Musical instruments

Some musical instruments appear very often in symbolic imagery. Typically they are the instruments with the most ancient lineage, namely pipes and horns, lyres, and drums. Among contemporary European instruments, the violin and the piano keyboard have had considerable symbolic employment. Pneumatic instruments such as the organ and the bagipes appear symbolically. Tambourines also appear and even more humble instruments such as castanets, whistles and chimes. Through shape and materials employed (e.g. drums and drumskins) many instruments become symbolic. The symbolic musical instrument presented most often is possibly the bell.

Musical instruments, as music itself, have a close connection with changes of state or condition. The horns ae representative of the functions of announcement, and sometimes of imperative calls to change, such as to advance or retire. The drums signify a point of charge or a climax, lyres, harps, lutes and similar plucked instruments symbolize harmony, concord, peace and repose. A church organ and its pipes represent spiritual fellowship and heaven. A tolling church bell symbolizes death. A ringing hand-bell signifies sudden good fortune or someone coming. A peal of bells or carillon signifies good news of great proportions. The qualities of tone or tones that an instrument makes is an integral part usually of its symbolism. The birdsong quality of the reed pipe and the thunderous boom of the kettle drum are responsible, for example, for considerable musical symbolism.