Many of the instruments that are known and loved today can trace their history back to the Renaissance period in history. Several significant developments were directly related to the type of music being composed and enjoyed by the nobility and masses as well. The craftsmanship of such devices have served as the benchmark for fine quality musical instruments even in today's market.
* In the mid sixteenth century a significant development in the woodwind musical instrument class was the practice of drilling a second parallel bore to the single bore instruments and connect the two with a U-shaped curve at the lower end of the instrument. An example of the double bore woodwind is the dulcian. The instrument was popular by the mid 1600s in town bands. It also was used in church to enrich the bass line sounds and could be played in chamber music arrangements. The closest instrument to the dulcian today is probably the bassoon.
* The most versatile of the Renaissance musical instruments is believed to be the zink or cornett. The zink family includes several sizes so that there were soprano, alto and tenor voices used during the period of popularity. The tenor voiced member of the zink family is known as a the lizard. It consisted of a long tube in a flattened S shape with six fingering holes. This instrument requires very little air to play so was popular with every type of musical performance. The instrument did not survive the competition with the violin, in spite of its popularity and versatility.
* The three stringed rebec was one of several varieties of this instrument which seems to have been first played in the 9th century in Asia. It became popular during the Renaissance in Europe. It consists of a small pear shaped body carved from a single block of wood. There is no distinction between the body and the neck, so it is an attractive instrument to view. The typical voice was soprano and it is believed to have been somewhat strident or nasal. The closest sound in today's instruments is found in the country fiddling style.
* The first stringed instrument that used the keyboard concept is the hurdy-gurdy. Instead of the strings being bowed to produce the sound, a wheel is turned which produces the friction on the strings. Early hurdy-gurdys were large enough that one person was needed to turn the crank while the second played the notes. The instrument was popular for dance music after the 13th century. Forms of these instruments are seen today, but not usually in serious performances. The strings are difficult to keep in tune, especially when there are changes in temperature or humidity.
These musical instruments all exist as historical novelties today. Skilled musicians sometimes display their talents on these melodious creations or replicas during Renaissance fairs or similar celebrations. To develop skill in playing Renaissance musical instruments certainly puts the performer in a unique musical class--one that doesn't have a lot of competition to compare with.
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