bull-roarer in music meaning | TheMusicDictionary

Meaning of Bull-roarer in Music

A bull-roarer is a pseudomusical instrument or device that produces a howling or whirring sound when whirled through the air. It is commonly a flat, elongated piece of wood or other material that is attached to a string and swung around in a circular motion. The sound is created by the movement of the bull-roarer through the air, and it can vary depending on the size, shape, and material of the instrument.

The bull-roarer has been used in various cultures around the world for different purposes, including music, rituals, and ceremonies. For example, in Native South American cultures such as the Tupi, Kamayur, and Bororo, shamans used bull-roarers as musical instruments for rituals. In Australian Aboriginal culture, the bull-roarer is believed to have spiritual significance and is used in initiation ceremonies and other rituals The instrument has also been used in ancient Greek sacred ceremonies and by the Maori people of New Zealand for healing rituals and communication with other realms.

It's important to note that the bull-roarer is not considered a traditional musical instrument in the same way as instruments like the guitar or piano. Instead, it is often used for its unique sound and its role in cultural and spiritual practices.

References:

CLASSIFICATION: free aerophone

HISTORY: Ever since prehistoric times, the bull-roarer has been a symbol of fertility with evidence of them found in paleololithic sites. The sound of the bull-roarer is said to be the voice of an ancestor, a spirit, or a deity. This is very important as this plays a role in certain rites of passage in some areas of the world. It is still found in some areas of each continent and the Pacific. The bull-roarer is almost exclusively used in rituals with virtually no evidence that it has ever been used as part of a purely musical activity. The bull-roarer has been studied by ethnomusicologists and anthropologists, because of its ties to rituals and magic ceremonies. This instrument is also known by the names thunder stick or whizzer.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Made from slabs of wood, rhomboid in shape, and some times carved, the bull-roarer pierced with a small hole at one of the ends where a length of cord is attached. The performer holds this piece of chord in his/her hand and the wood is twirls the bull-roarer in the air.

SOUND PROPERTIES: The sound is produced by vibrations of the bull-roarer as it spins in the air. In some cultures the composition of the instrument can result in a sound similar to that of a bull, the howling of an animal or spirit, or thunder. Changes in the speed and angle to the ground can change the sonority so that the performer can produce the sounds of a whimper, scream, moan, or roar.

RANGE: There is no standard pitch range for the bull-roarer, as they are typically one of a kind instruments. However, changing the velocity of the spin of the bull-roarer and the size of the instrument effects the realative pitch. A smaller bull-roarer can be spun faster resulting in a higher pitch. A larger instrument, spinning at a slower speed, results in a lower pitch.