A treshchotka ( rus, трещо́тка, p=trʲɪˈɕːɵtkə, singular; sometimes referred to in the plural, treshchotki, rus, трещо́тки, p=trʲɪˈɕːɵtkʲɪ) is a
Russian folk music idiophone
An idiophone is any musical instrument that creates sound primarily by the vibration of the instrument itself, without the use of air flow (as with aerophones), strings (chordophones), membranes (membranophones) or electricity ( electrophone ...
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
instrument which is used to imitate hand clapping. It consists of a set of small boards on a string that are clapped together as a group.
Name
The word is derived from the root ''tresk-'', meaning 'crackling' or 'rattle'. In Russian slang, sometimes describes a person who is excessively chatty and loud.
History
There are no known documents confirming the use of the treshchotka in ancient Russia. However, in 1992, an archeological dig in the city of
Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...
found two wooden boards, which, by the hypothesis of
Vladimir Ivanovich Povetkin, were parts of a 12th-century treshchotka.
The first published mention of the treshchotka was made by
Kliment Vasilievich Kvitka. The great Russian lexicographer
Vladimir Dal
Vladimir Ivanovich Dal (, ; 22 November 1801 – 4 October 1872) was a Russians, Russian Lexicography, lexicographer, Multilingualism, speaker of many languages, Turkology, Turkologist, and founding member of the Russian Geographical Society. Du ...
describes the treshchotka in his "
Explanatory Dictionary of the Live Great Russian language
The ''Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language'' (), commonly known as ''Dal's Explanatory Dictionary'' (), is a major explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. It contains about 220,000 words and 30,000 proverbs (3rd edi ...
" as a device made to produce crackling, thundering and racketing sounds.
In modern times, some villages in Russia are still playing and crafting treshchotkas.
Construction
The treshchotka is made of a set of 15 to 20 thin oak planks, which are about 16 to 18 centimeters (approximately 6-8 inches) long. The planks are tightly held by a rope that is threaded through a hole at the end of each board. To make sure that the boards are not pressed against each other, a small wooden spacer (2 cm
pproximately 1.5 inches is inserted between each board.
Technique
To play a treshchotka, the player holds it by the ends with both hands, generally level with the chest or head, and vary the motion between brusque and smooth to produce crackling and clicking sounds.
Superstitions
The treshchotka was used during peasant wedding ceremonies where instruments could have been decorated with ribbons, flowers and sometimes jingle bells. This use of the treshchotka may have performed not only a musical role but also served some mystical function, perhaps protecting newlyweds from evil spirits.
External links
Трещётки''(Russian)''
European percussion instruments
Idiophones
Culture of Russia
Handicrafts
Russian musical instruments
Russian inventions
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