Music & Musical Instruments

Jesse Fuller's Silvertone Guitar

The Museum's music collections contain more than 5,000 instruments of American and European heritage. These include a quartet of 18th-century Stradivari stringed instruments, Tito Puente's autographed timbales, and the Yellow Cloud guitar that belonged to Prince, to name only a few. Music collections also include jukeboxes and synthesizers, square-dancing outfits and sheet music, archival materials, oral histories, and recordings of performances at the museum. The vast Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated Sheet Music is a remarkable window into the American past in words, music, and visual imagery. The Duke Ellington and Ruth Ellington Boatwright collections contain handwritten music compositions, sound recordings, business records, and other materials documenting the career of this renowned musician. In various ways, our collections find expression in performances of the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and in other public programs.

Date: 2000s

MC Lyte is Lytro Da Undaground Heat, Vol. 1

MC Lyte. MC Lyte is Lytro da Undaground Heat, Vol. 1.(BMG ‎– 80119-01094-2). CDCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
MC Lyte. MC Lyte is Lytro da Undaground Heat, Vol. 1.
(BMG ‎– 80119-01094-2). CD
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2003
maker
Lyte, MC
ID Number
2006.0057.03
accession number
2006.0057

Jimmy Martin

Jimmy Martin (James Henry Martin, 1927-2005) has been described as "the king" of the bluegrass lead singers. Early in his career, Martin played and wrote with Bill Monroe, and worked briefly with the Osborne Brothers.
Description
Jimmy Martin (James Henry Martin, 1927-2005) has been described as "the king" of the bluegrass lead singers. Early in his career, Martin played and wrote with Bill Monroe, and worked briefly with the Osborne Brothers. In 1955 he began to lead his own group, the Sunny Mountain Boys.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Martin, Jimmy
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.012
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.012

Güiro

A traditional instrument of the Taínos, the unusual güiro is made from the seed pod of the native flamboyán, also know as the flame tree.
Description
A traditional instrument of the Taínos, the unusual güiro is made from the seed pod of the native flamboyán, also know as the flame tree. It is played by scraping the carved ridges with the tines of a special pick or scraper.
Description (Spanish)
Instrumento tradicional de los Taínos, habitantes originales de Puerto Rico. El güiro se hace con el fruto del higüero, Crescentia cujete, que es un árbol nativo de la región. Se ejecuta pasando un puyero o raspador contra las ranuras talladas en el frente.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1074
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1074

Frottoir

This rubboard or vest frottoir was made by Tee Don Landry in Duson, Louisiana, in 2001. It is made of corrugated stainless steel, serial #123. The vest frottoir is worn over the chest and is held in place with two curved arms placed over the shoulders.
Description (Brief)

This rubboard or vest frottoir was made by Tee Don Landry in Duson, Louisiana, in 2001. It is made of corrugated stainless steel, serial #123. The vest frottoir is worn over the chest and is held in place with two curved arms placed over the shoulders. This instrument is played as a rhythm instrument by rubbing either bottle openers or spoons on the corrugation. There is a maker’s inscription on the back of the frottoir.

According to the donor, the earliest frottoirs were wash boards tied around the neck. This frottoir was made in the same style and process as the donor's father, Willie Landry. Landry, a welder at a refinery is said to have made the first molded rubboard, metal chest plate that fits/hangs above and around the shoulder. His first rubboard was said to have been made for the zydeco musicians, Clifton and Cleveland Chenier in the early 1947.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
2001
referenced
Chenier, Clifton
Chenier, Cleveland
maker
Landry, Tee Don
ID Number
2001.0181.01
serial number
123
accession number
2001.0181
catalog number
2001.0181.01

Harmonica Frank Floyd

Photographed backstage, "Harmonica" Frank Floyd (1908-1984) was an entertainer for the better part of the 20th century. After running away from home at age twelve, he began playing harmonica in carnivals and medicine shows.
Description
Photographed backstage, "Harmonica" Frank Floyd (1908-1984) was an entertainer for the better part of the 20th century. After running away from home at age twelve, he began playing harmonica in carnivals and medicine shows. His repertoire included jokes, tricks, songs, and stories.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Floyd, Frank
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.006
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.006

Roscoe Holcomb

Roscoe Holcomb (1911-1981) embodied the "high, lonesome sound" of traditional Appalachian songs. A banjo player and singer, he spent most of his life in the small town of Daisy, Kentucky, working for a living with no aspirations to become a star.
Description
Roscoe Holcomb (1911-1981) embodied the "high, lonesome sound" of traditional Appalachian songs. A banjo player and singer, he spent most of his life in the small town of Daisy, Kentucky, working for a living with no aspirations to become a star. Smithsonian folklorist John Cohen recorded Holcomb at home in 1959. That recording led to performances at bluegrass festivals and an international tour with the Stanley Brothers.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.028
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.028

Gatemouth Brown

Talented on many instruments--guitar, fiddle, harmonica, drums--Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (1924-2005) was one of the most versatile musicians of his time. Defying easy categorization, Gatemouth said he just wanted to play American music "Texas-style."Currently not on view
Description
Talented on many instruments--guitar, fiddle, harmonica, drums--Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (1924-2005) was one of the most versatile musicians of his time. Defying easy categorization, Gatemouth said he just wanted to play American music "Texas-style."
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1976
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Brown, Clarence
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.003
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.003

Doc Watson and Merle Watson

Doc Watson (Arthel Lane Watson, b. 1923), blind since his early life, achieved national acclaim primarily as a result of his involvement in the folk song revival of the 1960s.
Description
Doc Watson (Arthel Lane Watson, b. 1923), blind since his early life, achieved national acclaim primarily as a result of his involvement in the folk song revival of the 1960s. Watson remained a powerful influence in many different forms of acoustic music, including blues, old time, country, and bluegrass. His, son Merle (1946-1985), frequently performed on guitar with him until his untimely death in a tractor accident.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.024
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.024

Del McCoury

Del McCoury's voice is known as one of the finest examples of traditional bluegrass's "high lonesome" sound. Delano Floyd McCoury (b.1939) got his first big break in 1963 when Bill Monroe hired McCoury's band to play a few shows.
Description
Del McCoury's voice is known as one of the finest examples of traditional bluegrass's "high lonesome" sound. Delano Floyd McCoury (b.1939) got his first big break in 1963 when Bill Monroe hired McCoury's band to play a few shows. McCoury briefly joined Monroe's band, but returned to a successful career with his own group. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2004.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.013
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.013

Güiro Pick

This güiro pick is in the shape of a cuatro, the national string instrument of Puerto Rico.
Description
This güiro pick is in the shape of a cuatro, the national string instrument of Puerto Rico. Both the güiro and cuatro feature prominently in the instrumentation of traditional Puerto Rican genres like the seis and plena.
Description (Spanish)
Este puyero de güiro tiene la forma de un cuatro, el instrumento nacional de cuerdas de Puerto Rico. Tanto el güiro como el cuatro ocupan un lugar prominente en la instrumentación de los géneros tradicionales puertorriqueños, tales como el seis y la plena.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1094
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1094

Blue Sky Boys

Beginning in 1936, brothers Earl (1919-1998) and Bill Bolick (b. 1917), known for their intricate melodies on guitar and mandolin, influenced many other duet performers.
Description
Beginning in 1936, brothers Earl (1919-1998) and Bill Bolick (b. 1917), known for their intricate melodies on guitar and mandolin, influenced many other duet performers. The Blue Sky Boys retired in 1951, but returned to performing in 1962, drawn by the rising interest in folk and traditional country music.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.002
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.002

Tiple

The tiple, Puerto Rico's smallest string instrument, shows great regional variations in how it is strung and tuned. It and its jumbo version, the bordonúa, were often played to accompany religious songs.
Description
The tiple, Puerto Rico's smallest string instrument, shows great regional variations in how it is strung and tuned. It and its jumbo version, the bordonúa, were often played to accompany religious songs. While the melodic cuatro has been embraced as a popular symbol of puertorriqueñidad (Puerto Ricanness), the tiple nearly disappeared in the 20th century.
Description (Spanish)
El tiple es el instrumento de cuerdas más pequeño de Puerto Rico, observándose un gran número de variaciones regionales respecto al modo en que se encorda y afina. El tiple y su versión gigante, el bordonúa, se tocaban a menudo para acompañar temas religiosos. Mientras que el cuatro melódico fue adoptado como símbolo popular de la puertorriqueñidad, el tiple prácticamente ha desaparecido en el siglo XX.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th-early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1078
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1078

Pandereta

This large, hand-held drum, known in Puerto Rico as a pandereta, is an essential instrument in the musical genre known as plena. The plena was developed by agricultural workers at the end of the 19th century on the southern coast of the island, around the city of Ponce.
Description
This large, hand-held drum, known in Puerto Rico as a pandereta, is an essential instrument in the musical genre known as plena. The plena was developed by agricultural workers at the end of the 19th century on the southern coast of the island, around the city of Ponce. Considered a national musical genre throughout the 20th century, the plena may have originally reflected musical traditions brought to Puerto Rico by immigrants from other Caribbean islands. This example is from the city of Mayagüez.
Description (Spanish)
Este gran tambor de mano, que en Puerto Rico se denomina pandereta, es un instrumento esencial dentro del género musical conocido como plena. La plena surgió entre los trabajadores del campo a fines del siglo XIX en la costa sureña de la isla, alrededor de la ciudad de Ponce. A lo largo del siglo XX se lo consideró un género de música nacional, si bien originalmente pudo haber reflejado tradiciones musicales llevadas a Puerto Rico por inmigrantes de otras islas del Caribe. Este ejemplo proviene de la ciudad de Mayagüez.
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1083
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1083

Puyero de Güiro

In Puerto Rico, the güiro provides an essential rhythmic element in genres as distinct as the street-oriented plena, and the salon-oriented danza.
Description
In Puerto Rico, the güiro provides an essential rhythmic element in genres as distinct as the street-oriented plena, and the salon-oriented danza. This unusual güiro pick is in the shape of a human head.
Description (Spanish)
En Puerto Rico, el güiro aporta un elemento rítmico esencial a géneros tan distintos como la plena, de orientación callejera, y la danza, más de salón. El singular puyero de este güiro tiene la forma de una cabeza.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1097
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1097

Jacket from the Mistoffelees costume used in the musical Cats

This overjacket is part of a costume worn by actors portraying the character Mr. Mistoffelees in the original Broadway production of Cats.
Description
This overjacket is part of a costume worn by actors portraying the character Mr. Mistoffelees in the original Broadway production of Cats. The black velvet jacket is decorated with rhinestones, strands of black bugle beads and fluted clear plastic beads, and miniature white electrical lights which illuminate when terminals at the costume’s fingers are united. Plastic fiber strands are sewn to the heavily padded shoulder caps to simulate cat hair. The jacket has a deep v-shaped neckline leading to a front center Velcro closure.
A black-and-white tuxedo cat, Mr. Mistoffelees possesses magical powers celebrated in the song “Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.” While Mistoffelees sometimes sings depending on the production, it is primarily a featured dancing role. The character has some of the most challenging choreography in the show, including his signature move the “Conjuring Turn,” which is twenty-four consecutive fouettés en tournant. Wayne Sleep originated the role on the West End in 1981 and Timothy Scott later took on the role on Broadway in 1982. On the screen, Jacob Brent portrayed the character in the 1998 film and Laurie Davidson portrayed him in the 2019 film adaptation.
Cats broke Broadway records with its run of 7,485 performances from 1982 until 2000 at New York’s Winter Garden Theatre. The play, written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on stories and characters from T. S. Eliot's 1939 Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and first premiered in London’s West End in 1981. The expensive and spectacular production has been called the first “megamusical,” inaugurating a new period of Broadway theater history when big-budget shows with elaborate special effects, spectacular costumes, and rock music revived the theater district’s sagging fortunes. Cats earned multiple Tony awards in its original run and has since been revived on Broadway and in numerous national and international tours.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1982-2000
designer
Napier, John
ID Number
2000.0219.01.06
catalog number
2000.0219.01.06
accession number
2000.0219

Maracas

This pair of maracas is made from the dried, gourd-like fruit of the calabash or higüero tree.
Description
This pair of maracas is made from the dried, gourd-like fruit of the calabash or higüero tree. Their construction and the painted words "Puerto Rico" indicate that they were produced as souvenirs or emblems of national identity rather than as functional musical instruments.
Description (Spanish)
Este par de maracas está hecho del fruto seco, en forma de calabaza, del higüero. Su construcción, así como las palabras pintadas "Puerto Rico", indican que se confeccionaron como recuerdos o emblemas de identidad nacional, más que con el fin de ejecutarse como instrumentos musicales.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.1084
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1084

"Just My Take: A Book of Poetry and Words of Wisdom"

“Just My Take: A Book of Poetry and Words of Wisdom,” was written by Hip hop artist MC Lyte (Lana Michelle Moorer), and published by Sunni Gyrl, in 2005.
Description (Brief)
“Just My Take: A Book of Poetry and Words of Wisdom,” was written by Hip hop artist MC Lyte (Lana Michelle Moorer), and published by Sunni Gyrl, in 2005. The book includes poetry and words of inspiration that Lyte hoped would "inspire teenagers and young ladies from the ages of 14-22."
MC Lyte was born in 1970 and raised in Brooklyn. She began rhyming and writing songs at the age of 12. Her first song was recorded in 1986, and by 1988 she became the first solo female rapper to release a full album, “Lyte as a Rock.” In addition to a recording career, MC Lyte has been featured on television, film, and voice-overs.
She describes her motivation for writing “Just My Take” as, “every morning I'd wake with the anticipation of writing down whatever moved me … Throughout my career I have been inspired by young people across America to speak up and out– and now it's my turn to hopefully inspire and motivate them at a time when few emcees are willing to give words of advice.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2005
maker
Sunni Gyrl, Inc.
ID Number
2006.0057.01
accession number
2006.0057
catalog number
2006.0057.01

Waylon Jennings

Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s.
Description
Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s. Rejecting slick commercial conventions of the time and demanding more control of his music, Jennings's professional and personal lifestyle personified what became known as the Outlaw Country movement.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Jennings, Waylon
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.029
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.029

Maracas

This variety of maracas, made of cow leather and sinew, is used in musical genres like guaracha, son, and salsa. They are of different sizes, so that one is pitched higher and the other, lower.
Description
This variety of maracas, made of cow leather and sinew, is used in musical genres like guaracha, son, and salsa. They are of different sizes, so that one is pitched higher and the other, lower. In contrast, the Afro-Puerto Rican musical tradition known as bomba uses a larger, single maraca in its performances.
Description (Spanish)
Esta variedad de maracas, confeccionadas con cuero y tendón de vaca, se utiliza en la interpretación de géneros como la guaracha, el son y la salsa. Tienen distintos tamaños, de modo que una produce sonidos más agudos y la otra más graves. En contraste, para la interpretación de la música de tradición afro-puertorriqueña conocida como bomba se utiliza una sola maraca más grande.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
maker
Ramos, Ismael
ID Number
1997.0097.1098
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.1098

Journal, used by MC Lyte

This journal was written by Hip hop artist MC Lyte, aka Lana Michelle Moorer, with entries beginning on January 7, 2001 and ending April 10, 2001. It has a purple cover and embossed with the word “Create” on the front.MC Lyte was born in 1970 and raised in Brooklyn.
Description (Brief)
This journal was written by Hip hop artist MC Lyte, aka Lana Michelle Moorer, with entries beginning on January 7, 2001 and ending April 10, 2001. It has a purple cover and embossed with the word “Create” on the front.
MC Lyte was born in 1970 and raised in Brooklyn. She began rhyming and writing songs at the age of 12. Her first song was recorded in 1986, and by 1988 she became the first solo female rapper to release a full album, “Lyte as a Rock.” In addition to a recording career, MC Lyte has been featured on television, film, and voice-overs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2001
maker
Lyte, MC
ID Number
2006.0057.02
accession number
2006.0057
catalog number
2006.0057.02

Frottoir Sticks

These rubboard or vest frottoir sticks were made by Tee Don Landry in Duson, Louisiana, in 2001. They are made of bottle opener shaped metal sticks in wooden dowel handles. Accessioned with rubboards or vest frottoirs (Cat.
Description (Brief)

These rubboard or vest frottoir sticks were made by Tee Don Landry in Duson, Louisiana, in 2001. They are made of bottle opener shaped metal sticks in wooden dowel handles. Accessioned with rubboards or vest frottoirs (Cat. #2001.0181.01 & .02)

According to the donor, the earliest frottoirs were wash boards tied around the neck. This frottoir was made in the same style and process as the donor's father, Willie Landry. Landry, a welder at a refinery is said to have made the first molded rubboard, metal chest plate that fits/hangs above and around the shoulder. His first rubboard was said to have been made for the zydeco musicians, Clifton and Cleveland Chenier in the early 1947.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
2001
maker
Landry, Tee Don
ID Number
2001.0181.03
accession number
2001.0181
catalog number
2001.0181.03

Stonewall Jackson

Named after his Civil War ancestor, Stonewall Jackson (b. 1932) began performing professionally in the 1950s. Thanks to tour with Ernest Tubb, Jackson had a string of hits from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.Currently not on view
Description
Named after his Civil War ancestor, Stonewall Jackson (b. 1932) began performing professionally in the 1950s. Thanks to tour with Ernest Tubb, Jackson had a string of hits from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Jackson, Stonewall
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.008
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.008

Marímbula

The marímbula, (also marímbola), is an African-derived folk instrument found across the Caribbean. Large enough for its player to sit on, this instrument consists of a large, resonating box with metal strips that are plucked to provide a simple bass accompaniment.
Description
The marímbula, (also marímbola), is an African-derived folk instrument found across the Caribbean. Large enough for its player to sit on, this instrument consists of a large, resonating box with metal strips that are plucked to provide a simple bass accompaniment. Its affordability, ease of construction, and portability (it can be strapped to its player like a marching drum), made it adaptable to many styles of folk music, from the roving aguinaldo of the Christmas season to a street-corner plena.
Description (Spanish)
La marímbula, o marímbola, es un instrumento derivado del folklore africano que puede hallarse en todo el Caribe. Es lo suficientemente grande como para que el intérprete pueda sentarse sobre él. Consiste en una caja de resonancia con flejes de metal que se puntean produciendo un simple acompañamiento de sonidos graves. Dado que se trata de un instrumento accesible, fácil de construir y de transportar (el intérprete puede colgárselo con una faja al igual que un tambor de marcha), se lo adaptó a diferentes estilos de música folclórica, desde el aguinaldo de la época navideña hasta la plena.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0512
catalog number
1997.0097.0512
accession number
1997.0097

Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner

Dolly Parton joined Porter Wagoner and the Wagonmasters in 1967. She launched her solo career in 1974.Currently not on view
Description
Dolly Parton joined Porter Wagoner and the Wagonmasters in 1967. She launched her solo career in 1974.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Parton, Dolly
Wagoner, Porter
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.018
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.018

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