.
In different parts of the country, once under the rule of the Saracens, a special melodic character is heard, different from the rest of Spain. For instance:
- Castile - is known for smoothly flowing vocal trills, performed against the background of a melody with a difficult, broken rhythm;
- Catalonia - fanned with melodic Moorish tunes;
- Andalusia - famous for expressive melodies, sharply changing from daring gaiety, to languid sadness;
- Aragon - music expresses a storm of fun indefatigable will to live.
List of Spanish Musical Instruments
These tools include bandurria. It is the real national heritage of the country. It is a plucked instrument that has common features with a mandolin. Sound extraction - tremolo. The French mandoire and the Spanish manduria (bandurria) had a two-story history until the 16th century. But with the advent of Baroque, a banduria was created with a flat body and five pairs of strings embedded in a quart. Before that, there were only three strings in medieval Spanish musical instruments. With the advent of the Renaissance, another string was added. Over the entire life of the instrument, more than one modernization has been made, and the modern bandurria has six paired strings that sound in unison.
Guitar. It is a stringed plucked instrument, which is used both for accompaniment and for solo playing. The guitar has greatly influenced the development of a worldwide musical culture, and is used in many modern styles. A special sensation was the appearance of an electric guitar, without which it is difficult to imagine rock, blues or country. There are so many styles and techniques of playing the guitar at the moment.
Nowadays, there are such types of tools:
- Spanish guitar (10-12 strings);
- Russian guitar (7 strings);
- Classical guitar;
- Electric guitar (6 strings);
- Bass - guitar (4-5 strings);
- Ukulele (6 strings).
Spanish guitar
It is believed that the idea of the Spanish guitar was once “spied” by a talented master among the Arabs. In the Middle Ages, the instrument evolved and underwent multiple changes, eventually turning into a modern six-string.
A guitar with five pairs of strings created in Spain spread widely in the middle of the 15th century. And at the end of XVIII it is upgraded to six single strings. Thanks to the then-famous guitarist Mauro Giuliani, who masterfully performed musical parts, many wonderful melodies were created, and the repertoire expanded significantly.
This Spanish musical instrument can be talked about forever. But another invention of this people deserves no less attention.
Spanish percussion musical instrument
The most important cultural subject of this unique country are castanetas. This is a tool consisting of two concave shells - planks looking at each other, which are connected by a cord from above. Castanets are popular in southern Italy and in Latin America.
These Spanish musical instruments are worn on the hands, which are strikingly different from other percussion instruments. Similar devices were used in rhythmic songs and dances of the ancient world.
Castanet plates have long been made of hardwood, but nowadays traditional material is increasingly being replaced by fiberglass and metal. For the convenience of playing in a symphony orchestra, a special “castanet - machine” was invented, in which the instrument is mounted on a stand.
This is exactly the kind of musical instrument that Spanish dancers use in their passionate dances.
Castanets are of two types:
- Macho - large, which are clamped in the left hand. They tap the main dance movement;
- Hembra - small ones that are usually clamped in the right hand. They are assigned the role of playing up a changing musical theme.
They are used extremely rarely for song accompaniment, or they sound only in between roulades.
The use of castanets in classical dances
Without this Spanish musical instrument, it is simply impossible to imagine a single melody or dance of this people. Indeed, when this incendiary music sounds, an image of a sultry gypsy girl with a rose in blue-and-black hair passionately performing flamenco is instantly drawn in my head.
The French composer J. Bizet in his opera Carmen specially added castanets for the transmission of southern European flavor.
In ballroom and stage folk dances, they are used both by dancers and musicians of the orchestra, for example, in the Laurencia ballets The Lame Demon, Don Quixote and Aragon Hunt.
In general, the ethnic dances of Spain are an all-consuming fire that rages in the heart of each of its inhabitants. The culture of the country absorbed oriental motifs, hence the origin of its unique, incomparable music and dance style.
There are several categories in Spanish dances, these are:
- Flamenco - absorbed the traditions of the peoples who once lived on the territory of the country. It is believed that it was gypsies who came up with it;
- Classical dance (Estilizacion) - combines the best of flamenco, folklore and ballet. The choreography of movements is clear and refined to perfection, performed to the works of Spanish composers;
- Dances of the 18th century are short sketches in which boots with spurs and a Spanish musical instrument, castanets, are necessarily present;
- Ballet - combines several dance techniques at once: modern dances, jazz and flamenco. It expresses the true temperament of this people, seasoned with elegance of movement and skill;
- Folk dances (bolero, paso doble, saraband and others) occupy a special place in the development of culture, so each should be told in detail.
Bolero
The name of the dance comes from the word Volar - flight, during which it seems that the artists seem to soar above the stage. Accompanied by its magical sounds of the Spanish guitar and clicks of castanets. Usually several couples dance.
Paso doble
The idea for this dance was suggested to the Spaniards by the battle of two bulls. Participants seem to compete with each other, pa performed rigidly and clearly, the chest proudly bulges forward, and the shoulders are retracted. The chased step is the basis of the dance. Paso doble is full of expression, in it as if a man is a torero, and a woman is his red cloak.
Sarabanda
In Spain, this dance appeared in the XII century, it was based on noise. It is seasoned with elegant female gestures, which accompany songs of a frank nature, so for a long time the saraband was banned in Catholic Spain. Perhaps that is why the dance took root perfectly at the court of Louis XIV, and over time, having undergone multiple metamorphoses, it became, in the end, a favorite among the dances of the Madrid court.
This is an extended list of Spanish musical instruments, dances and their territorial features.