How the rih makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the rih 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.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The rih (Ukrainian: ріг, "horn"; Russian: рожок) is an instrument that was popular in Eastern Ukraine and Russia, with between three and six fingerholes. Usually they were made from a cylindrical reed with a cow's horn to form the bell. The mouthpiece usually has a single reed although occasionally double reed instruments can be found.
Other flutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a rih 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 rih?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.211.2).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1727254 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Rih (instrument) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by art_traveller – CC BY-SA 2.0