Drone (music) facts for kids
A drone in music is a long, steady sound that plays continuously throughout a piece. Imagine a single note or a few notes held for a long time, while other melodies and harmonies change around it. This steady sound creates a special feeling in the music.
Many traditional instruments from around the world use drones. For example, bagpipes and hurdy gurdies in Europe often have drone pipes that play a constant note. In India, the sitar and the tanpura (a string instrument) are known for their drone sounds. You can find drone instruments in many cultures across Asia and Africa.
Sometimes, a drone might be made of more than one note. Often, these notes are a "fifth" apart. This means they sound good together and create a rich, full drone.
How Drones Affect Music
Music that uses drones usually has simple harmonies. This is because the constant drone makes it hard to change the main musical key (the central group of notes a song is built around). Think of it like a strong anchor holding the music in place.
Even with simple harmonies, drone music can be very exciting! Composers and musicians find other ways to make it interesting. For example, Scottish bagpipe music often uses many small, quick notes called "ornaments." These little musical decorations add sparkle and energy to the music, making up for the simple harmony.
Drones in Classical Music
Some famous Western composers have used drones in their music. They liked the unique sound and often used drones to make their pieces sound like folk instruments, such as bagpipes.
- Bach and François Couperin were composers from the Baroque period (about 1600-1750). They often wrote pieces called "Musette." This word is French for "bagpipes." These pieces would feature a drone, often with notes a fifth apart, to imitate the sound of bagpipes.
- Later, composers like Joseph Haydn also used drones. In the last part of his Symphony No. 104, Haydn used a drone to go along with a folk tune. This helped to give the orchestral music a traditional, earthy feel.
Related pages
Images for kids
-
A Lady Playing the Tanpura, ca. 1735. The tanpura is an Indian instrument that plays a drone.
-
Highland bagpipes, with drone pipes over the pipers' left shoulders. These pipes create the continuous drone sound.
-
Melody to "Yankee Doodle" without and with drone notes as played on the banjo. You can see how the drone adds a steady background sound.
