glass armonica

: a musical instrument consisting of a series of rotating glass bowls of differing sizes played by touching the dampened edges with a finger.

Some said the glass armonica was magical, but perhaps the man responsible for it was. Franklin made it possible to create beautiful sounds with the touch of a finger, sounds that his wife Deborah once called, "the music of the angels."

Franklin's armonica, also known as a glass harmonica, was made from 37 glass bowls of varying thicknesses and sizes threaded horizontally on an iron spindle which could be turned by a foot pedal. By moistening their fingers with water, a player could produce up to ten notes or chords at a time.

Inspired by a concert he attended in London where a musician played a set of water-tuned wine glasses, Franklin sought to create a more advanced version of this instrument. The glass armonica quickly gained popularity in the 18th century and was even used by renowned composers like Mozart and Beethoven.

Because its sounding portion is made of glass, the glass harmonica is a type of crystallophone.

Invented by Ben Franklin and once rumored to drive people to madness (it didn't), the glass armonica is a strange and delicate instrument that only a handful of people in the world can still play. But that hasn't put a stop to its otherworldly sound.

These are different spellings of the same instrument. Franklin originally named his invention the "armonica", after the Italian word "armonia" which means "harmony", in 1761. Franklin's armonica was especially popular in Germany where it was known as the glassharmonika.

harmony When Benjamin Franklin invented his mechanical version of the instrument in 1761, he called it the armonica, based on the Italian word armonia, which means "harmony". The unrelated free-reed wind instrument aeolina, today called the "harmonica", was not invented until 1821, sixty years later.

Various features of the film were deemed unfit for release by the censors. The surreal hand-drawn animation style and unorthodox score composed by Alfred Schnittke contradicted the artistic style of socialist realism that had been mandated by the Soviet government.

Although still around, by the 1830s the glass armonica had become a thing of the past. There are a few musicians who play the instrument today, such as Dennis James. If you're brave enough, give James a listen as he plays one of Mozart's compositions for the glass armonica!

1. Violin. The violin is a commonly learnt instrument, so you may be surprised to see this lying at the top of this list! While giving us some of the most beautiful sounds, the violin could very easily sound terribly painful when played incorrectly.

Franklin never collected funds from his invention, nor did he patent the idea. Although still around, by the 1830s the glass armonica had become a thing of the past. There are a few musicians who play the instrument today, such as Dennis James.