Description
The triangle is a metal percussion instrument belonging to the idiophone class (self-sounding instruments). It consists of a triangular, curved metal rod, suspended from the top, and struck with a smaller metal rod. This is preferably done on the side opposite the opening for the finest sound. The triangle produces only three bell-like, yet penetrating notes and is used, among other things, in orchestras. Rolls are produced in one of the closed corners by quickly moving the rod back and forth. A triangle comes in various sizes: smaller ones sound higher than larger ones, although the exact pitch of a triangle (unlike that of a timpani) plays no role in music. The triangle reached Europe from Turkey in the seventeenth century and has been one of the most commonly used percussion instruments in symphony orchestras since the nineteenth century.
Listen to the Triangle.
