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The beginning of keys: In the Middle Ages, the church-organ had big
heavy keys whitch could only be played by using your fists. Later on, the white keys
where invented.
and the names
were written on the keys: A B C D E F en G.
Certain intervals (2 keys at the same time) didn't sound nice:
for example: B and F. that is why - in the 14th century - the black keys were put between
the white keys. The birth of our famous black and white keys!
The written names aren't necessary anymore
.
In 1899, electricity was just invented, and a intelligent Englishman, William Duddell, could make sounds with electricity. William Duddell was appointed to solve a problem in London, a constant humming noise from the lamps in the street.
during his experiments he found out that by varying the voltage supplied to the lamps he could create controllable audible frequencies. By attaching a keyboard to the arc lamps, he could play the "Singing Arc". one of the first electronic instruments.
www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/arc
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1700: Bartolomeo Christofori wanted to play whith more dynamic on the clavecimbel, because it (almost) hadn't got touch response. Christofori invented small hammers with which he could play soft and loud. He called this instrument 'soft and loud', in his own (italian)language : the Pianoforte (or:piano).
p = piano (soft), and f =forte (loud)
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The Piano sounded beautiful, but Harold Rhodes wasn't satisfied, because the piano wasn't loud enough. he was a flying-instructor (!) at the Army Air Corps in the Second World War (1940).
He wanted to make a electric piano. He used Hydraulic aluminum pipes from the wings of the B-17 bombers ( they seemed to have a good tone when cut to xylophone length).
| www.instrumentenweb.com | hem.passagen.se | www.fenderrhodes.org | emusician.com | www.seipel.de |
translation coming soon
translation coming soon
translation coming soon
translation coming soon
translation coming soon
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1950: Wurlitzer is a factury, mostly known as a jukebox, but also designed/invented electric piano's (inventor:Ben Miessner). 1959; thanks to Ray Charles who made the name Wurlitzer worldfamous with his song 'What'd I Say' . The most well-known model (the Wurlitzer 200) came out in 1969 . by hearing the name Wurlitzer, most of us will think of the band Supertramp, with Rick Davies on keyboards.
the Clavinet is actually an electric clavichord. Invented by Ernst Zacharias in 1965. Stevie wonder used the Hohner Clavinet C by his song "Supersticious"
The Theremin is a musical instrument, and played without touching it!
invented by Rus Leon Theremin in 1919. first mostly used for filmmusic, but you can also hear them in popsongs. for example, bands in the 60's/70's like Led Zeppelin.
the spooky sound can also be heard in films like: "The day the earth stood still"; "It came from outer space". and there was even a very good Theremin-player: Clara Rockmore. She played the violin, but she got problems/injury with her hands, fortunately there was the theremin.
The Beach Boys with theire song: "Good Vibrations" had used a tannerin instead of a theremin. The sound is the same
Listen to the 'singing saw'
1963: The name (spelling) was made from the words melody and electronics; melotron , and finally becomes mellotron.
bron: [www.earth-and-fire.nl] [www.mellotron.com] [www.prog-nose.org/engels]
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