Instruments: Difference between revisions

{{Catrel|Instruments}}

Fixed pitch instruments make it easier for musicians to play notes accurately and reliably, although they give access to a limited set of pitches. Many non-microtonal instruments can be played microtonally without any modification to the instrument by using extended techniques, such as microtonal fingerings on woodwinds. Non-microtonal instruments can also be modified, either temporarily or permanently; this includes notably nonstandard (open) tunings on string instruments and [[Guitar#Refretting|guitar refretting]]. Finally, new instruments can be created from scratch; many such custom-designed instruments can be found in the [[list of xenharmonic fixed pitch instruments]].

Continuous pitch instruments give access to a wider range of pitches, but often require more skill to be played accurately and reliably. The human voice falls in this category, along with other standard instruments such as [[bowed strings]] and [[trombone]]s. Some extended techniques allow for continuous pitch adjustments, even on fixed pitch instruments, such as [[Wikipedia:String bending|string bending]] on guitars and lip bending on wind instruments like [[trumpet]]s and saxophones. Several custom instruments also fall in this category, including the [[udderbot]] and the [[Infinitone]].

The following is a non-exhaustive list of instruments which can be used to play xenharmonic music. You can find additional information by following the links to each instrument's dedicated page.

** Others: banjo, bouzuki, mandolin, balalaika, sitar, [[Wikipedia:Moodswinger|moodswinger]], etc.

** Others: oud, harp, zither (including kantele), hammer dulcimer, [[Wikipedia:Đàn bầu|đàn bầu]], etc.

 

 

{{todo|inline=1|complete section|text=Add information about harpsichords, including microtonal harpsichords.}}

 

** [[Bowed strings|Viol family and other bowed fretted strings]] (viola da gamba, some types of violone, baryton, arpeggione, GuitarViol, fretted violin, etc.)

** [[Bowed strings|Violin family]] (violin, viola, cello, bass, some types of violone, etc.)

** Others: [[Wikipedia:Huqin|huqin]], etc.

 

* Others: tuba, digeridoo, alphorn, etc.

 

=== Woodwind instruments ===

* Reedless:

** Others: khaen, some very small organs, etc.

* Reed:

** Others: reed organ, regal, accordion, melodica, etc.

* Combination:

 

 

{{todo|inline=1|complete section|text=Add organ information page including microtonal organs.}}

 

=== Others ===

* [http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/oddmusic/message/17051 Balloon flute]{{dead link}}

 

== Percussion instruments ==

** Others: vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel, crotales, lithophone, etc.

* Tuned drums: timpani, rototoms, pat waing, etc.

** [http://www.ekmelic-music.org/en/instr/kk.htm Sound tower/sound cube]{{dead link}}

** Others: carillon, amglocken, handbells, etc.

* Lamellophones:

** [[Kalimba (mbira)]], marimbula

** Others: musical saw, wine glasses, nail violin, etc.

* Hammered dulcimers (including [[wikipedia:yangqin|yangqin]] and lavachord, the latter of which also belongs to keyboard instruments)

** Finger-hammered dulcimers: [[harpejji]].

* [[Keyboard]]s: piano, tangent piano (including [[fluid piano]]), organ (when equipped with percussion stops), clavichord (including the Clavinet and its derivatives).

 

 

{{todo|inline=1|complete section|text=Add clavichord information page including microtonal derivatives of the Clavinet.}}

 

* [[Software]], [[DAWs]], [[List of Microtonal Software Plugins|plugins]]

** Others: see [[Keyboard#List of generalized keyboards]]

** [[User:SAKryukov#Microtonal Fabric|“Microtonal Fabric” family]]

** ReTuner: [https://www.facebook.com/retuner on facebook], [https://encyclotronic.com/apps/microtonal/retuner-r24 on Encyclotronic]{{dead link}}

 

These instruments can play in any microtonal scale out-of-the-box, because 12edo is not a part of their manufacture:

 

* Fretless string instruments

** Violin, viola, cello, double bass (the string quartet is a whole tuning-agnostic ensemble)

* String instruments with one pitch per string

** Hammered dulcimer (when provided with on-the-fly adjustable tuning mechanism, such as fluid dulcimer or the more modern versions of [[Wikipedia:Yangqin|Yangqin]])

* Wind instruments with a slide or other continuous pitch control

 

 

* Hugh Davies/Alexander Bonus, [https://archive.org/details/grovedictionaryo0003unse_w4m2/page/459/ Microtonal instruments], The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Second Edition, 2014

 

[[Category:Instruments| ]] <!-- main article -->