Instrument of the Day
Organs have had a storied role in Hollywood film scores, “From Phantom of the Opera to The Tree of Life, the organ has a distinguished history in film, not only in musical scores but on the screen itself. Whatever its role, be it as a musical instrument or as a prop, its presence lends an […]
The waterphone produces an ethereal sound, like an unearthly harp. Invented in the late 1960s by Richard Waters, it is also known as an ocean harp. The custom-made instruments have garnered an enthusiastic following of film and TV composers, as well as a couple of pop stars (Tom Waits and Miles Davis are listed on […]
If you crossed a sitar, steel drum and piano, you’d have something that sounds like the Hang, a steel wheel that you play by tapping lightly, as one would a keyboard. Though many refer to it as a drum, it is technically an idiophone, an instrument that vibrates in and of itself, as opposed to […]
Russian physicist Lev Sergeyevich Termen was an eccentric guy. Known in the U.S. by his westernized name, Léon Theremin, he invented the spooky-kooky instrument that became synonymous with horror movie scores worldwide, and is surely the instrument that best voices the spirit of Halloween. Introduced in 1920, it created a sensation when its inventor toured the […]
The Cristal Baschet is an acoustic musical instrument belonging to the friction idiophone class. The vibration of its individual elements produces tones by means of friction. At the heart of the device are metal rods are embedded in a heavy plate. To each metal rod is attached a glass rod. The glass rods are stroked […]
