History of German Music
German music is known for having a very long tradition. It has many regional variations but most of us are familiar with the rhythm from Oktoberfest. It is a very cheerful and fun music. There are many bands that keep the traditions of the folk music and they are very popular in Germany.
Being a very complex music style, it naturally has a great number of instruments involved. We see many folk band that like to use part of them in order to achieve the perfect sound. We have listed some of the most common German musical instruments in order to better understand this amazing music genre.
The Different Instruments
Accordion is perhaps one of the best known instrument used in German music. Its rhythm can be heard in almost every folk song. The instrument has buttons on both sides and there are many variations, depending on the region and manufacturer. The sound is made by moving the sides of the accordion together and apart while pushing the buttons on the lateral. Different types of accordions produce different sound, so the regional variation can also be heard in the songs. The instrument comes with straps that are attached to the musician in order to be more comfortable to play.
Zither is a tabletop instrument that requires a lot of coordination from the player. It is composed of five strings that are mainly controlled with the left hand. The right hand is used to put pressure on the ends of the strings in order to produce different sounds. The pace of playing this instrument is usually very fast and the professional zither players are very well-paid because of the difficulty of this instrument. It can produce a very wide range of sound and the notes of the zither can be heard in many traditional German songs.
The Classic Instruments
The classic guitar is another popular instrument used in German music. It is generally made from wood and has a variable number of strings that can be made from steel or synthetic material. It is used in many folk songs as the main instrument and it is generally found as secondary instrument in traditional music. There are also many variations in how to use this instrument. There are many folk players that developed their own technique that brought them popularity. It is a very fun and rather easy to learn instrument.
The bock is found in some regions of Germany. It is the brother of the Scottish bagpipe. It has a variable number of pipes and it is used in many traditional songs. The design of the instrument has many regional variations. It is gaining increasing popularity and it is widely used at folk music festivals.
The German horn is specific to this area. It is a blowing instrument that has a very characteristic sound. The deep bass notes produced by this horn are perfect for some folk styles found in Germany. The outer design can vary, and the musicians have full liberty to decorate them as they please.
