Triangle
Introduction
The triangle is a small round rod, usually made of steel, bent into a triangular shape with a gap at one corner. It has a bright, un-pitched sound. Triangles are available in various sizes, between four and ten inches, as measured along one of the three sides. The most common sizes for concert playing are between four and six inches. In additional to steel, brass and other metals are also available.
How To Play
The triangle is usually suspended from a string, which is held in one hand, and it is then struck with a metal beater held in the other. There are two schools of thought on where the triangle should be struck. The first says that it should be played just slightly further down than the apex, on the outside. The second suggests that it should be played along the bottom, horizontal bar, with each stroke slightly pushing the triangle away. This second method is said to produce the most overtones.
The triangle needs to be suspended so that it vibrates freely, allowing the maximum clarity of sound to be produced. For simple passages, string can be used and held in the hand. It is sometimes necessary to have the triangle mounted on a stand so it can be accessed quickly, this can be done by attaching the string to a bulldog clip and clipping it to a music stand. Purists would argue that the triangle should never be played whilst attached to a stand, but sometimes practical considerations win through.
Some people would also argue that string should never be used for suspending a triangle, and that fishing line should be used instead. This has less contact with the triangle itself, and thus allows the triangle to resonate more.
For more complex passages, where two beaters are required to be used, the triangle cannot be held in one hand. If it is left clipped to a music stand, then it will likely move around as it is being played, and be impossible to keep hitting. In this situation it is necessary to suspend the triangle from two points, effectively upside down, with the gap pointing towards the floor. This can be mounted on a music stand using two bulldog clips, but the bottom shelf of the stand may get in the way of hitting the triangle. A stand can be fashioned from cymbal boom arms to avoid this. See the pictures elsewhere on this page.
Dynamics
For loud triangle playing, choose a heavy beater and a large triangle. It is very difficult to play a triangle quietly, as there is a tendancy to try and hit it softly. In doing so, you will often find that you don't push the stick far enough, and so fail to hit the triangle at all! For a more reliable quiet triangle, choose a lighter beater. It may be necessary to obtain some 2mm diameter silver steel, and fashion your own beaters for very quiet playing.
Rolls
Triangle rolls are played by moving the beater back and forth quickly in the inside of one corner of the triangle, therefore hitting both sides in turn as fast as possible.
Beaters
Various different types of triangle beater are available. Standard ones that come with a basic triangle are often no more than chrome coloured six inch nails. Professional triangle beaters, such as those offered by Chalklin, come in two different types. One is similar to a nail, in that it is simply a rod of metal with some rubber on one end to hold it by. The other has a thinner shaft, and a bullrush shaped tip. Both kinds are available in various different weights and diameters.
Pictures
| Two triangles attached to a music stand. The left hand triangle is three inches and the right hand triangle is six inches. These triangles are suspended using a simple bulldog clip and string. |  |
| Various triangle beaters available from Chalklin. The beaters on the left have a thick end for playing with, those on the right are "nail" style. |  |
| A complex triangle stand, made from a boom arm cymbal stand with an additional boom arm attached. The triangle is suspended from string at two points, attached to the cymbal tilters. This was required for playing fast passages with two beaters. |  |
History
The triangle has been used in Europe since the 14th century. Early triangles were stirrup or trapezoid shaped, and the actual name triangle was not recorded until 1589. Jingling rings were often attached until c.1800. Turkish military music made use of the triangle during the 18th century, and this led to the triangle first joining the orchestra in the late 1700s. Franz Liszt included a triangle solo in his first piano concerto, which was written in 1849.
References
http://www.mathcs.duq.edu/~iben/auxil.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/instruments/percussion.htm
http://www.pas.org/Publications/FUN/files/GroverPercPrimer.pdf
http://www.texasbandmasters.org/pdfs/Triangles.pdf
http://www.heritageethnicmusic.com/site/607029/page/276847
Author
Tim Sawyer, February 2005