Dord (musical instrument)
Encyclopedia
The dord is a bronze horn native to Ireland
, with excavated examples dating back as far as 1000 BC, during the Bronze Age
. 104 original dords are known to exist, although replicas have been built since the late 20th century.
Though the musical tradition of the dord has been lost, modern performers such as Rolf Harris
and Alan Dargin
believe it was played in a manner similar to the didgeridoo
and apply that technique (including circular breathing
and shifts in timbre
) accordingly for modern fusion music. The Irish musician Simon O'Dwyer recreates historically accurate dords.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, with excavated examples dating back as far as 1000 BC, during the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. 104 original dords are known to exist, although replicas have been built since the late 20th century.
Though the musical tradition of the dord has been lost, modern performers such as Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
and Alan Dargin
Alan Dargin
Alan Dargin was a didgeridoo player from Wee Waa, New South Wales, Australia. He started learning the instrument at age five, being taught by his grandfather...
believe it was played in a manner similar to the didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
and apply that technique (including circular breathing
Circular breathing
Circular breathing is a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption. This is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks.It is used extensively in playing...
and shifts in timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
) accordingly for modern fusion music. The Irish musician Simon O'Dwyer recreates historically accurate dords.