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flex-a-tone

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  • Bryce Lindgren
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CLASSIFICATION: idiophone, friction idiophone, percussion instrument 

HISTORY: A 1920s percussion instrument  invented in England that provides a unique sound that is used for comic effect. It can occasionally be heard in films or cartoons often for a spooky or funny sound. 

 There are a few classical composers that have used the flex-a-tone including, Arnold Schoenberg, Aram Khachaturian, Ernst Krenek, Dmitri Shostakovich, and György Ligeti. There are also occasional uses in concert band compositions. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: This friction idiophone consists of of wooden balls on a spring attached to a flexible metal sheet with a wire frame. The flex-a-tone is held in one hand with the palm around the wire frame and the thumb on the free end of the metal sheet. When the instrument is shaken, the balls strike the metal sheet producing a sound similar to a musical saw. When the thumb depresses the vibrating metal sheet, the pitch of the instrument changes. 

SOUND PROPERTIES: This instrument makes a unique sound similar to a musical saw starting with a low pitch at first, and a higher pitch as the thumb depresses the metal sheet. As the thumb pressure is released, the pitch will again get lower. This procedure produces a glissando effect from low pitch to high pitch and back. The size of the metal sheet determines the exact pitches that are possible. The instrument can also be performed without the wooden balls. The metal sheet can be struck with other objects which will change the sound of the instrument as the metal sheet is depressed and released. 

RANGE: The flex-a-tone does have discernible pitches, however, it is extremely difficult to control the instrument well enough to sound exact pitches. Since, there is no specific size for this instrument, there is no common range of pitches associated with it. 

When composing for the flex-a-tone, the composer simply designates the beginning of the sound with a wavy line either upwards or downwards to designate the higher or lower pitches along with the duration of the desired sound.

In addition, you can familiarize yourself with the terms:

Popular questions related to flex-a-tone

The flexatone or fleximetal is a modern percussion instrument (an indirectly struck idiophone) consisting of a small flexible metal sheet suspended in a wire frame ending in a handle.

Higher. You can do it in succession. There you go so you.

The flexatone is a rather modern instrument. Although we do not have any record of who exactly invented the flexatone, the flexatone was first patented in 1922 in the Britain, then in 1924, Playatone Co. patented the 'Flex-a-tone' in the USA, which marketed it as an instrument that would “make Jazz jazzier” (fig.

Similarly to the musical saw, bending the giant flexatone makes the pitch lower, and wobbling it creates vibrato; it also can be bowed or struck. The approximate range of it spans C5-C7.

The Wikipedia article on the Flexatone describes it as one such later invention, patented first in the 1920s in Britain and soon after the US, and used early on as “funny sound effect”, for theatrical use rather, but also in jazz music circles.

Celesta

Keyboard instrument
Other namesCeleste
ClassificationIdiophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification111.222 (Sets of percussion plaques)
Inventor(s)Charles Victor Mustel Auguste Mustel

Flex Plays offer you a little more slack than a traditional parlay. Let's say you make a four-leg Flex Play on NBA player props on PrizePicks. If you go 3-1, you will still get a payout, although it will be less than if you go 4-0.

The Wikipedia article on the Flexatone describes it as one such later invention, patented first in the 1920s in Britain and soon after the US, and used early on as “funny sound effect”, for theatrical use rather, but also in jazz music circles.

The tuba has the lowest pitch range, and it compares with the cello in terms of pitch range. The trumpet has the broadest pitch range in the brass family, similar to the clarinet. Pitch range is one factor to think about when choosing an instrument to learn.

The piccolo The piccolo is the smallest member of the woodwind section (at just 13 inches long), and is the highest-pitched instrument in the orchestra. There will usually only be one piccolo, but occasionally two or more can be used for a special effect.

Cymbals have existed since ancient times. Representations of cymbals may be found in reliefs and paintings from Armenian Highlands (7th century BC), Larsa, Babylon, Assyria, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and ancient Rome.

Happy instruments selected were: harpsichord, marimba, vibraphone and piano.

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