Musical clock
Encyclopedia
A Musical clock is a clock that marks the hours of the day with a musical tune played from a spiked cylinder either on bells
, organ pipes, bellows
, combs and even dulcimer
strings.
The earliest ones began in mainly churches and would be used to mark times for the public and for farmers in fields to tell them when it was sunset dawn and lunchtime.
Some musical clocks play a tune each hour where as others are known to play every 3 to 4 hours. This is seen by many to be an idea originated to do with Roman and Angelus times.
The earliest known domestic one is by Nicholas Vallin, made in 1598, and it currently resides in the British Museum
in London
. This clock plays a different piece of music on every 1/4 hour. However some purists argue this clock is still technically a quarter chiming clock due to the quarter past melody only being around 8 notes long. The hour melody is certainly a tune though.
In terms of domestic clocks—most particular early ones—all the European clocks played tunes on carillon
s of bells from a large spiked drum within the clock. Many of these were in bracket clock form and there are a majority of longcase ones too. Some played their tunes each hour while others played every 3 or 4 hours usually either preceded or followed by the hour strikes.
The black forest later started to make trumpeteer musical clocks which played on horn bellows and have animated figures appear (usually of some kind of trumpeter), and appear to be blowing out the tune. Some of the London clock makers also started using organ mechanisms and coned cylinder-type music boxes; some were even combined with a set of bells to play tunes using both instruments implemented, although these are much rarer.
Musical clocks are even more interesting in the context that they can play music using as few as 6 bells but usually with multiple hammers for quick note succession, but on average most would have 8, 10, 12 or 13 bells and multiple hammers, particularly if it has a lot more complex tunes. There are always exceptions and there are musical clocks out there with 16 to even 20 bells and usually have around 14–15 different tunes. On average most have 2–7 tunes selectable via a subsidiary dial.
In fact, some musical clocks were made with interchangeable spike drums allowing the owner to peg them to play whatever tune they desired, although these were very rare.
Most all had their own specially made music spiked drums.
No matter what kind of musical clock it is: a turret/church clock, a bracket clock, a carriage clock, a longcase clock, an organ clock, or whatever else, the same basic system of how the clock plays its tunes is the same. It all revolves around a large cylinder which is spiked and pushed the relevant hammers or combs.
Beginning in the 1988, Rhythm Small World Clocks introduced modern battery powered musical clocks. Storing their music on computer chips, the first models played 6 melodies in rotation. Newer clocks play up to 18 melodies including Christmas tunes. Rhythm Small World Clocks was the only major brand in the market until 2000 when Seiko
introduced their Melodies in Motion Clocks. Both Seiko
and Rhythm musical clocks perform a new melody every hour on the hour and feature a light sensor which automatically switches off the music in the dark. Modern musical clocks play popular, country, classical or holiday melodies. The most popular modern musical clocks have elaborate motions where the clock face opens up revealing crystals, flashing lights, or other eye catching details.
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
, organ pipes, bellows
Bellows
A bellows is a device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location.Basically, a bellows is a deformable container which has an outlet nozzle. When the volume of the bellows is decreased, the air escapes through the outlet...
, combs and even dulcimer
Hammered dulcimer
The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
strings.
The earliest ones began in mainly churches and would be used to mark times for the public and for farmers in fields to tell them when it was sunset dawn and lunchtime.
Some musical clocks play a tune each hour where as others are known to play every 3 to 4 hours. This is seen by many to be an idea originated to do with Roman and Angelus times.
The earliest known domestic one is by Nicholas Vallin, made in 1598, and it currently resides in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This clock plays a different piece of music on every 1/4 hour. However some purists argue this clock is still technically a quarter chiming clock due to the quarter past melody only being around 8 notes long. The hour melody is certainly a tune though.
In terms of domestic clocks—most particular early ones—all the European clocks played tunes on carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
s of bells from a large spiked drum within the clock. Many of these were in bracket clock form and there are a majority of longcase ones too. Some played their tunes each hour while others played every 3 or 4 hours usually either preceded or followed by the hour strikes.
The black forest later started to make trumpeteer musical clocks which played on horn bellows and have animated figures appear (usually of some kind of trumpeter), and appear to be blowing out the tune. Some of the London clock makers also started using organ mechanisms and coned cylinder-type music boxes; some were even combined with a set of bells to play tunes using both instruments implemented, although these are much rarer.
Musical clocks are even more interesting in the context that they can play music using as few as 6 bells but usually with multiple hammers for quick note succession, but on average most would have 8, 10, 12 or 13 bells and multiple hammers, particularly if it has a lot more complex tunes. There are always exceptions and there are musical clocks out there with 16 to even 20 bells and usually have around 14–15 different tunes. On average most have 2–7 tunes selectable via a subsidiary dial.
In fact, some musical clocks were made with interchangeable spike drums allowing the owner to peg them to play whatever tune they desired, although these were very rare.
Most all had their own specially made music spiked drums.
No matter what kind of musical clock it is: a turret/church clock, a bracket clock, a carriage clock, a longcase clock, an organ clock, or whatever else, the same basic system of how the clock plays its tunes is the same. It all revolves around a large cylinder which is spiked and pushed the relevant hammers or combs.
Beginning in the 1988, Rhythm Small World Clocks introduced modern battery powered musical clocks. Storing their music on computer chips, the first models played 6 melodies in rotation. Newer clocks play up to 18 melodies including Christmas tunes. Rhythm Small World Clocks was the only major brand in the market until 2000 when Seiko
Seiko
, more commonly known simply as Seiko , is a Japanese watch company.-History and ongoing developments:The company was founded in 1881, when Kintarō Hattori opened a watch and jewelry shop called in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan. Eleven years later, in 1892, he began to produce clocks under the...
introduced their Melodies in Motion Clocks. Both Seiko
Seiko
, more commonly known simply as Seiko , is a Japanese watch company.-History and ongoing developments:The company was founded in 1881, when Kintarō Hattori opened a watch and jewelry shop called in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan. Eleven years later, in 1892, he began to produce clocks under the...
and Rhythm musical clocks perform a new melody every hour on the hour and feature a light sensor which automatically switches off the music in the dark. Modern musical clocks play popular, country, classical or holiday melodies. The most popular modern musical clocks have elaborate motions where the clock face opens up revealing crystals, flashing lights, or other eye catching details.