Bones (instrument)
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Percussion instrument | |
---|---|
Other names | bones |
Classification |
|
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.11 (Concussion sticks or stick clappers) |
Related instruments | |
The bones, also known as rhythm bones, are a
Description
Rhythm bones are typically about 12 cm to 18 cm (5" to 7") in length, but can be much longer, and they are often curved, roughly resembling miniature barrel staves. Bones can also be flat, for example by the cutting of a
Technique
A player may use a pair of bones in each hand, or just a single pair in one hand.
A critical element to playing the bones is not trying to force them to make contact with one another through finger manipulation but allowing their momentum to do the work. By moving the hand back and forth across the chest, with just enough force on the bones to keep them from falling out of the hand, a patient learner can produce a triple click. This "click-it-y" sound is the essential ingredient to playing the bones. A double-click can be produced by the same movement of the hand with the addition of a bit of pressure to the bones to suppress the third click. Once these elemental triple and double figures have been mastered, they can be combined to create complex combinations of rhythmic sounds. The effect is further enhanced by the use of two pairs of bones, one in each hand. A skilled practitioner can produce a wide variety of percussive sounds reminiscent of those made by a
The Irish tradition is unique to the island. While North American players are typically two-handed, the Irish tradition finds the vast majority of bones players using only one hand, a distinction in method that has a strong impact on musical articulation.[1]
The comparison of the function of
The song "
Notable bones players
- Hillar Bergman[3]
- Brother Bones (1902–1974)[4]
- Scatman Crothers (1910–1986)[5]
- Carolina Chocolate Drops[6]
- Peadar Mercier (1914–1991)[7]
- Charles "Charlie Bones" Ginsburg (1921–2008)[8]
- Barry "Bones" Patton[9]
- Percy Danforth (1900-1992)[10]
- Len Davies the Bonesman (1919-2000)[11]
- John Burrill "Mister Bones" (1920-1993)[12]
See also
- Clapper (musical instrument)
- Paiban - Chinese wooden clappers
- Castanets
- Jawbone (instrument)
References
- ^ Vallely, F. (1999). The Companion to Traditional Irish Music. New York University Press: New York, pp. 33-35
- ISBN 0-252-07117-4.
- ^ "learn to play the rhythm bones...Hillar Bergman - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11.
- ^ "The Dead Rock Stars Club - The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "The Most Famous Record You Have Never Heard Of (Or The Most Obscure Record You Have Heard A Hundred Times)". Jpcavanaugh.com. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Dom Flemons – Susquehanna Folk Festival". Susquehannafolkfestival.org. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ "Peadar Mercier". RTE.ie. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Bones Obituaries". Rhythmbones.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Rattle Dem Bones - Barry Patton". Bluegrasstoday.com. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Percy Danforth Index". Rhythmbones.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Len Davies player profile". Rhythmbones.com. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "John Burrill (Mister Bones)". geocities.com. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
External links
- Rhythm Bones Society
- John Burrill and the History of the Bones by Alan Lewis, July 4, 2002. Accessed May 31, 2007.
- Bones and the Man: Toward a History of Bones Playing Robert E McDowell (1982) The Journal of American Culture 5:1, (Spring 1982) pp. 38–43.