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Trigonon

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Woman with psaltērion or trigonon in red-figure pottery from Apulia , ca. 320–310 BC C. Anzi (British Museum).

A trigonon (trígōnon, from Greek "τρίγωνον", "triangle") is a small triangular ancient Greek harp occasionally used by the ancient Greeks and probably derived from Assyria or Egypt. The trigonon is thought to be either a variety of the sambuca or identical with it.

A trigonon is represented on one of the Athenian red-figured vases from Cameiros in the island of Rhodes, dating from the 5th century BCE, which are preserved in the British Museum. The triangle is here an irregular one, consisting of a narrow base to which one end of the string was fixed, while the second side, forming a slightly obtuse angle with the base, consisted of a wide and slightly curved sound-board pierced with holes through which the other end of the strings passed, being either knotted or wound round pegs. The third side of the triangle was formed by the strings themselves, the front pillar, which in modern European harps plays such an important part, being always absent in these early Oriental instruments. A small harp of this kind having 20 strings was discovered at Thebes, Egypt in 1823.

  • Image with harp considered possible trigonon in the Grove New Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments. Image with harp considered possible trigonon in the Grove New Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments.
  • Varieties of the great lyre or phorminx; Number 2 is the trigonon. (1812). (center top) In the collection of the New York Public Library. Varieties of the great lyre or phorminx; Number 2 is the trigonon. (1812). (center top) In the collection of the New York Public Library.

Notes

  1. ^ Schlesinger 1911, p. 282.
  2. McKinnon, James W. (1984). "Trigōnon". In Sadie, Stanley (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. p. 626. Volume 3.

References

Greek musical instruments
Ancient
String
Pandura
Lyre
Barbiton
Chelys
Kithara
Phorminx
Harp
Wind
Aulos
Pan flute
Salpinx
Percussion
Cochilia
Crotalum
Water organ
Sistrum
Medieval
Byzantine lyra
Organon
Modern
String
Bowed
Cretan lyra
Pontic lyra
Politiki lyra
Macedonian lyra
Calabrian lira
Plucked
Bouzouki
Guitar
Laouto
Mandola
Mandolin
Oudola
Psaltery
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Thaboura
Struck
Santouri
Wind
Askomandoura
Gaida
Tsampouna
Floghera
Karamuza
Lalitsa
Mantura
Souravli
Percussion
Membranophones
Tambourine
Toubeleki
Tympano
Idiophones
Koudounia
Stamna
Trigono
Zilia
See also
Music of Greece
Greek folk music
Byzantine music
Nisiotika
Greek dances
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