Drone

In music, a drone, to put it succinctly, is a sustained sound or chord that serves as a continuous harmonic background for an entire piece or section of a piece. It is frequently performed on a stringed instrument such as a guitar or sitar, or it is produced electronically.

What Exactly is a Drone in Music?

In music, a drone is a sustained note or chord that guides the listener through the melody and rhythm of a composition. This harmonic effect can be produced by a variety of instruments, such as the guitar or sitar, or by electronic means. It imparts a sense of depth to music, creating a sonic atmosphere and stability that serves as a foundation for the other elements of the composition.

From Indian classical music to folk styles, drones have been an integral component of musical traditions across cultures and continents. The term “burden” was once used to describe the repeated refrain of a song or the lowest course of an instrument such as a lute or a bagpipe’s drone pipe.

Drone as an Effect in Music

The drone is a fascinating sound in music that creates a base of sound on which the rest of the piece is built. This effect can be made with a long note or by playing the same pitch over and over. Drone sounds can be either instrumental or vocal, and they can be placed anywhere in the polyphonic texture, from the lowest register to the highest.

They are often put on the tonic or the dominant. This gives the piece more tonal emphasis and makes the melodic notes stand out more. The length and quality of a pedal tone or point are different from a drone. A pedal tone or point is a shorter form that may need to be resolved, while a drone is a longer, steady base.

Drone as Part(s) of Instrument(s): Musical Instruments that are Droning

The term “drone” can also refer to the part of a musical instrument that makes a sustained pitch, which is what makes a drone effect. Most of the time, this is done without the player being constantly aware of it. In Indian music, the sitar, sarod, sarangi, and rudra veena are all examples of instruments with a drone.

For example, the sitar has three or four drone strings that sound and are used to practice playing Indian notes (sargam). Bagpipes like the Great Highland Bagpipe and the Zampogna have a unique sound because they have several drone pipes. There may be one or more drone strings on the hurdy-gurdy as well.

In the case of a five-string banjo, the fifth string is a drone string with its own tuning peg that is located five frets below the first string. When played at the fifth fret, the drone string is typically tuned to the same note as the first string. Rarely is the drone string fretted. Through free resonance, the Slovenian drone zither’s bass strings also function as a drone. Additionally, the Welsh Crwth has two drone strings.

The Enchanting World of Drone in Music

Drones have been used in music since prehistoric times in Southwest Asia, and they have since spread to many regions of the world, including Europe and Africa. Instruments like the tanpura and others like the ektar and the dotara in India are used to create the drone sound.

Drone music is frequently played on the bagpipes, which can have up to three drones. American banjos with African influences frequently have a drone string. Drones have evolved into a distinctive element of avant-garde music in recent decades, including drone music.

Drones are frequently used in vocal music as well, especially in traditional cultures from Europe, Polynesia, and Melanesia. Drones are frequently used in vocal music in some regions of Asia, such as the Persian Gulf, some national minorities in South-West China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.

Western classical composers have used drones as a musical element for a variety of reasons, including to evoke a rural or antiquated atmosphere. The drone in these compositions typically takes the form of a sustained note on open fifths, evoking early or folk music. Examples include Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra, Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, Chopin’s Mazurkas, and Bartók’s arrangements of Hungarian and other folk music. These pieces demonstrate how the drone can be used to create an immersive setting and improve the mood of the piece.

The Prelude to Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” is one of the most well-known compositions utilizing a drone; low horns and bass instruments sustain an E-flat note throughout the entire piece, resulting in an entrancing and atmospheric soundscape.

Drones are also used in the opening of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which established the standard for similar gestures in Anton Bruckner’s works and demonstrates their enduring influence on classical compositions.

In recent years, the use of drones in musical compositions has grown in popularity. Many concert musicians now incorporate drones into their music, frequently using just or unbalanced tempered tunings. Drones are a common musical device used by chant-inspired composers like Arvo Pärt, Sofia Gubaidulina, and John Tavener.

Retuned guitar drones can be heard in some of Bob Dylan’s early songs, including “Masters of War” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Drones are also frequently used in the blues and blues-derived genres; Jerry Lee Lewis uses drones in his solos and fills. Drones weren’t common in rock and roll music at first, but The Beatles used them in a number of their well-known songs, including “Blackbird” and “Tomorrow Never Knows,” which helped them become more well-known. The final verses of “Yesterday” and “Eleanor Rigby” both feature the high drone effect. Everyone Loves the Sunshine by Roy Ayers features a high sustained synth string note that lasts the entire song. Drone use in musical compositions by U2 is well-known. A keyboard drone is used in the intro and throughout the song “In The Light” by Led Zeppelin.