All rights are reserved. Join Our Email List. Learn more about our commitment to safety. The Franklin Institute is a C 3 nonprofit registered in the U. The Franklin Institute. Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica. Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica. The bowls are fitted with cork through the bottom, attaching them to the iron rod. The bowls fit inside one another without touching. Another picture showing that the bowls do not touch.
He refused to patent any of his inventions, saying: "As we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of others we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.
Connect With Us. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today. Get smart curated videos delivered to your inbox. Twitter Instagram. Primary Menu. Although the instrument isn't depicted literally, it is the subject of the astounding surrealist animation, The Glass Harmonica , by Russian filmmaker Andrei Khrjanovsky. Originally released in , but quickly banned by the state, The Glass Harmonica uses the creation of a celestial instrument as an allegory for how capital will always corrupt creativity and the populace, even within a communist state.
Hey, what's that sound: Glass harmonica. Ever wondered what 37 different-sized wine glasses would sound like if they were played? Well, so did science boffin Benjamin Franklin in the mids. Benjamin Franklin's glass harmonica Photograph: Public Domain. Five facts and things The first musician credited with playing glasses as an instrument is Irishman Richard Puckeridge, who wowed Georgian London with his performances of wine goblets filled with water.
Topics Music Hey, what's that sound? Pop and rock Classical music features. Reuse this content. If you don't have thousands of dollars to spend, there are alternatives. Create a glass harp. You can make a wine or water glass "sing" by running your finger around the rim. With a set of glasses, you can make a musical instrument with a sound remarkably similar to Ben Franklin's invention.
Assemble a set of glassware. To create an instrument with a chromatic range of two octaves, you will need 25 glasses. For best results, use crystal glassware. The glasses don't need to be identical, but should be the same height for ease of playing. Select and tune the first glass by gently tapping on it or running your finger around the rim.
Add water to the glass to lower the pitch until it plays the desired note. Use a guitar tuner, available online or at a music store, or download an app to your computer or phone. Test the pitch, then remove enough water to make the glass sound one half-step higher than the previous glass. Continue until you have tuned the glasses to complete the instrument.
Use a permanent marker to indicate the appropriate water level, if desired. Set the tuned glasses on a firm base, making sure the glasses are attached to the base to avoid the glasses moving or falling over. Make a one-glass harp. You can also make a glass produce tones by submerging it in a basin of water and running your finger along the rim in the same manner as a glass harp.
With some practice you can play music without having to tune a set of glasses. Method 2. Make sure your hands and the instrument are clean. Playing the instrument is based on the principle of friction, causing the glass bowls to vibrate.
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