Ancient musical and scientific laboratory instrument
See also: Polychord
A string, tied at A, is kept in tension by W, a suspended weight, and two bridges, B and the movable bridge C, while D is a freely moving wheel,[1] density may be tested by using different strings
A monochord, also known as sonometer[citation needed] (see below), is an ancient musical and scientific laboratory instrument, involving one (mono-) string (chord). The term monochord is sometimes used as the class-name for any musical stringed instrument having only one string and a stick shaped body, also known as musical bows. According to the Hornbostel–Sachs system, string bows are bar zithers (311.1) while monochords are traditionally board zithers (314). The "harmonical canon", or monochord is, at its least, "merely a string having a board under it of exactly the same length, upon which may be delineated the points at which the string must be stopped to give certain notes," allowing comparison.[2]
A string is fixed at both ends and stretched over a sound box. One or more movable bridges are then manipulated to demonstrate mathematical relationships among the frequencies produced. "With its single string, movable bridge and graduated rule, the monochord (kanōn [Greek: law]) straddled the gap between notes and numbers, intervals and ratios, sense-perception and mathematical reason."[3] However, "music, mathematics, and astronomy were [also] inexorably linked in the monochord."[4] As a pedagogical tool for demonstrating mathematical relationships between intervals, the monochord remained in use throughout the Middle Ages.[5]
^Jeans, Sir James (1937/1968). Science & Music, p.62. Dover. ISBN 0-486-61964-8.
^Crotch, William (1861-10-01). "On the Derivation of the Scale, Tuning, Temperament, the Monochord, &c". The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular. 10 (224): 115–118. doi:10.2307/3355208. JSTOR 3355208.
^Creese, David (2010). The Monochord in Ancient Greek Harmonic Science, p. vii. Cambridge. ISBN 9780521843249.
^Terpstra, Siemen (1993). "An Introduction to the Monochord", Alexandria 2: The Journal of the Western Cosmological Traditions, Volume 2, pp. 137-9. David Fideler, ed. Red Wheel/Weiser. ISBN 9780933999978.
^Its common use is attested to by illustrations such as this one from an 11th century Norman manuscript: "Hybride tenant un monocorde et chantant" Musiconis Database. Université Paris-Sorbonne. Accessed January 5, 2018.
A monochord, also known as sonometer[citation needed] (see below), is an ancient musical and scientific laboratory instrument, involving one (mono-) string...
There is a range of traditional instruments, including the đàn bầu (a monochord zither), the đàn gáo (a two-stringed fiddle with coconut body), and the...
Pythagoreans). Ptolemy introduces the harmonic canon (Greek name) or monochord (Latin name), which is an experimental musical apparatus that he used...
Werckmeister's 1691 treatise, the second to their labelling on his monochord. The monochord labels start from III since just intonation is labelled I and quarter-comma...
with a padded stick Tsuzumi (鼓) – small hand drum Ichigenkin (一絃琴) – monochord Junanagen (十七絃) – the 17-string koto Koto (琴、箏) – a long zither Yamatogoto...
ancestor of most European bowed instruments, including the violin. The monochord served as a precise measure of the notes of a musical scale, allowing...
has been applied to two styles: Blues rock songs that use a repeating monochord riff inspired by John Lee Hooker's 1948 song "Boogie Chillen'" Blues rock...
consensus among scholars is that the diddley bow is derived from the monochord zithers of central Africa. On November 20, 1955, Diddley appeared on the...
influence of the octagonal drum gradually reduced. However, the Chinese monochord [zh]: 149 and crosstalk which incorporates octagonal drum are still popular...
These proportions are indeed relevant to string length (e.g. that of a monochord) — using these founding intervals, it is possible to construct the chromatic...
flexibility. If all strings throughout the piano's compass were individual (monochord), the massive bass strings would overpower the upper ranges. Makers compensate...
first discovered music intervals also credit him as the inventor of the monochord, a straight rod on which a string and a movable bridge could be used to...
manicorde, manicordion; Sp. manicordio, manucordio). Other names refer to the monochord-like nature of a fully fretted clavichord (It. monacordo or monocordo;...
musica (ca. 1000) by Pseudo-Odo, in a discussion of the division of the monochord. Following this, the range (or compass) of used notes was extended to...
periodically vary the tension at twice the resonance frequency of the monochord string. He was a member of the Landsmannschaft fraternity. In 1885 he...
[citation needed] Traditional Tuareg music has two major components: the monochord violin anzad played often during night parties and a small tambour covered...
rehabilitation: a pilot study of a receptive music therapy group using the monochord. Forschende Komplementarmedizin, Vol. 15, No. 6, 2006, pp335-343. Grocke...
salvation." Movingly remembering later, how Alexander would play the monochord, recorder or lute in the afternoon after studies. Even in good times,...
(harmonics) or natural overtone series Guqin Đàn bầu Physical just-intoned string part relation with additional 3rd bridge Monochord Pencilina Moodswinger...
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