Ratchet

As Printed on a Score

Labels the ratchet line (Ratchet), written on a single line. Short notes ask for a quick turn of the handle; a held note or tremolo strokes ask for continuous cranking for the written length.

How Composers Use It

A cogwheel scraping a wooden tongue: a loud, dry rattle without pitch. Strauss gives it to the pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, and that comic, mechanical world is where it belongs. It is hard to play softly and cuts through a full orchestra, so write exact durations and use it sparingly.

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