Triangle (musical instrument)

The triangle, or musical triangle, is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It belongs to the idiophone group in the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system. Triangles are made from different kinds of metals such as aluminum, beryllium copper, brass, bronze, iron, and steel.

The metal is shaped into a triangular shape with one open end. The triangle is usually held by a loop of thread or wire at the top curve. When you hit the triangle with a metal rod called a "beater", it makes a ringing sound. Because of its design, the triangle does not have a fixed pitch and creates many beautiful overtones when struck just right.

History

Iconography helps us learn about the history of the triangle. Some believe it may be related to an ancient Egyptian instrument called the sistrum, while others think it is just connected to it in some ways. The triangle has been used in religious settings, like in the Coptic Church in Egypt and the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala, India.

For a long time, people thought the first picture of a triangle was from a manuscript from the 9th century, but newer research disagrees. By the 14th century, triangles started appearing more in Western Christian art. Over the years, triangles have been shown in many different shapes and sizes. The word “triangle” was first written down in 1589 in a list of musical instruments in Germany.

In the 1700s, composers in Europe began using the triangle more often to copy the sounds of Turkish military bands. At first, they didn’t write down the triangle parts; they just played by ear. Later, composers used the triangle to create steady, marching rhythms. By the 1800s, composers liked the long, lasting sound of triangles without jingling rings, so they stopped using triangles with rings.

Shaping and manufacturing

The modern triangle is named after the triangle shape, but one angle is left open so the ends don’t touch. This open part helps the instrument create many rich sounds instead of one fixed note. It is usually hung from another corner using a piece of nylon fishing line, which lets it vibrate freely. Older triangles sometimes had decorative scroll patterns at the open end, but today they are usually made from steel or brass.

Technique

The triangle is sometimes made fun of because it looks simple to play, but it can actually be quite challenging! In classical music, playing the triangle can require skill and precision.

Usually, the triangle is hung from a clip so it can shake freely. When you hit it with a metal stick, it makes a high, ringing sound. For faster, more complex rhythms, some players use two clips and two sticks, but this can be harder to control. One way to make the triangle sound quieter is by using a lighter stick or even something like knitting needles. Sometimes composers ask for a wooden stick instead of a metal one, which gives the triangle a special tone. A triangle roll, which looks like three lines through the note’s stem, means the player must quickly move the stick back and forth between the triangle’s corners.

Musical styles

Classical music

In European classical music, the triangle has been used in the western classical orchestra since around the middle of the 18th century. Famous composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, and Ludwig van Beethoven all used it, though not very often, to copy the sound of Janissary bands. The earliest writing for the triangle is found in Cristoph Willibald Gluck's operas. The first piece to use the triangle prominently was Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E♭ major, where it is used as a solo instrument in the third movement. In Romantic era music, the triangle was used in some music by Richard Wagner. Johannes Brahms uses the triangle in his Fourth Symphony. Albert Lortzing used triangles in his opera to mimic the sound of hammers in a blacksmith's shop.

Folk and popular music

In folk music, forró, Cajun music, and rock music, a triangle is often held directly in the hand so that one side can be damped by the fingers to vary the tone. The sound can also be changed slightly by varying the area struck.

The triangle (known in Cajun French as a ‘tit-fer, from petit fer, "little iron") is popular in Cajun music where it serves as the strong beat, especially if no drums are present.

In the Brazilian music style Forró it is used together with the zabumba (a larger drum) and an accordion. It forms together with the zabumba the rhythmic section. It provides usually an ongoing pulse, damping the tone on the first second and fourth while opening the hand on the third beat to let most frequencies sound.

In Indonesian folk music such as Banyuwangi Gandrung music, triangle is used together with gamelan. It is locally called kluncing in Osing language.