Composer: Yuichi Onoue
Musician: Yiuchi Onoue
Culture: Japan
Instrumentation: Ribbon Controller and Kaisatsuko (Kai= rotation, Satsu= rub, Ko= oriental fiddle)
Hand made by Yuichi. Here is his description of the Ribbon Controller:
"This handmade electric musical instrument can change a oscillator pitch smoothly, depending on the place which you press down. Ribbon Controller was originally made as a kind of MOOG SYNTHESIZER's controller in late 60's. I made this following its example. And playing style is self-taught.
My ribbon controller is constructed three parts as follow.
"Ribbon controller" - which is made with a film of electric conductor(like black paper which include carbon , or rubber conductive bag. It is pasted to the vinyl chloride seat.) Body is made by conduit pipe which is used at office etc.
"Handmade simple analog oscilator" - which is include NE555 as main oscilator, and cmos frequency divider.
"Multi Effect(KORG AX1G)" - Sound of my analog oscilator is like poor buzzer. But it is processed various sounds by multi effect. "
Onoue, Yuichi. "Onoue Torigoya Sound." Onoue Torigoya Sound. N.p., Mar. 1996. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.
The other instrument in this piece is the kaisatsuko which he also hand made. It is played by turning the
crank which causes the wheel to spin and "bow" the strings. There are two strings on a fretless neck.
There is no key box on this instrument which makes it different from the hurdy-gurdies.
I think it is interesting the way he made these instruments and the resources he used to build them. The
way I am connecting it to the reading is the chapter on pitch. The ribbon controller can smoothly
change a oscillator pitch depending on where you press down on the instrument. This causes him to be
able to bend pitches and create interesting, different, unusual sounds on the ribbon controller. Since it is
electric I am not sure if there is anyway to tune it. I would say this instrument uses a tone of microtones
at least in the pieces I've listened too. It is so unique that Yuichi invented and hand made all of these
instruments and tunes he plays.
Wow, that's a really cool instrument. It's amazing the kinds of things we can do with technology nowadays. It's almost like he's creating his own style of music. I think it's awesome you were able to relate this to the pitch chapter. It definitely has a strange array of tones!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome - I didn't know an instrument like this even existed. This type of music is something I've never heard before, but it looks like a fun instrument to play!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I wish we had instruments like this here...I wonder how hard it would be to acquire one. It would be great to use in school as an authentic instrument, and to teach about pitch and how differently it is used in other cultures.
ReplyDeleteKara, I bet you could find something similar via iPad app, in regard to allowing students to experience this method of changing pitch. Would be something to investigate...
ReplyDelete