The bones are a musical instrument (more specifically, a folk instrument) which, at the simplest, consists of a pair of animal bones, or pieces of wood or a similar material. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Bones are rigid organs that form part of the Endoskeleton of Vertebrates They function to move support and protect the various organs of the body produce Sections of large rib bones and lower leg bones are the most commonly used true bones, although wooden sticks shaped like the earlier true bones are now more often used. In Vertebrate Anatomy, ribs ( Latin costae) are the long curved Bones which form the ribcage. If metal spoons are used instead, as is common in the United States, this is called "playing the spoons. A spoon is a Utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl at the end of a handle used primarily for serving and eating Liquid, or semi-liquid foods and solid foods The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Spoons can be played as a makeshift Percussion instrument, or more specifically an Idiophone related to the Castanets. " The technique arrived in the U. S. via Irish immigrants, but has a history stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate
They have contributed to many music genres, including 19th century minstrel shows, traditional Irish music, the blues, bluegrass, zydeco, French-Canadian music, and music from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits variety acts dancing, and Music, Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of Country music. Zydeco ( French "les haricots" English "snap beans" is a form of American roots or folk music, that evolved from The jure during French settlers brought music with them when inhabiting what is now Quebec and other areas throughout Canada Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's The clacking of the loose rib bones produces a much sharper sound than the zydeco washboard or frottoir, which mimicks rattling a bone up and down a fixed ribcage. A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century the washboard has become better known
They are about 5" to 7" in length and curved, roughly resembling miniature barrel staves. They are played by holding them between one's fingers, convex surfaces facing one another, and moving one's wrist in such a way that they knock against each other. The customary method involves placing the bones to either side of the middle finger such that approximately two-thirds of their length extends along the palm while the remainder protrudes above the fingers on the backside of the hand. The middle finger (or the long finger) is the third digit of the human Hand and usually the longest Finger, located between the Index finger The hand is held in a loose fist with the bones and the curled fingers roughly parallel to the palm. Usually, the bone closest to the ring finger is gently held against the palm by the tip of the ring finger placed on its edge, while the other bone is left free to move in the "hinge" formed by the index and middle fingers as they gently hold it. The ring finger is the fourth digit of the human Hand, and the second most Ulnar Finger, located between the Middle finger and the The second Digit of a human Hand is also referred to as the index finger, pointer finger, forefinger, trigger finger, digitus
A player may use a pair of bones in each hand, or just a single pair in one hand.
A critical element to playing the bones is not trying to force them to make contact with one another through finger manipulation but allowing their momentum to do the work. By moving the hand back and forth across the chest, with just enough force on the bones to keep them from falling out of the hand, a patient learner can produce a triple click. This "click-it-y" sound is the essential ingredient to playing the bones. A double-click can be produced by the same movement of the hand with the addition of a bit of pressure to the bones to suppress the third click. Once these elemental triple and double figures have been mastered, they can be combined to create complex combinations of rhythmic sounds. The effect is further enhanced by the use of two pairs of bones, one in each hand. A skilled practitioner can produce a wide variety of percussive sounds reminiscent of those made by a tap dancer. Tap dance was developed in the United States during the nineteenth century and is popular nowadays in many parts of the world
External links
- Bone Dry Musical Instrument Co.
- The Bones by Stephen Brown at Drum Dojo. Accessed May 31, 2007.
- Mr. Bones: How To Play Dem Bones link to video on bone playing. Accessed May 31, 2007.
- Modern Bones Players]. Accessed May 31, 2007.
- John Burrill and the History of the Bones by Alan Lewis, July 4, 2002. Accessed May 31, 2007.
- Bones and the Man: Toward a History of Bones Playing Robert E McDowell (1982) The Journal of American Culture 5:1, (Spring 1982) pp. 38–43.
- Bones as heard in the epic film TITANIC by Aaron Plunkett
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