Castanets - is that? Features of Spanish dance with castanets

A simple percussion instrument that was invented in Spain 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.

History of the origin of castanets

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 two hollow 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.

How to play castanets

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 games:

1. The classic way of playing on castanets involves fastening the instrument to the thumb of the right hand, grabbing the shell with the remaining four fingers. The sound is extracted precisely thanks to the movement of the fingers.
2. The popular way helps to extract more loud sounds from castanets. The ribbons of the instrument are also attached to one or more fingers, but the game is played by the movement of the brush, not the fingers.

Spanish castanets are used in dance in two ways, 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 human intervention.

Features of national dance

Dance with castanets is difficult to confuse or not to recognize, 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 are fascinating, and confident, sharp incendiary movements hold the spectators' 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 room for outsiders. There is only she, music and a mad rhythm of castanets.

It's interesting to watch flamenco dancing by a woman, but the collective of several dancers causes rapture and awe. Their unusual appearance and coordination of movements in time with tapping castanets are fascinating. Today, other styles and movements from different dances are mixed with Spanish flamenco, but the distinctive national Spanish dance with castanets remains a unique spectacle that does not need improvements.

History of Spanish flamenco

Despite the fact that Spain is rich in musical instruments and varieties of dances, 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 charm of the dance was in a bright girl performing simple but incendiary and full of passion movements.

Some of the movements and dance traditions remained in flamenco from the movements of the 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.

Using castanets during a dance

Playing castanets during the dance requires attention and an 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 a whirlwind of their own movements with a simultaneous play on castanets.

The most skillful professional dancers use two types of castanets to accompany music and their own movements: large and small. As a rule, in his left hand lay a larger instrument, which 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 inexpressible impression, and skilful professional performance to this day fascinates everyone who manages to become a witness of the Spanish flamenco.