Verrophone
Encyclopedia
A verrophone is a musical instrument, invented in 1983, by Reckert, in which open-ended glass tubes are arranged in various sizes (usually in a chromatic scale, arranged from large to small, like the pipes of a pipe organ
). The sound is made by rubbing one end of one or more of the glass tubes, or also by striking them or rubbing them with a special mallet. The tubes are close together so that chords can be played by rubbing more than one at the same time. The instrument carries more acoustical volume than the glass armonica and other glass instruments and generally has a range from G3-C6.
, and arrangements of ordinary drinking glasses (approximately glass tubes closed at one end).
or lithophone
, i.e. by striking various glass tubes. Hear, for example, a work entitled "Crystal Bones" composed and played on the microtonally tuned glass instruments of Prophet.
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
). The sound is made by rubbing one end of one or more of the glass tubes, or also by striking them or rubbing them with a special mallet. The tubes are close together so that chords can be played by rubbing more than one at the same time. The instrument carries more acoustical volume than the glass armonica and other glass instruments and generally has a range from G3-C6.
Predecessors of the verrophone
Previous glass instruments include the glass harmonicaGlass harmonica
The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, bowl organ, hydrocrystalophone, or simply the armonica , is a type of musical instrument that uses a series of glass bowls or goblets graduated in size to produce musical tones by means of friction The glass harmonica, also known as the glass...
, and arrangements of ordinary drinking glasses (approximately glass tubes closed at one end).
Related instruments
Modern artists such as Barry Prophet of The Music Gallery have produced glass instruments that work similar to a glockenspielGlockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
or lithophone
Lithophone
A lithophone is a musical instrument consisting of a rock or pieces of rock which are struck to produce musical notes. Notes may be sounded in combination or in succession...
, i.e. by striking various glass tubes. Hear, for example, a work entitled "Crystal Bones" composed and played on the microtonally tuned glass instruments of Prophet.