Glass Harmonica

Anyone who's rubbed a wet finger around the rim of a glass and produced a musical note, or has seen someone do it, will understand the idea behind the glass harmonica
As opposed to a series of tuned water glasses, known as a glass harp, the glass harmonica (also known as the glass armonica, without the "h", and the hydrocrystalophone) was invented by Benjamin Franklin after he saw a glass harp in Cambridge, England in 1761.
Franklin mounted 37 glass bowls on a rotating shaft. The bowls were of decreasing diameter, with the larger bowls (for the lower notes) to the left and the smaller bowls (for the higher notes) to the right. On some glass harmonicas, the bowls are color-coded, like harp strings, so that the player can more easily find the proper note.
The already-ethereal quality of this instrument is enhanced by the fact that the notes produced are in the 1 to 4 kHz range, which makes the glass harmonica sound like it's coming from all directions. That's because for humans, frequencies above 4 kHz are localized primarily by volume differences arriving at each ear, and frequencies below 1 kHz are localized by the phase differences. Anything in-between, like the notes from this instrument, are difficult for the brain to detect where the sound is originating.
Like the Theremin, celeste, and other unusual musical instruments, it's been used in symphonic music. Mozart, Handel, Beethoven, and Strauss have all written for the glass harmonica.


Видео Glass Harmonica канала MrAudioSoundImages