Temple block (instrument)

Temple block (instrument)
Modern wooden temple blocks from industrial production with beater

The temple block is a percussion instrument originating in China, Japan and Korea where it is used in religious ceremonies.

It is a carved hollow wooden instrument with a large slit. In its traditional form, the wooden fish, the shape is somewhat bulbous; modern instruments are also used which are rectangular in shape. Several blocks of varying sizes are often used together to give a variety of pitches. In Western music, their use can be traced back to early jazz drummers, and they are not uncommon in modern orchestral music, where they are also called dragons' mouths.

Its sound is similar to that of the wood block, although temple blocks have a darker, more "hollow" timbre.

It can be clearly heard in Leroy Anderson's The Syncopated Clock and is also used in Olivier Messiaen's only symphony, Turangalîla, and his only opera, Saint-François d'Assise. Harrison Birtwistle calls for 4 temple blocks in his 2008 opera The Minotaur, Magnus Lindberg calls for 5 in Seht die Sonne and Pierre Boulez for one in Notations I-IV. Leonard Bernstein, George Benjamin and David Horne also used it in their compositions. Rush's songs Xanadu from their 1977 album A Farewell To Kings and The Trees from their 1978 album Hemispheres also use temple blocks - the blocks that Neil Peart is striking in these tracks can be heard very clearly.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • temple block — temple block, any one of various hollowed out wooden vessels of different sizes and pitches, used with a stick as a percussion instrument in Korean and Chinese ritual music and sometimes in modern bands and orchestras …   Useful english dictionary

  • Temple block — The temple block is a percussion instrument originating in China, Japan and Korea where it is used in religious ceremonies. It is a carved hollow wooden instrument with a large slit. In its traditional form, the wooden fish, the shape is somewhat …   Wikipedia

  • temple block — noun a percussion instrument consisting of a hollow block of wood which is struck with a stick …   English new terms dictionary

  • temple block — /ˈtɛmpəl blɒk/ (say tempuhl blok) noun a percussion instrument comprising a carved hollow wooden form split along its length, traditionally bulbous but now also rectangular, which is struck with a mallet; originating in China, Japan, and Korea… …  

  • chinese temple block — noun Usage: usually capitalized C : a hollow slotted wooden box stuck with a drumstick or hammer adapted by jazz bands from the wooden fish used by Buddhist priests called also clog box, tap box * * * Chinese temple block noun A percussion… …   Useful english dictionary

  • temple — 1. n. 1 a building devoted to the worship, or regarded as the dwelling place, of a god or gods or other objects of religious reverence. 2 hist. any of three successive religious buildings of the Jews in Jerusalem. 3 US a synagogue. 4 a place of… …   Useful english dictionary

  • TEMPLE — The article is arranged according to the following outline: first temple history structure the ground plan of the temple the detailed plan of the temple general description the porch THE MAIN ROOM (HEKHAL) OR HOLY PLACE …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Wood block — This article is about the musical instrument. See woodblock for other meanings of the term. Infobox Instrument name=Wood block names= classification= Hand percussion range= Single note . related= slit drum, temple blocks, Log drums, muyu, Jam… …   Wikipedia

  • percussion instrument — a musical instrument, as the drum, cymbal, triangle, xylophone, or piano, that is struck to produce a sound, as distinguished from string or wind instruments. [1870 75] * * * A musical instrument that is struck (or sometimes shaken or scraped) to …   Universalium

  • Bell (instrument) — See also: Tubular bell For the part of a wind instrument, see Wind instrument#Parts. Bell Parts of a typical bell: 1. yoke, 2. crown, 3. head, 4. shoulder, 5. waist …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”