How the musical jug makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the musical jug belongs to the flutes (edge-blown): an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating – flutes, recorders, whistles and panpipes.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The jug used as a musical instrument is an empty jug (usually made of glass or stoneware) played with buzzed lips to produce a trombone-like tone. The characteristic sound of the jug is low and hoarse, below the higher pitch of the fiddle, harmonica, and the other instruments in the band.
Other flutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a musical jug sound like?
As one of the flutes, its sound comes from the way an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating.
What type of instrument is the musical jug?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.13).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1342193 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Jug (instrument) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Flickr user: Cindy Funk ( https://www.flickr.com/people/cindyfunk/ ) – CC BY 2.0