Guitar
	Another Instrument

The guitar is a stringed instrument related to the lute, which was a fretted stringed instrument popular from the fifteenth through the seventeenth century.  The lute was used as both a solo instrument as well as an accompaniment to singers, much as the guitar is today.  The Moors originally brought the guitar to Spain in the thirteenth century, and its development in that country eventually lofted it to status as the national instrument.  In the sixteenth century, it was a five-stringed instrument, while today it is a six-stringed instrument, although there are also twelve-stringed versions.  The guitar today is used in countless settings, such as classical music, as well as an accompaniment instrument in folk songs, Irish tunes, and as a featured instrument in American bluegrass music.

	Mandolin
	Another Instrument

The mandolin first appeared in Italy at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and like the guitar, was derived from the lute.  The mandolin has four pairs of strings which are tuned the same as the violin or fiddle.  The original instrument had a gourd-like pear-shaped body, and were used in classical compositions by such composers as Beethoven and Mozart.  By the twentieth century, mandolins were being used in folk music, and eventually became one of the core bluegrass instruments.  Modern mandolins have a flat body like a guitar.  Interestingly, the mandolin family includes four different sizes, corresponding to the four different sizes of instruments in the violin family.  They are even played together in mandolin orchestras.

	Banjo
	Another Instrument

The origin of the banjo is somewhat obscure, but it apparently derived from West African instruments, which probably descended from an Arabian instrument known as the rebec, which was composed of a hollowed gourd covered by animal skin, and a neck with three strings.  African slaves brought the instrument to the United States, and by the end of the eighteenth century, the "banjar" was an instrument with four strings.  The four-string banjo is still used today in Dixieland music and as accompaniment in Irish tunes.  In 1831, an American by the name of Joel Walker Sweeney added a fifth string, and the five-string banjo became an important part of American bluegrass music in the 1930s.  Today, to the chagrin of many four-string players, the five-string banjo has found a place in Irish music.

	Fiddle
	Another Instrument

The fiddle is the exact same instrument as a violin, but it is called a fiddle when played in certain types of music, such as Irish jigs and reels, and American bluegrass.  The violin is descended from the viol family, and first appeared in the seventeenth century.  It was developed and perfected in Italy, and soon became an orchestral solo instrument.  Because of its range and ability to project its sound, it also became popular as a lead instrument in folk and dance tunes in Ireland.  When the Irish came to America, they brought the instrument with them, and it soon became an important part of American folk music.  When bluegrass developed in the mid-twentieth century, the fiddle was one of the principal instruments.

PHOTO

UNAVAILABLE

PHOTO

UNAVAILABLE

	Bodhrán
	Another Instrument

The bodhrán, pronounced " 'bow-run, " is a drum made by stretching lamb skin over a round wooden frame.  It is typically eighteen inches in diameter, and may be played with either the hand or a two-ended wooden beater.  The pitch is changed by beating on different areas of the head, while the other hand changes the tension of the head by various hand placements.  The bodhán is used to keep time in Irish and Celtic dance music.

	Tin Whistle
	Another Instrument

The tin whistle is descended from perhaps the oldest type of musical instrument:  a hollowed reed with finger holes used to change the pitch.  A typical tin whistle has six finger holes and can play several octaves when the player alters the force with which he blows.  The tin whistle is generally used as a melody instrument, and can be heard playing the lead on jigs and reels.

	Irish Harp
	Another Instrument

There are three different styles of Irish harp:  bow (arched), angle, and the frame harp, which is pictured at left.  All harps consist of a neck, from which the strings originate, and a sound box, which amplifies the sound caused by vibrations of the strings.  Additionally, there are levers, called digitals, which are used to alter the pitch of the strings, allowing the harpist to play in different keys.

	Piano Accordion
	Another Instrument

The piano accordion is an instrument with a piano-style keyboard for the right hand, and bass note buttons on the left hand.  Sound is made by expanding and contracting the entire body of the instrument, which acts as a bellows.  The air is forced past different reeds as the keys are depressed, creating different notes.  The piano accordion is traditionally used in German polka bands, but has found its way into many other types of music, such as traditional Irish dance tunes.

	Button Accordion
	Another Instrument

Much like the piano accordion, the button accordion is played with a bellows action and air is forced past various reeds.  Unlike the piano accordion, however, the button accordion's keyboard consists of buttons rather than piano-style keys, hence its name.  It has been used for many years to play traditional Irish dance tunes.

	Concertina
	Another Instrument

The concertina is much smaller than the other accordion types, but also consists of a bellows body and various reeds.  The notes are played by depressing small buttons with alternating hands.  The concertina, alternatively known as a "squeezebox," is used to play traditional Irish dance tunes.

PHOTO

UNAVAILABLE

	Scottish Highland Bagpipes
	Another Instrument

The origin of the bagpipes dates back to the Roman Empire and western Asia in the first century, when they were shepherd's instruments with single-reed cane pipes, usually paired with one pipe for the melody and the other as a constant background pitch (drone).  As the pipes migrated westward through Europe, various changes were made.  Drones were added and the single reed was replaced with a double reed.  Bagpipes closely resembling today's Scottish Highland bagpipes first appeared at the beginning of the fifteenth century.  Today, these pipes are composed of a mouthpiece to keep the bag inflated, with pressure sustained by pressing the bag between the arm and the side of the body, a chanter with finger holes and a double reed, and three drone pipes which give the constant background sound.

	Uillean Pipes
	Another Instrument

The uillean pipes are also known as the Irish union pipes.  Derived from the Scottish Highland bagpipes, they are generally smaller in size.  The most significant difference is the way in which the constant flow of air is maintained through the pipes.  Instead of a mouthpiece into which a player must blow, the uillean pipes utilize a unique pump, controlled by the elbow moving inward and outward from the side of the player.  This action allows the player to play the pipes without involved his own lungs in any way.

PHOTO

UNAVAILABLE

The bass is usually constructed using the first four string of the guitar, and as such, might be considered a descendent of the guitar.  However, the guitar's strings are more likely based on the bass, since the electric bass and bass guitar we see in bands today is tuned exactly the same as the bass violin seen in symphony orchestras.  Either way, it is a low-sounding instrument, and usually played in a regular but rhythmic fashion for the purpose of keeping time.  In music such as rock, folk, jazz and bluegrass, it is considered one of the two primary rhythm instruments, together with percussion.