Percussion Instruments

Descriptions, photos, history, and sounds of instruments used in performing early music. Includes the bagpipe, bladder pipe, cornamuse, crumhorn, dulcian, dulcimer, gamba, gemshorn, harp, harpsichord, hirtenschalmei, hurdy-gurdy, kortholt, lizard, lute, mute cornett, organetto, percussion, pipe and tabor, psaltery, rackett, rauschpfeife, rebec, recorder, sacbut, schalmei, serpent, shawm, shofar, transverse flute, viol, and zink.

Very few musical instrument s have survived from the Middle Ages. In their efforts to recover how instrument s appeared, how they were constructe d and played, and what kind of sound they produced, Sine Nomine has turned to pictorial evidence.

Stories and songs, wind instruments, percussion instruments, and what they sounded like.

Many people associate the first use of military drums with the late 15th, perhaps only the 16th and 17th century. In texts from this era they are often mentioned in associatio n with the use of pike blocks. This stands to reason since when maneuverin g in a tightly packed formation, each individual carrying a long spear, it is really useful to have a drum to dictate a uniform marching rhythm, lest the pikes get entangled and the line or column breaks up. However, sources indicate that this was used in the 14th century as well.