A history of musical instruments

The origin of musical instruments goes back several thousand years in time. Although there are currently more than 300 instruments, many of them start from a few and are very old. Find out what the first musical instruments were and who invented them. Here we explain the history and origin of musical instruments.

Origin of musical instruments:

From the Upper Paleolithic, some signs prove the existence of the first musical instruments in history. Thus, a Magdalenian engraving of the cave of the Three Brothers represents a man carrying what appears to be a musical instrument in his mouth.

Moreover, excavations have discovered reindeer phalanges perforated with circular holes that may have been whistles, as well as a bird’s cube, with three perforations, that resembles a flute.

However, music historians believe that the origin of the art of music is even older, and that, very early, the man began to practice body and vocal rhythms to imitate the dances and songs of animals.

The oldest musical instrument ever found dates back to 3300 BC. It is an Egyptian tablet that can be seen representing a flutist playing this instrument.

Indeed, music played an important role in Ancient Egypt: the nobles entertained themselves by listening to “chamber music”, and the flutists marked the rhythm of the work in the fields. Also, the divine ritual is accompanied by instrumental music, as well as religious processions and funeral banquets.

The typical orchestra in the ancient Egyptian Empire is composed of a harpist, a flutist, and a clarinetist. The harp with six or seven strings is the oldest and most appreciated instrument. It then evolves into versions with twenty or more strings, often decorated with paintings and sculptures.

Music instruments in Egypt and Mesopotamia:

Wind instruments are made of reed or wood. In Ancient Egypt, the transverse flute, the oboe, and the clarinet, sometimes double, as well as the trumpet are known.

The rhythms are marked by round drums and tambourines, and also by finger snaps, wooden or ivory castanets, the noise of necklace beads, or even by a kind of rattles called sistrums.

In Mesopotamia, where divine origins are attributed to music, the existence of the first instruments has been proven from the 3rd millennium BC.

Archaeologists have discovered in the tombs of the mysterious necropolis of Ur, vestiges of stringed instruments in wood, gold, and silver, a double silver flute, and some copper cymbals.

It is also known, through the texts of various tablets, that instrumental music and singing were practiced by authentic orchestras during ritual and royal banquets and during the funeral and religious ceremonies.

Finally, in 1955, a tablet that seems to be a score was found in Assur, but contemporary attempts at transcription face enormous difficulties that cause multiple discussions.

In Greece, a musical theory is born

In Ancient Greece, musical instrumentation is also known from the earliest times. As testimony, we have the famous marbles of the Cyclades (2400-2200 BC), which show some harpists and flutists. Subsequently, the ancient Greeks used a wide variety of musical instruments.