Make Music with Glasses
You can imitate the sound of the Ben Franklin’s armonica by using empty wine glasses and water. Ben Franklin was one of America’s greatest inventors and statesmen, and invented the armonica in London in the 1860s. He apparently derived the greatest joy from this musical invention. So can you, and it is not that difficult!
- Wine glasses
- Water
- Clean your finger thoroughly and moisten it with water.
- Gently rub your finger on the top edges of an empty crystal wine glass. Move finger smoothly in a circular motion, making sure to cover the entire circumference of the glass rim.
- As you move your finger over the rim, notice the pitch of the sound produced.
- Now, add water to the glass and repeat the same procedure. Once again, take notice of the new pitch.
What happens?
The presence of water in the glass decreases the vibrational frequency. Therefore, the pitch is lower than that of the empty glass. Increasing the size of the glass would produce a similar effect in the tone of the sound.
