Templeblock

Temple blocks, temple blocks also written in German, are simple, belonging to the genus of Aufschlagidiophone musical instruments that are traditionally, but now also made ​​of wood and more often made ​​of plastic.

In their region of origin, China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan Temple Blocks consist of a then often decorated with carvings piece of wood that initially pierced in the middle, then hollowed out from the inside and eventually provided with a lead-out slot so that the end results in a form vaguely reminiscent of a frog mouth, or two facing shells.

Temple Blocks are so like their closest relatives, the East Asian wooden fish and also originating from the Far East block of wood, slit drums.

When beating on the temple blocks form individual sounds that have a soft, nevertheless full sound while the traditional slotted on two sides wood block produces a sharper, brighter sound.

Temple Blocks are used since time immemorial in Buddhist ritual music, since the 20th century but also in the western classical music and jazz.

A modernized form of temple blocks are granite blocks and granite blocks, but these are made ​​contrary to its name not from stone but plastic and as such, for example, can be found in the rhythm sections of Guggemusik and street music ensembles.

Temple block and granite block are usually played in sets of five differently sized and therefore different highly -sounding instruments that you can attach to on a special tripod or over the shoulders hung support frame (see adjacent figure).

• Schlagidiophon