Triangle (musical instrument) facts for kids
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| Percussion instrument | |
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| Classification | Hand percussion, idiophone |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.211 Individual percussion sticks |
The triangle is a fascinating musical instrument that belongs to the percussion family. It's known as an idiophone because it creates sound mainly from its entire body vibrating when you strike it. Triangles are typically crafted from various metals, such as steel or brass. The metal is bent into a triangular shape, but one corner is always left open. This instrument is usually held by a loop of string or wire, allowing it to vibrate freely. You play it by hitting it with a metal rod called a "beater." The triangle produces a bright, ringing sound with many different tones, and it doesn't have a specific musical note like a piano.
Contents
The Musical Triangle: A Percussion Instrument
A Look Back: The Triangle's Journey Through Time
Early Beginnings and Religious Roots
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We learn about the triangle's past mostly from old pictures and drawings, which musicians call iconography. These images help us understand how the instrument was used in music and society. Some experts think the triangle might be related to an ancient Egyptian instrument called the sistrum. Others believe they were simply used in similar ways.
Like the sistrum, the triangle first appeared in religious settings. It is still used today in some church ceremonies, such as those of the Coptic Church in Egypt and the Syro-Malabar Church in India.
From Ancient Times to Orchestras
For a long time, people thought the first drawing of a triangle was from a 9th-century book. However, newer studies suggest that the earliest clear pictures of triangles come from Western Christian art in the 14th century. From then on, triangles appeared in many drawings over the centuries. They came in different sizes and sometimes had small jingling rings attached.
Early triangles were shown with an open corner, just like today, but some also had fully closed corners. Their sides could be slightly curved. Sometimes, they even looked like trapezoids or stirrups instead of perfect triangles. The first time the word "triangle" was written down to describe the instrument was in 1589. This was in a list of instruments owned by a music group in Germany.
Around the 18th century, the triangle started to be used more widely. Its unique sound began to inspire new musical ideas. European composers, influenced by sounds from Turkish military bands, started adding the triangle to their operas and orchestras. They wanted to copy the metallic sounds of instruments like the zil and cevgen.
At first, composers often didn't write down the triangle's part; players just listened and played. When it was written, it usually had simple, marching-like rhythms. The triangle was a great way for composers to add rhythmic metallic sounds. In the early 19th century, composers from the Romantic period looked for new sounds. They liked the long, ringing sound of triangles without the jingling rings. Because of this, the rings, which had been common for five centuries, slowly disappeared.
How Triangles Are Made and Shaped
The modern triangle gets its name from its triangle shape. However, one of its corners is always left open, meaning the ends of the metal bar don't quite touch. This opening is important because it stops the instrument from having a clear, definite musical pitch. Instead, it creates many rich overtones, which are extra sounds that make the tone fuller.
The triangle is usually hung from one of its other corners, often by a piece of nylon fishing line. This allows it to swing freely and vibrate well. Older triangles sometimes had fancy scroll designs at the open end. Today, these designs are rare, and triangles are made simply from steel or brass.
Playing the Triangle: More Than Just a Tap!
Many people joke that playing the triangle is easy and doesn't require skill. However, triangle parts in classical music can be very challenging! Famous percussionist James Blades said that "the triangle is by no means a simple instrument to play."
The triangle is typically hung from a special clip so it can vibrate freely. When you play it with one beater, the hand holding the clip can also gently touch the triangle to stop or change its sound. You usually hit the triangle with a metal beater, which creates a high-pitched, ringing tone.
For fast and complicated rhythms, the instrument might be hung from a stand using two clips. Then, you can play it with two beaters. This can be harder to control, though. One of the biggest challenges is playing complex rhythms and controlling how loud or soft the sound is. Very quiet notes can be made using a much lighter beater, like a knitting needle. Sometimes, composers ask for wooden beaters instead of metal ones to create a different sound.
Mastering the Triangle Roll
A triangle roll is similar to a snare roll. It's shown in music with three lines through the stem of the note. To play a roll, the musician quickly moves the beater back and forth between two sides in either the upper or lower corner of the triangle. This creates a continuous, shimmering sound.
The Triangle in Different Music Styles
Classical Music's Sparkling Touch
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In European classical music, the triangle has been part of the western classical orchestra since the mid-18th century. Composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, and Ludwig van Beethoven used it, though not very often. They often included it to imitate the sounds of Turkish military bands.
The earliest known use of the triangle in a written piece was in operas by Christoph Willibald Gluck in the 1760s and 1770s. One of the first pieces to feature the triangle prominently was Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. In its third movement, the triangle plays a solo, which even gave the concerto the nickname "triangle concerto."
In Romantic era music, composers like Richard Wagner used the triangle, for example, in the famous "Bridal Chorus" from his opera Lohengrin. Johannes Brahms used the triangle in a special way in his Fourth Symphony. This was the only time he used percussion other than timpani in any of his symphonies. Albert Lortzing used triangles at the start of his opera Der Waffenschmied to sound like hammers in a blacksmith's shop.
Folk and Popular Rhythms
The triangle is also popular in folk music, forró, Cajun music, and rock music. In these styles, it's often held directly in the hand. This allows the player to damp one side with their fingers to change the sound. The sound can also be slightly altered by hitting different areas or by subtle damping.
In Cajun music, the triangle (called a ‘tit-fer, meaning "little iron" in Cajun French) is very important. It provides a strong beat, especially when there are no drums.
In the Brazilian music style Forró, the triangle is played alongside a larger drum called a zabumba and an accordion. Together with the zabumba, it forms the rhythm section. It usually provides a steady pulse, damping the sound on the first, second, and fourth beats, and opening the hand on the third beat to let the sound ring out. It's also used for breaks, improvising, and changing the rhythm.
In Indonesian folk music, such as Banyuwangi Gandrung music, the triangle is used with a gamelan ensemble. It is known locally as kluncing in the Osing language.
See also
In Spanish: Triángulo (instrumento musical) para niños
