A simple percussion instrument that was invented inSpain and used during the performance of Spanish dances, is castanets. They not only set the rhythm of movements and add a dance of special color. Castanets are an invariable attribute of national dances, which are popular today not only in the country where they were born, but also in Italy and many Latin American countries.
Castanets are two wooden shells,connected by a rope, which is put on the thumb of the hand. The musical instrument received its name from the Spanish word castañetas, which means "chestnut". Initially castanets were made only from chestnut wood, then other kinds of trees were used - walnut, rosewood, grenadillo. To date, castanets are often made of fiberglass.
The sound from castanets is extracted thanks to twohollow halves, so they belong to idiophonic musical instruments. Castanets are one of the oldest instruments, as their image is found on the frescoes of Ancient Greece and Egypt. According to another version, the musical instrument was brought from the travels of Christopher Columbus after the discovery of the New World. Therefore it is difficult to accurately name the true motherland of the instrument, but it is the Spanish dance with castanets - flamenco - known throughout the world.
The ancient history of castanets and centuries-old use changed little the principle of playing on this instrument. Like many centuries ago, so today there are two types of game:
Spanish castanets are used in dances by twoways, even today there is no explicit preference for this or that method. Since the beginning of the 17th century castanets have been used for ballet performances and for accompanying the playing of orchestras. Modern orchestras use special castanets, which help to extract a characteristic sound without the participation of a person.
Dance with castanets is difficult to confuse or notlearn, even the first steps and sounds of music conjure up the national flavor of Spain. As a rule, women dance flamenco. Their red-and-black outfits fascinate, and confident clear incendiary movements attract viewers' eyes. A bright scarlet flower in black hair, a mischievous look of the dancer and dance movements seem to create a separate world in which there is no place for outsiders. There is only she, music and a mad rhythm of castanets.
It's interesting to watch when flamenco dances alonewoman, but the collective of several dancers causes delight and awe. Their unusual appearance and coordination of movements in time with tapping castanets are fascinating. Today, Spanish flamenco is mixed with other styles and movements from different dances, but the distinctive national Spanish dance with castanets remains a unique spectacle that does not need improvements.
Despite the fact that Spain is rich in musicinstruments and varieties of dancing, it is flamenco that is considered to be the national symbol of this country. Castanets are an invariable attribute of such dances, in addition to which only guitar sounds were played. These two musical instruments were enough, because all the beauty and beauty of the dance was in a bright girl performing simple but incendiary and full of passion movements.
Some of the movements and dance traditions remainedflamenco from the movements of Iberians - the inhabitants who inhabited the territory of modern Spain before our era. But only in the 15th century the national dances became unified, acquired recognizable features and similar movements. This is due to the settling of Roma on these lands, with their color and vivid traditions. They arranged festivals and festivals, which brightened up the difficult working life of the Spaniards.
Playing the castanets during the dance requiresattention and inner sense of rhythm. Therefore, this combination is considered a complex performance, which was able to do not all Spanish girls. Only real masters skillfully combined passion and whirlwind of their own movements with a simultaneous play on castanets.
The most skillful professional dancers foraccompaniment of music and their own movements use two types of castanets: large and small. As a rule, in his left hand lay a larger instrument that allowed to extract a lower sound. In the right hand lay castanets of smaller size, the rhythm of which was faster, and the sound - higher. This combination creates an indescribable impression, and skilful professional performance to this day fascinates everyone who manages to become a witness of the Spanish flamenco.
