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Oct 12, 2024 · Harps were widely used in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, although rare in Greece and Rome; depictions survive from Egypt and Mesopotamia from about 3000 bce. Many were played in vertical position and plucked with the fingers of both hands, but Mesopotamia also had horizontal harps.
- Arched Harp
arched harp, musical instrument in which the neck extends...
- Frame Harp
Frame harp, musical instrument in which the neck and...
- Pedal Harp
pedal harp, musical instrument in which pedals control a...
- Angular Harp
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- Irish Harp
Irish harp, traditional harp of medieval Ireland and...
- Soundboard
Soundboard, a thin plate of wood or a stretched membrane...
- Arched Harp
Jul 29, 2024 · The Egyptian harp, or “Benet”, is one of the oldest and most popular musical instruments in ancient Egypt. Harps were often made out of precious materials, they consisted of a long wooden neck with a curved soundbox with strings attached, producing tunes by plucking the strings; the number of the strings varied according to the size of the harp ranging from 5 to 7 strings.
- Darbouka
- Sistrum
- Benet
- Cymbals
- Castanets
- Trumpets
- Lute
- Pipes
- Bells
- Lyre
A Darbouka or Goblet Drum is a single-head hand-beaten drum. It goes by other names as well, including dumbeg, or tabladepending on which region you’re in. These percussion instruments have been used since ancient times. Many drawings show ancient Egyptians playing goblet drums in temples and festivities. Nowadays, goblet drums are the National sym...
Sistra, the plural of the Sistrum, is a hand-held percussion tool that looks like a rattle. As you can see from the image above, ancient Egyptian wall art shows that they were considered holy and sacred (that’s Nefertari, the wife of Ramesses II in the image). A sistrum consists of a U-shaped frame with a handle. Unlike many other ancient instrumen...
It’s believed that the Egyptian Harp, or Benetas it was previously called, dates as far back as 2030 BC and was one of the most common instruments during pharaonic times. From looking at the paintings on the walls in tombs, you can see how harps developed over time starting out as instruments similar to an archer’s bow. Over the years, they develop...
Another important instrument in ancient Egpyt was the Cymbalwhich hasn’t changed much over the years. They still come in pairs of round flat metal plates that vibrate when struck on one another. They were used to accompany the goblet drums and sistra and were often used in a religious or military context.
Castanets, or Clappers, were another popular instrument in pharaonic times. Ancient castanets were designed as a pair of curved arms that started at the elbows and ended with a pair of open palms. When you hit them together, they produce a clapping sound. To the ancient Egyptians, this sound was believed to be the depiction of the goddess Hathor. I...
You may be surprised to know that a couple of Trumpetswere discovered in King Tutankhamun’s tomb. That goes to show you that trumpets are one of the oldest instruments known to man. Although, back then, they were made of a basic, long pipe with a bell as valves and slides had not yet been invented. Ancient trumpets were made of wood, as opposed to ...
The Luteis a string instrument that dates back to the times of ancient Egyptians. It consisted of a pear-shaped or round body made of tortoise shells or wood. Some had short necks, but long-necked lutes were the more popular choice. They featured two or three strings that were plucked using a pick or your fingers. As the strings vibrated over the h...
One of the oldest pipes, or Egyptian flutes, is the Ney. It’s an end-blown flute with seven finger holes to change the pitch. Over the centuries, the ney has been used to create sweet and somber melodies as you can hear from the haunting sound in the video above. Another example of an Egyptian pipe is the Zummarawhich is sort of an ancient clarinet...
Ancient Egyptians used Bellsfor religious ceremonies and worship rituals for their God Osiris. They were also used as amulets worn around the neck to protect against certain dangers. They were typically made out of metal, mainly bronze but sometimes even gold or silver.
And finally, we have Lyreswhich are commonly mistaken for harps. Even though they’re members of the same family, there are several key differences between the two. First of all, a lyre is much lighter. Players hold their lyres in their laps while playing. That’s nothing compared to the substantial weight of a harp, which has to rest on the ground. ...
Morris, Ellen 2011. "Paddle Dolls and Performance." In Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, 47, pp. 95–96. Yamamoto, Kei 2015. "Bow Harp." In Ancient Egypt Transformed: The Middle Kingdom, edited by Adela Oppenheim, Dorothea Arnold, Dieter Arnold, and Kei Yamamoto. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, pp. 157–58, no. 92.
- Sistrum. The sistrum, or rattle, is a percussive instrument made of wood and metal with a handle that branches into a U-shaped frame. The instrument dates back to ancient Egypt and was used in religious rituals to honor various goddesses.
- Lute. The lute instrument is believed to have been introduced in Egypt as a result of the Hyksos Influence. It is a string instrument with two or three leather strings on a long neck attached to a round body.
- Clappers. The clappers, or castanets, were the first musical instruments used by musicians in ancient Egypt. The clappers provided cadence and beat and were used in many rites and ceremonies.
- Ney. The Ney, an end-blown woodwind instrument with seven finger holes to change the tune by the air blown, is one of the oldest Egyptian flutes. The instrument has been used throughout centuries to create somber melodies—the paintings on the walls of the Great Pyramids of Giza how Ney players.
The harp was the most important musical instrument in ancient Egypt. The bowed harps known from Ancient Egypt from the same period (Egyptian in general bīnꞏt, b.nt, bent, benet, Coptic voina) can be roughly divided into four groups according to their chronological order and their shape.
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The harps of the royal minstrels in ancient Egypt were magnificently ornamented, and were embellished with, the head of the monarch himself. Herodotus tells us that the favourite song of the ancient Egyptians was a dirge, The Lay of the Harper , which is beautifully translated in Ancient Egypt, by Rawlinson.
