Musical instruments

The Harp No Longer Sings by Jenny Dolfen — *The Harp No Longer Sings* by Jenny Dolfen

Musical instruments of different types appear in the legendarium.

By race

Valarin

Among the Ainur, reference is made to the trumpets of Manwë; Ulmo is said to have made music upon his great horns of white shell, the Ulumúri; whereas Oromë used his Valaróma while hunting.

Elven

There and Back Again speaks about "elven-harps", and the harp is indeed frequently associated with the Elves. Among the elven peoples known to have performed the harp are the Elves of Mirkwood, the Galadhrim, the Vanyar, and possibly the Nandor and Avari. When Elrond took the White Ship to Valinor after the War of the Ring, he is said to have brought "a silver harp". Other instruments known to have been used by Elves include the flute, and trumpets (although mostly spoken of being used in battle).

Searching for Maedhros in the Iron Mountains, Fingon took out "his harp and played a fair song of Valinor". In order to befriend the people of Bëor, Finrod Felagund is said to have entered their camp and taken "a rude harp which Bëor had laid aside, and he played music upon it such as mortal ear had never heard".

In the The Book of Lost Tales: Part One, the Noldoli were said to make "much music for the multitude of their harps and viols was very sweet". During the Years of Double Mirth festival, the Teleri (Vanyar) played "congregated harps", the Nodoli on "their viols and instruments", and the Solosimpi (Teleri) on pipes.

Mannish

The Rohirrim are said to have played the harp.

When the people of Minas Tirith prepared for the arrival of the victorious Army of the West, there came "the harpers that harped most skilfully in all the land" from Dol Amroth, and "there were players upon viols and upon flutes and upon horns of silver". As Aragorn passed the streets of Minas Tirith during his coronation, the Gondorians played "music of harp and of viol and of flute".

The Númenóreans had trumpets, although it is unknown if they were used for musical purposes.

Ælfwine is said to have played the harp.

Hobbitish

At Bilbo's Farewell Party, hobbits were heard playing "'trumpets and horns, pipes and flutes, and other musical instruments". Among these other instruments were "musical crackers" (which "contained instruments, small, but of perfect make and enchanting tones") and bells.

Dwarven

Among the Dwarves, several types of instruments are recorded in the stories from Middle-earth. Thorin and Company played the following instruments at the unexpected party at Bag End:

fiddle (played by Kíli and Fíli)
flute (played by Dori, Nori, and Ori)
drum (played by Bombur)
clarinet (played by Bifur and Bofur)
viol (played by Dwalin and Balin)
a golden harp (played by Thorin)

Apparently, other members in Thorin's Company also played the harp, since it is written that the dwarves produced "music of harps and of fiddles" when visiting Lake-town. In Smaug's treasure, Fíli and Kíli found "many golden harps strung with silver": these were magical (and apparently made by Dwarves), always staying in tune. The Dwarves of Khazad-dûm were also known to have played the harp and had trumpets.

Other versions of the legendarium

In Gnomish, the word for "music" is gling, and "musical" is glingrin. Other words in Gnomish related to musical instruments are:

thibin ("a flute"), thimpa- ("to play a flute or whistle"), thibindon ("flute-playing").
tifin ("a small flute").
lintha- ("sound strike or ring bell, etc. play an instrument"), linthanin ("playing or music of instruments").
ross ("pipe. especially musical") rogli, rothli ("little pipe. especially musical").

In the The Etymologies, the roots NGAN-, NGÁNAD- signify "play (on stringed instrument)". From these derive:

Qenya nande "a harp"; nandelle "little harp"; nandele "harping"; nanda- "to harp"; nandaro "harper"
Noldorin gandel, gannel "a harp"; gannado or ganno "play a harp"

Other words related to music appearing The Etymologies include Qenya words tyalangan ("harp-player") and lindele ("music").

Portrayal in adaptations