Elizabethan Instruments
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices.
--The Tempest (3.2)
There was no orchestra pit in the Elizabethan theatre. Musicians either appeared on stage as actors or were hidden in the back, side, or balcony. Musical ensembles were known as a consort, consisting of instruments all of the same type (usually members of the viol family of instruments). However, for Theatre music, the broken consort was preferred—an ensemble of mixed instruments. The typical instruments of a broken consort included lute, pandora or cittern (guitars), treble and bass viols, and flute/fife or recorder. Tragedies typically featured military instruments such as trumpet and drums. Below are descriptions of some of the most commonly featured instruments:
ViolA stringed instrument and ancestor of the violin, distinguished by its deeper ribs, flat back, sloping shoulders, and number of strings (usually six). Many viols were originally fretted, like guitars. VioloneA contrabass. The word “violincello” is a derivative of violone, meaning "little violin". |  |
CitternA guitar-like instrument with a flat sound box , strung with wire strings and plucked with a plectrum or a quill. |  |
LuteThe lute is distinguished from the guitar in that it has a curved body like a mandolin. PandoraA 3-stringed lute. |  |
FifeA type of flute; however, the player had to twist their head slightly around to get at the mouthpiece, which was held across the face of the player. Thus Shylock’s reference in Merchant of Venice to the “wry-necked fife” in Act 2:5. |  |
RecorderA straight flute, often made from wood. It is an ancient instrument, but was preferred in England to the modern German flute. |  |
VirginalOne of the most used instruments in the Elizabethan period was the Virginal; a tiny and primitive piano on which the strings were plucked by quills instead of being struck by hammers. The tone of the virginals was faint and more like a mandolin than a piano. Shakespeare's patron, Queen Elizabeth, loved the instrument and was reasonably proficient on it. The strings ran parallel with the front board and the “jacks” used for holding the quills ran diagonally across the sound board. |  |