Temple block

Temple block

The temple block is a percussion instrument originating in China, Japan and Korea where it is used in religious ceremonies.

It is a carved hollow wooden instrument with a large slit. In its traditional form, the wooden fish, the shape is somewhat bulbous; modern instruments are also used which are rectangular in shape. Several blocks of varying sizes are often used together to give a variety of pitches. In western music, their use can be traced back to early jazz drummers, and they are not uncommon in modern orchestral music.

Its sound is similar to that of the wood block, although temple blocks have a darker, more "hollow" timbre.

It can be clearly heard in Leroy Anderson's "The Syncopated Clock" and is also used in Olivier Messiaen's only symphony, "Turangalila", and his only opera, "Saint-François d'Assise". Harrison Birtwistle calls for 4 temple blocks in his 2008 opera "The Minotaur" and Magnus Lindberg calls for 5 in "Seht die Sonne". Leonard Bernstein, George Benjamin and David Horne also used it in their compositions.


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  • temple block — tem·ple block loc.s.m.inv. ES ingl. {{wmetafile0}} TS mus. strumento a percussione di origine orientale, usato spec. nella musica jazz, formato da una serie di blocchi o cilindri di legno cavi con una fenditura longitudinale che vengono percossi… …   Dizionario italiano

  • Temple block (instrument) — Modern wooden temple blocks from industrial production with beater The temple block is a percussion instrument originating in China, Japan and Korea where it is used in religious ceremonies. It is a carved hollow wooden instrument with a large… …   Wikipedia

  • temple block — noun a percussion instrument consisting of a hollow block of wood which is struck with a stick …   English new terms dictionary

  • temple-block — англ. [тэ/мпл блок] темплблок (ударн. инструм.) …   Словарь иностранных музыкальных терминов

  • temple block — /ˈtɛmpəl blɒk/ (say tempuhl blok) noun a percussion instrument comprising a carved hollow wooden form split along its length, traditionally bulbous but now also rectangular, which is struck with a mallet; originating in China, Japan, and Korea… …  

  • chinese temple block — noun Usage: usually capitalized C : a hollow slotted wooden box stuck with a drumstick or hammer adapted by jazz bands from the wooden fish used by Buddhist priests called also clog box, tap box * * * Chinese temple block noun A percussion… …   Useful english dictionary

  • temple — 1. n. 1 a building devoted to the worship, or regarded as the dwelling place, of a god or gods or other objects of religious reverence. 2 hist. any of three successive religious buildings of the Jews in Jerusalem. 3 US a synagogue. 4 a place of… …   Useful english dictionary

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