Cowbell (instrument)
Percussion instrument | |
---|---|
Classification | Hand percussion |
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.242 (Externally struck percussive idiophone) |
Playing range | |
Single note with timbral variations | |
Related instruments | |
Agogô |
The cowbell is an
Origins
While the cowbell is commonly found in musical contexts, its origin can be traced to freely roaming animals. In order to help identify the herd to which these animals belonged, herdsmen placed these bells around the animal's neck. As the animals moved about the bell would ring, thus making it easier to know of the animal's whereabouts. Though the bells were used on various types of animals, they are typically referred to as "cowbells" due to their extensive use with cattle.[1]
Tuned cowbells
Tuned cowbells or Almglocken (their German name, ‘Alm’ meaning a mountain meadow, and ‘Glocken’ bells), sometimes known by the English translation alpine bells (also
Composers who included Almglocken among their musical palette include
used multiple chromatic sets of clapperless cowbells in several of his compositions, notably Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum and Couleurs de la cité celeste.Clapperless cowbells
Clapperless cowbells made of metal are an important element in Latin-American and go-go music. These cowbells are struck with a stick – the tone being modulated by striking different parts of the bell and by damping with the hand holding the bell.
In several parts of the world (notably in West Africa) pairs or trios of clapperless bells are joined in such a way that they can be struck separately or clashed together. The Brazilian name for these is "agogo" bells. Cylindrical wood blocks played in the same way are also called "Agogô". In Cuban music the cowbell is called cencerro and often played by the same player as the bongos. In Caribbean music two or three are often mounted together with a pair of timbales.
This type of cowbell can also be played with the foot using a modified bass drum pedal or bowed with a double bass bow.
Sports use
Cowbells are sometimes popular noisemakers at sporting events, despite attempts to suppress them. While different sports teams seem to have their own story explaining the use of cowbells at their games, it is unlikely that so many teams across varying levels of sports and geographical regions would not have a common cultural reason for the practice. Although the origin of cowbell noisemakers is unclear, the most plausible explanation has to do with early baseball. Baseball games in the 19th century were often played in cow pastures, as American society was agrarian-based at the time. Cowbells were easily found or taken from around the necks of cows in the pasture and were utilized as noisemakers. The tradition naturally grew to be common practice at various sporting events, not just baseball.
Worldwide, in
A small number of Toronto Blue Jays fans at Rogers Centre frequently bring cowbells to Blue Jays home games. They are common enough at Tampa Bay Rays home games that the stadium scoreboard graphics crew have a pre-built graphic that says "More Cowbell!!". The Everett Silvertips fans also use cowbells, after the team watched the Saturday Night Live skit while on their tour bus in their inaugural season, and said they wanted the fans to have cowbells. They have a "more cowbell" that sometimes shows on the jumbotron. The Belleville Bulls in the Ontario Hockey League used the skit on their video scoreboard and "More Cowbell" as a catchphrase during the 2007 playoffs. Their goalie Edward Pasquale has several Will Ferrell characters painted on his goalie mask, including the one from the Saturday Night Live skit with the cowbell and others.
The cowbell has become a tradition for the
The supporters of Huddersfield Giants also have a small, enthusiastic group of fans known as "the cowbell army" who try and create a fun and friendly atmosphere at home and away games in the Super League.
In popular culture
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See also
- Agogô
- Artificial noise
- Gonguê
- Safri Duo
- Skrabalai - a Lithuanian wooden folk instrument originating from cowbells.
References
- ^ "The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2007". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
- ^ "Baseball: The People's Game:, Seymour, Harold; Oxford University Press, 1991
- ^ "SEC votes for football yardage penalties for cowbell use". Mississippi State University. 2002-06-10. Archived from the original on 2002-08-18. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
- ^ Stevens, Matthew (31 May 2014). "SEC clarifies cowbell compromise". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ "Former mascot keeps his bell ringing". The Daily Collegian. 1996-10-02. Archived from the original on 1997-01-05. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^ Lifton, Dave. "Jimmy Fallon Recalls Famous Blue Oyster Cult / 'More Cowbell' Saturday Night Live Skit". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "50 Greatest 'SNL' Sketches of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
External links
- Media related to Cowbells at Wikimedia Commons