| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 1,507,410,604 visitors served. |
|
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
cymbals |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.04 sec. |
|
cymbals (sĭm`bəlz), percussion instruments of ancient Asian origin. They consist of a pair of slightly concave metal plates which produce a vibrant sound of indeterminate pitch. Known in Europe since the Middle Ages, they were introduced into the European orchestra by Nikolaus Adam Strungk in 1680, but were generally used for exotic effects until the 19th cent. In the orchestra, cymbals have leather handles and are clashed by sweeping them past each other sideways or played by means of a foot pedal. A single cymbal may be struck by wooden or felt drumsticks. Small antique cymbals, used in orchestral scores by Debussy Debussy, Claude Achille (klôd äshēl` dəbüsē`) ..... Click the link for more information. , yield a more definite pitch. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| ? Mentioned in | ? References in classic literature | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The discordant tones of the voices and instruments drew nearer, and now droning songs mingled with the sound of the tambourines and cymbals. The players were not tin, being just ordinary Winkies; but the instruments they played upon were all tin--tin trumpets, tin fiddles, tin drums and cymbals and flutes and horns and all. It is so, for cymbals clash, and the Sultan goes by to his palace in long procession. |
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Browser extension |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|