National Music Museum
"As the popularity of playing musical glasses increased during the mid-18th century, Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and inventor, designed a more utilitarian version of the fashionable instrument--the armonica. He had a glassblower make him a set of 36 hemispherical bowls, graduated...."
And no, "armonica" is not the same as a Cockney 'armonica.
How does an armonica work? Back to the article:
"...The player touches the glass rims with moistened fingers to create the instrument's distinctively ethereal, ringing sound...."
There's not much text on the page: but it's got a favorable fluff/content ratio. And, there are three more photos, besides the one I linked to in this post.
The glass armonica's "ethereal, ringing sound" wouldn't be a common part of western music until over two centuries later, when digital/electronic music developed from a sort of novelty act to a serious art form.
Related posts:
- "Robot Guitar? Self-Tuning, Anyway"
(December 18, 2009) - "The Robots are Coming! The Robots are Coming!"
(November 4, 2009) - "Leon Theremin, Inventor of the Theremin: a Weird-Sounding Instrument"
(November 3, 2009) - ""The Accoustics are Great!" A New Note on Cave Paintings"
(July 4, 2008) - "Cat Playing a Theremin: and, What's a Theremin?!"
(April 27, 2008) - "Better Ideas From Japan: Musical Roads"
(April 7, 2008)
- "The Glass Armonica - Benjamin Franklin's Magical Musical Invention"
The Glass Armonica - "Benjamin Franklin and His Glass Armonica"
The Franklin Institute | Resources for Science Learning
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