Awoodblock(also spelled as two words,wood block) is a smallslit drummade from a single piece ofwood.The term generally signifies theWestern orchestralinstrument, but may also refer to theChinese woodblock.Alternative names sometimes used in ragtime and jazz areclog boxandtap box.In orchestral music scores, woodblocks may be indicated by the Frenchbloc de boisortambour de bois,GermanHolzblockorHolzblocktrommel,or Italiancassa di legno.[1]
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| Percussion instrument | |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Classification | Percussion |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.242.1 (Individual bells) |
| Related instruments | |
The orchestral woodblock of the West is generally made fromteakor another hardwood. The dimensions of this instrument vary, although it is either a rectangular or cylindrical block of wood with one or sometimes two longitudinal cavities. It is played by striking it with a stick, which produces a sharp crack.[2]Alternatively, a rounder mallet, soft or hard, may be used, which produces a deeper-pitched and fuller "knocking" sound.
On adrum kit,a woodblock is traditionally mounted on a clamp fixed to the top of the rear rim of thebass drum.
Related instruments
editLog drumsmade from hollowed logs, andslit drumsmade frombamboo,are used inAfricaand the Pacific Islands.
Themuyu(simplified Chinese:Mõ;traditional Chinese:Mõ;pinyin:mùyú) is a rounded woodblock carved in the shape of a fish and struck with a wooden stick. It is made in various sizes and is often used in Buddhist chanting, in China as well as in other Asian nations includingJapan,Korea,andVietnam.Also, in China, a small, rectangular, high-pitched woodblock calledbangzi(Cái mõ) is used. Typically used in sets of four different pitches, they are sometimes called "skulls" by jazz players because of their globular shape.[3]
Temple blocksare a set of four or more woodblocks. Modern versions may be made of plastic instead of wood where they are known as granite blocks. Similarly, thejam blockis a modern, plastic version of the woodblock.
References
edit- ^Blades, James,andJames Holland.2001. "Woodblock".The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians,second edition, edited byStanley SadieandJohn Tyrrell.London: Macmillan Publishers.
- ^Montagu, Jeremy. 2002b. "Woodblock",The Oxford Companion to Music,edited by Alison Latham. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-866212-9.
- ^Montagu, Jeremy. 2002a. "Temple blocks",The Oxford Companion to Music,edited by Alison Latham. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-866212-9.
External links
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Media related toWoodblocks (percussion instrument)at Wikimedia Commons
