Re virginals. Unlike in other keyboard instruments, in the virginal the strings are plucked in the middle of their length. This results in a strong fundamental and an emphasis on the odd numbered overtones. This gives it a “pure” or “virginal” sound. This also explains why the strings run perpendicular to the keyboard.
that is not true. By definition virginals are plucked at the end. however ..... in the netherlands an instrument was in use which is called a muselaer ..... they had the keyboard on the right side... resulting in the jacks plucking in the center of the string. creating that plummy sweet sound. Even tho the muselaer is a virginals-like instrument and definitely family. muselaers and virginals are different instruments. Your hypothesis on the name virginals is also not true. Virginals were considered a womens instrument. By the way the name of the instrument is virginalS not virginal. Virginals is not the plural of virginal. For the same reason we use the words, scossors, trousers, shorts etc. Virginals is both a single and a plural. In period documents the instrument is mostly refered to as "a pair of virginals"
2:52 The Cittern is only nominally a cittern, being more accurately an English Guittar, which was a development of the waldzither. In this case, it' s an exceptionally nice example with a built in piano attachment so the strings can be struck using the keyboard seen next to the bridge.
I have three rackets - tenor, bass, and contrabass. They are awesome instruments, although there are more than ten openings, so some of the holes are at the ends of small metal tubes that project away from the body of the instruments. These are closed using the inside of your knuckles, so a fingering chart for the instrument is really a fingering/knuckling chart! Don't leave out the dulcians! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ovSpmpePMno.html the guy in the interview is great. He organizes a yearly workshop for early music double reeds (so dulcians and shawms).
@@justaweeb9086 I got mine from a guy out in CA who had a clearinghouse for early music instruments. I bought a SH*TLOAD of instruments from him over the years. Sadly, he retired a few years ago. Keep an eye on eBay. All sorts of instruments come and go, there, and there are a lot of small independent makers who sell instruments there. Then of course, there is google. Just search on "rackett" and see what comes up. Good Luck!
This is very interesting. The History of instruments shows how we have wanted to PLAY & express ourselves. It asks the questions: "Why do I play?". .."Am I passionate enough to go down to the shed & make something?". We are spoilt by modern instruments. All WE have to do is PRACTICE. Thanks for showing that.
3d printed light Racketts should be redesigned by big music brands to have an easier cleaning and marketed as "pocket bassoons" for a low price! I'm serious, a low cost bass instrument this compact and this light, that you can bring everywhere in your backpack, would be incredibly practical to so many people!
@@TrentHamilton theres a group i found a while ago called unholy rackett and they play quite a few old woodwinds like the rackett i find it pretty interesting, theres a lot of vids on their channel i recommend it
@G G He's super serious about that project. To design and perfect something of that calibre takes a lot of time. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes another 3 years or more.
Hey Trent. Dont know whether youve heard of the crumhorn. Thats a fantastic renaissance recorder like instrument very much like the rackett. Played like a recorder but had a double reed under the mouthpiece. Very much an aquired taste.
There's a difference between instruments that ARE obsolete and instruments that were obsolete for a time and are now quite actively performed on. Many Renaissance instruments that were quiescent for a while are played by people who specialize in Renaissance music, including the racket. This video didn't distinguish between the Renaissance and Baroque models, and although it showed a Baroque model it also showed pictures of Renaissance ones. Almost no one plays baroque rackets so it's pretty safe to say they are obsolete (although I have one), but plenty of people play Renaissance ones and even make 3D-printed ones. The racket wasn't replaced by the bassoon, they existed at the same time, both in multiple-sized consorts. Eventually, the bass member of the bassoon family became of great utility compared to other sizes but it was in no way replacing what the racket had once done. Likewise, many people are playing orpharions today, they are not obsolete. The virginal is in many homes, including mine, it has a huge repertory and people need a virginal to play that repertory. Just not obsolete at all. The virginal was NOT replaced by those other instruments, they existed side by side. The Virginal is a type of harpsichord and the most distinguishing feature is that it has two bridges so it's much louder than one would expect from its size (other forms of harpsichords have just one bridge). I enjoy so many of your videos but this one is more inaccurate than any other I've seen.
I have recently come across a Buescher Aristocrat from 1940 and I have enjoyed playing it; however, the tuning slides have probably been stuck for 20 years. How would I go about releasing those slides
Hey Trent, I wanted to thank you for videos! I watch a lot of them. I am actually an aspiring composer. I recieved a BA in Music years ago and have to pick up my passion once again. Long story short... i am having a hard finding out information on the Wagner Tuba. Really even finding information on range and fingering has proved difficult. If you could possibly do video on it that would be awesome or I would be grateful for any information or sources you could point me to! Thank Trent and keep up the good work!
It's basically a French horn squished into an oval shape... the timbre is a bit different, but their range is about the same as a horn, and they're played like a Bb/F double horn.
Thanks... need more specific info thou. Especially the area of the instrument range were it notoriously goes sharp. And the best way to compose approaching those areas.
@@RolandHutchinson yeah, I've heard there not that popular with Horniest. They either love or hate them! BUT they are used in movie sound tracks a far amount. Plus I love the sound!
Question. My son is a French Horn player but for marching band they are suppose to play mello. but he isn’t able because he was born with 3 fingers on his right hand. French horn is perfect for him because it’s a left handed instrument. My question is, do mellos come In left handed? Or are they just standard right. Is there another instrument that is similar that is a left handed instrument?
What's the instrument to the right of him? To the right is a tuba looking instrument and above is a silver instrument that has a bell similar to a french horn,but valves like a trumpet
That's a mellophonium. Conn made them and Stan Kenton's jazz orchestra used them in the '60s. Besides that, they are basically a novelty item and could also be considered "obsolete instruments."
its time for a revival of all five of them. I know at least one person on youtube experimenting with a very large contrabass racket type contraption. You might be interested. i think he called it a gigaracket. Richard Bobo. Virginals are still being built and you can actually buy kits to build those. They take up so much less space than a full harpsichord and are generally a lot more quiet. i generally think it's a good idea to play period music on period instruments. so revival it is!
Racket, orpharion, and virginals all have been revived. You can buy nice shiny new ones from various makers. Hornpipe (in various traditional forms) never entirely went away. Cornopean -- well, that has become the province of brass instrument collectors, I suppose! :-) Is anyone building new Stölzel-valve instruments? I don't know, but there seem to be enough old ones to go around for those who want to play them.
No. a clavichord uses a different mechanism to sound. Each of the keys is a lever with a flat piece of metal at the end. When you press the key, it causes the other end to go up and hit the string. It's sort of like a modern piano except the sound is very quiet. A virginal, spinet, and harpsichord are basically the same instrument just in different sizes and shapes. They all sound by plucking their strings. Spinets and especially virginals were intended for small rooms and intimate settings. Harpsichords were used in more "concert-y" situations where the keyboard was playing with other instruments.
Most likely origin of the name "virginal": Its short keyboard made it ideal for young people (who were still developing skills with keyboard playing) to play. Once a young lady was skilled enough to graduate on to a big-keyboard instrument like the harpsichord, she was probably of marriageable age (at the ripe old age of 15), and would likely be paired with a suitable suitor and get to work making babies instead.
not true. most virginals and muselaers had a 3 and a half octave compas. harpsichords of that time also had that same compas. There are many many paintings and engravings picturing adult women playing virginals. The virginals was considered a womens instrument. Ps the name of the instrument is not virginal ... but virginals. virginals is not the plural of virginal. virginals is both single and plura. just like the words Trousers scissors, shorts etc. in old documents the instrument is often called "a pair of virginals"
Perhaps I could lend you my original " The trumpet and Trombone " by Philip Bate from 1966 which has multiple extinct brass instruments and valve types referenced e.g the 7 belled alto horn devised by Henry Distin and even a 5 valve trumpet on the Merri Franquin system
Hi Trent - This is somewhat on topic: one the oldest non percussion instruments dates back to 3,500 B.C. and was found in ancient Mesopotamia. What is it? It's the pan flute, of course. The pan flute, unlike the five musical instruments in your tutorial, is neither obsolete nor extinct, but is still alive and well. You being an avid musician probably have at least one in you repertoire. 😉 ♫
no. two completely seperate instruments that are not related to eachother. btw the name is virginals ... not virginal. virginals is not a plural form of virginal. just like the words trousers, scissors, shorts etc. in old documents the instrument is often refered to as "a pair of virginals"
I am sorry, but the virginal is not obsolete whatsoever from the moment that many people -as I, for instance- play it nowadays in concerts and recordings. Many harpsichordists have a virginal now and it is often used depending on the repertoire. I liked your video, but that information is not correct.
indeed. he didnt do any research. he provided so many misinformation. ps: the name of the instrument is virginals... not virginal. virginals is not the plural of virginal. just like the words, trousers, scissors and shorts. In old documents the instrument is often refered to as "a pair of virginals
can you imagine how many were sold by descendants of former owners that they found tucked away in attics and cellars, assumed to be some smoking device? Turkish water pipe haha
