Let’s get it Right

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Let’s get it Right

Postby dentyr » 03 Jan 2020 22:46

Let’s get it Right

English people, generally, are very lazy. That’s why English is the most widely spoken language. They never bother to learn anyone else’s language. What’s more they abuse their own language.

If you have a Toyota Corolla, a Ford Echo or a VW beetle then you have a CAR. If you have a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Range Rover or Nissan Patrol then you have an Off Road vehicle or a status symbol for mum to take the kids to school. Off Road Vehicle is not to be confused with the Mercedes Halftrack used in the desert or a full tracked thing like a Sherman tank!

Having that sorted, musical instruments come under a similar heading. Seven white bars with five black bars is NOT a pub in South Africa! It is a PIANO keyboard. Piano keyboards get stuck onto all sorts of things like the Harpsichord, Clavichord, Accordion and Keytar amongst others. You would not refer to a “Piano Harpsichord” as it is a totally different instrument. Saxophone! Great, I have seen brass ones, silver ones and plastic ones but somehow Yamaha have them as Woodwinds??? So you get a “saxophone clarinet” which is not to be confused with a soprano sax. These instruments have a reed for you to blow through as an Oboe! However, who would ever refer to an “Oboe bagpipe”?

Major gripe is the range of instruments which have bellows. Accordions, concertinas, Steirische harmonicas, (not to be confused with the mouth organ harmonica or the Glass Harmonica), Irish Pipes etc.

Piano Accordion. Piano keyboard on the right, button arrangement on the left. The left side can have a variety of arrangements and tunings.

Button Accordion. Buttons on both left and right. The Right side buttons come in various arrangements. Similar to Piano Accordion but are far more versatile.

Banyan accordion. Buttons on both sides but tuned individually. Generally of Russian origin.

Steirische Harmonicas are a breed of their own, generally tuned as Musette and are of German or Austrian origin. Have buttons on both sides.

Example:-



Concertinas are generally Octagonal or hexagonal. Buttons on both ENDS. Settings of these buttons vary immensely, take your pick. Can be push/pull or just same note pushed or pulled.

Melodeons. Have buttons both sides but are push/pull generally.

Harmonicas or Mouth Organs are a blow/suck instrument and have to be produced in one key. There are chromatic mouth organs to change the key a half tone.

Old Church Pipe Organs. Have a variety of piano keyboards but have to be pumped by young boys or now by a motor air pump.

Glass harmonicas are a set of glass bowls of various sizes set onto a spindle which is driven by a motor. To play this instrument you start the spindle spinning, wet your fingers and touch the spinning bowl. You can replicate this with wine glasses with varying amount of water to get the pitch.

Example:



Now onto the Guitar range. There is the fretless bass, similar sound to the ‘violin’ type bass. Then there is the electric guitar with six or twelve strings. The acoustic guitar generally with nylon strings. However, the Ukulele has four strings, is the same shape but is never referred to as a Ukulele Guitar, (or the other way around.)

Now for the Keytar. Piano keyboard but played as guitar. So?



Violins, violas etc all have a sound box but are never referred to as a Guitar violin!

Mandolins also come under this category, so also do the Russian Balalaika. One would have to be very brave to refer to the Russian Balalaika as a “Guitar Balalaika”

The Hackbrett, Zither, and other stringed instruments too numerous to mention should all be given their correct respective name.

Hurdy Gurdy. Speaks for itself.



So, in summing up, please try to get things correct. I understand that from the keyboard you really get a “Pseudo Sax” or other but it is nice for us to refer to the correct instrument if possible.

Den
Keyboards: Yamaha Tyros 4, PSR SX700, PSR S970and StagePa300
I knit dolls and animal toys.
I always try to do things which I can't do in order to learn how to do them. ..
Werk maakt je vrij. Muziek maakt je blij. Work sets you free. Music makes you happy.
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dentyr
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