Crystallophone
A crystallophone is a musical instrument that produces sound from glass.
One of the best known crystallophones is the glass harmonica, a set of rotating glass bowls which produce eerie, clear tones when rubbed with a wet finger.
The glasschord (or glasscord) resembles the celesta but uses keyboard-driven hammers to strike glass bars instead of metal bars.
The glass marimba is similar to the marimba, but has bars of glass instead of wood. The bars, which the performer strikes with padded sticks, are perched on a glass box to provide the necessary resonance.
A rare Thai instrument called ranat kaeo (ระนาดแก้ว; literally "glass xylophone") has been used by the Thai music ensemble Fong Naam; it appears on their 1992 CD The Sleeping Angel: Thai Classical Music.
In Popular Culture
In Lydia Syson's book, "Doctor of Love: James Graham and his Celestial Bed", sexologist James Graham uses the glass harmonica for musical therapy purposes.
Benjamin Franklin was inspired to create his own crystallophone by tipping wine glasses on their side and rotating them.
See also
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crystallophone. |
- Glass Music
- Oddmusic A website dedicated to unique, odd, ethnic, experimental and unusual musical instruments and resources.