MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - online book

The History And Development Of Musical Instruments From The Earliest Times.

	J6	MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
	playing the tibia, which is stated to have been disinterred in the year 1823 on the Via Appia. Here the holmos or mouth-piece, somewhat resembling the reed of our oboe, is distinctly shown. The finger-holes, probably four, are not indicated, although they undoubtedly existed on the in­strument. Furthermore, the Romans had two kinds of Pandean pipes, viz. the syrinx and the fistula. The bagpipe, tibia utricularis, is said to have been a favourite instrument of the emperor Nero. The cornu was a large horn of bronze, curved. The performer held it under his arm with the broad end upwards over his shoulder. It is repre­sented in the engrav_ ing, with the tuba and the lituits. The tuba was a straight trumpet. Both the cornu and the tuba were employed in war to convey signals. The same was the case with the buccina, — origin­ally perhaps a conch shell, and afterwards a simple horn of an ani-mal,—and the lituus, which was bent at the broad end but otherwise straight. The tympanum resembled the tambourine and was beaten like the latter with the hands. Amonc; the