A monkey stick (also called a mendoza, mendozer, Murrumbidgee river rattler, lagerphone or zob stick)[1] is a traditional Englishpercussion instrument, used in folk music. The origins of the name are not known but it is believed[by whom?] to stem from an association with Roma, Spanish and Italianbuskers who were popular in London in the Victorian era. Alternatively, the name "Monkey Stick" could come from modern practice, in homage to the trained monkeys formerly used by buskers to solicit money from passersby.[citation needed] Some musicians have taken to fixing a small stuffed toy monkey to the tops of their instruments.
The instrument is constructed from a stout pole with metal "jingles" fastened at intervals along the shaft. These are commonly beer-bottle tops with a 1 inch washer in between the tops and the shaft to enhance the quality of the sound.[citation needed] Originally the end of the shaft is believed[by whom?] to have been covered with a rag to give some protection to the floor. A boot that might be attached to the base of the pole is a recent 'Zob Stick' addition.
When played on a wooden floor (common in ale-houses), the sound produced is a combination of a bass drum and tambourine. It can also be played with an additional small notched or serrated stick held in the other hand, allowing it to not only be shaken or hammered onto the ground, but also "bowed" to produce a combined clicking and rattling sound. Bands such as Groanbox, Zapoppin' and Dr. Busker have incorporated the monkey stick into their recordings and live shows.
In Australia, this instrument constructed with beer-bottle tops is known as a lagerphone.[1] The same name and construction is found in New Zealand. The town of Brooweena in Queensland, Australia claims to hold the unofficial record when 134 people simultaneously played the lagerphone in 2009.[2]
^ abThe Bushwackers Australian Song Book, new edition 1981, published by Anne O'Donovan Pty Ltd, ISBN0 908476 07 8 : Lagerphone or Murrumbidgee River Rattler. An upright pole with two crosspieces upon which are screwed beer bottle tops. The noise is made by hitting the instrument on the floor, at the same time striking the middle section with a solid piece of wood.
^"Unofficial lagerphone record set in Brooweena". ABC Wide Bay. Australian Brooadcasting Corporation. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
External links
Groanbox
(Web Site featuring Keef Trouble and the original 'Zob Stick'.)
[1] The Lagerphone Pages by Keith Sayers (Canberra February 2014)
January 07, 2023
monkey, stick, this, article, about, musical, instrument, other, uses, mendoza, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challeng. This article is about the musical instrument For other uses see Mendoza disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Monkey stick news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message A monkey stick also called a mendoza mendozer Murrumbidgee river rattler lagerphone or zob stick 1 is a traditional English percussion instrument used in folk music The origins of the name are not known but it is believed by whom to stem from an association with Roma Spanish and Italian buskers who were popular in London in the Victorian era Alternatively the name Monkey Stick could come from modern practice in homage to the trained monkeys formerly used by buskers to solicit money from passersby citation needed Some musicians have taken to fixing a small stuffed toy monkey to the tops of their instruments Monkey stickPercussion instrumentOther namesMendoza mendozer Murrumbidgee river rattler lagerphone zob stickClassificationPercussionHornbostel Sachs classification112 12 Frame rattles The instrument is constructed from a stout pole with metal jingles fastened at intervals along the shaft These are commonly beer bottle tops with a 1 inch washer in between the tops and the shaft to enhance the quality of the sound citation needed Originally the end of the shaft is believed by whom to have been covered with a rag to give some protection to the floor A boot that might be attached to the base of the pole is a recent Zob Stick addition When played on a wooden floor common in ale houses the sound produced is a combination of a bass drum and tambourine It can also be played with an additional small notched or serrated stick held in the other hand allowing it to not only be shaken or hammered onto the ground but also bowed to produce a combined clicking and rattling sound Bands such as Groanbox Zapoppin and Dr Busker have incorporated the monkey stick into their recordings and live shows Contents 1 Other names and versions 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksOther names and versions EditIn Australia this instrument constructed with beer bottle tops is known as a lagerphone 1 The same name and construction is found in New Zealand The town of Brooweena in Queensland Australia claims to hold the unofficial record when 134 people simultaneously played the lagerphone in 2009 2 In Newfoundland it is referred to as an ugly stick In the Dutch province of Friesland this type of instrument is known as a kuttepiel In the American upper Midwestern states of Minnesota and Wisconsin the closely related stumpf fiddle or pogocello originated in Czech communities and adds small cymbals strings and a drum A similar instrument the batih is found in Ukraine The zob stick variation of this instrument was constructed and named in 1968 by percussionist and songwriter Keef Trouble of the band Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts and Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs and included a sprung boot attached to the bottom of the pole and a metal sleeve round its centre to be hit with a serrated wooden stick It is now with the term Lagerphone the most commonly used name for this instrument citation needed The term zob was taken from the British naval slang term for penis Instrument labeled Jingling Johnny in England Lined with jingles made from beer caps Instrument labeled Jingling Johnny jingles made from beer caps and Northumbrian bagpipes at Haworth England 111 242 222 Turkish crescent or Jingling Johnny Ugly stick has beer caps like lagerphones Is played with drumstick like bumbass See also EditTurkish crescent Bush band Ugly stick BoombaReferences Edit a b The Bushwackers Australian Song Book new edition 1981 published by Anne O Donovan Pty Ltd ISBN 0 908476 07 8 Lagerphone or Murrumbidgee River Rattler An upright pole with two crosspieces upon which are screwed beer bottle tops The noise is made by hitting the instrument on the floor at the same time striking the middle section with a solid piece of wood Unofficial lagerphone record set in Brooweena ABC Wide Bay Australian Brooadcasting Corporation 9 June 2009 Retrieved 30 November 2009 External links EditGroanbox Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts Web Site featuring Keef Trouble and the original Zob Stick 1 The Lagerphone Pages by Keith Sayers Canberra February 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Monkey stick amp oldid 1112820735, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
