Articles

The Oud: The Arabic Lute

The Oud: The Arabic Lute

Ouds by David Brown   Originally ouds were strung with gut strings (although it is possible for silk to have been employed near the Persian-Chinese border) but today nylon has...

2 comments

The Oud: The Arabic Lute

Ouds by David Brown   Originally ouds were strung with gut strings (although it is possible for silk to have been employed near the Persian-Chinese border) but today nylon has...

2 comments
Woman playing a bass shawm (Tobias Stimmer c. 1500)

Oriental Oboes: Zurna Fantasies and Secrets

The ancestor of the modern oboe is the baroque oboe; it is descended from the Renaissance shawm. All of these double-reed woodwinds share several characteristics; a conical bore, double reed,...

Oriental Oboes: Zurna Fantasies and Secrets

The ancestor of the modern oboe is the baroque oboe; it is descended from the Renaissance shawm. All of these double-reed woodwinds share several characteristics; a conical bore, double reed,...

This ney from Russian Turkestan, about 1872, was a transverse flute (Source: Wikipedia)

The Ney: The Middle Eastern Flute

One of the oldest forms of flute is the ney, the endblown flute played in slightly varying forms from Morocco to Pakistan. The word is Farsi for reed, and indeed...

The Ney: The Middle Eastern Flute

One of the oldest forms of flute is the ney, the endblown flute played in slightly varying forms from Morocco to Pakistan. The word is Farsi for reed, and indeed...

The Muse, also known as Warm Spot on the Russian Gulch Trail

Olaf Palm: Oil Painter Of Musicians

California artist Olaf Palm has long had a fascination with 17th century Dutch Masters that is evident in his work, which has an old-world feel and favors rich, dark tones...

Olaf Palm: Oil Painter Of Musicians

California artist Olaf Palm has long had a fascination with 17th century Dutch Masters that is evident in his work, which has an old-world feel and favors rich, dark tones...

Hurdy Gurdy

Hurdy Gurdy History

The hurdy gurdy, known in France as the vielle à roue or vielle for short, is an ancient instrument which is undergoing a modern renaissance in Europe and America. Today's...

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Hurdy Gurdy History

The hurdy gurdy, known in France as the vielle à roue or vielle for short, is an ancient instrument which is undergoing a modern renaissance in Europe and America. Today's...

4 comments
Close-up of Crystal Flute

Transverse Flutes: An Overview

One of the most ancient and widespread of musical instruments is the flute. Almost every culture on Earth has some sort of flute; some like the end-blown reed flute ney...

Transverse Flutes: An Overview

One of the most ancient and widespread of musical instruments is the flute. Almost every culture on Earth has some sort of flute; some like the end-blown reed flute ney...