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| Aeolian
Wind Harp
Originating in ancient Greece (circa 6 BC) and flourishing
throughout the Renaissance era, Aeolian Harps are rare, beautiful
instruments designed to be played by the wind; free of the
touch of human hands. Wind Harps transpose the spirit of the
wind into spontaneous, multi-layered music in time to nature's
rhythms. Their vibrant voices sing pure harmonic tones that
range from deep, pulsing bases to soaring sopranos. A variety
of winds, harps, and string tunings combine on these selected
recordings to produce an eclectic repertoire of definitive
music.
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| The
Amazing Pencilina
Bradford Reed fights and tames the idiosyncrasies of the pencilina,
an original instrument of his own design and construction.The
pencilina is an electric board zither played primarily by
striking the strings with sticks; also by plucking and bowing.
Bradford first created it around 1985, and has continued to
refine it. (“It just keeps developing," he says.)
The basic form is of two boards mounted parallel to each other
on a stand, like extended guitar necks with no bodies.
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| Aquaggaswack
The first version of the Aquaggaswack, built in 1996, only
had about 18 pot lids and was narrower (It didn't have the
outer sections). This second version, revamped in 1998, has
29 pot lids representing a majority of the notes in an octave,
plus some quarter-tones. The center lids have mostly "bell"-like
tones and the outer sets have a more "gong"-like
tone. All the lids were obtained from thrift stores and friends.
At various times both versions of the Aquaggaswack also included
a cymbal, jingle bells, a cowbell with clacker and a mine
cylinder (that's what the tag said). |
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| Balalaika
The Balalaika family includes, from the highest-pitched
to the lowest, the prima, sekunda, alto, bass and contrabass
balalaika. All have three-sided bodies, spruce or fir tops
and backs made of from three to nine wooden sections, and
all have three strings. The most common solo instrument
is the prima, tuned E-E-A (the two lower strings being tuned
to the same pitch). The piccolo, prima, and secunda balalaikas
are ideally strung with gut (or, today, usually nylon) strings
on the lower pegs and a wire string on the top peg. |
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Bamboo
Saxophones
Carefully electronically tuned, Ángel Sampedro del
Rio's Bamboo saxophones consist of segments of bamboo successively
larger in diameter. This progression has now been demonstrated
by acoustical studies as the most harmonically effective.
The
joints are extremely solid and resistant over time. They
have keys that cover toneholes outside the reach of the
fingers. Since 1985 he has developed and built this instrument,
with equal attention to acoustic design and aesthetics.
Their interior is protected against changes of humidity,
frequent in all wind instruments. The work with mouthpieces
led him to use different bamboo types that give the instrument
its own and characteristic sound.
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Ukrainian
Bandura
Ukrainian bandura built by lutheir Dwight Newton
Ukrainian
bandura -- 36 strings, walnut/spruce, original modified
bracing pattern.
The
invention of an instrument combining the elements of lute
and psaltery itself is currently creditable to Francesco
Landini, an Italian lutenist-composer of trecento. Filippo
Villani writes in "Liber de civitatis Florentiae":
"...(Landini) invented a new sort of instrument,
a cross between lute and psaltery, which he called the
serena serenarum, an instrument that produces an exquisite
sound when its strings are struck."
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Bass
Stick
Another "virtual instrument" from the imaginations
of Animusic.
This
fretless bass was inspired by the Chapman stick, a multi-string
instrument that is played by slapping the strings with
hands and fingers. The Animusic Bass Stick has only one
string and uses self-playing round hammers to pound out
funky riffs.
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2008 by safeinsoundmusic.com - All Rights Reserved. |
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