AU2001229414A1 - A musical instrument - Google Patents
A musical instrumentInfo
- Publication number
- AU2001229414A1 AU2001229414A1 AU2001229414A AU2941401A AU2001229414A1 AU 2001229414 A1 AU2001229414 A1 AU 2001229414A1 AU 2001229414 A AU2001229414 A AU 2001229414A AU 2941401 A AU2941401 A AU 2941401A AU 2001229414 A1 AU2001229414 A1 AU 2001229414A1
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- musical instrument
- handle
- annular wall
- upper section
- central axis
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10D—STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G10D13/00—Percussion musical instruments; Details or accessories therefor
- G10D13/01—General design of percussion musical instruments
- G10D13/06—Castanets, cymbals, triangles, tambourines without drumheads or other single-toned percussion musical instruments
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10D—STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G10D13/00—Percussion musical instruments; Details or accessories therefor
- G10D13/10—Details of, or accessories for, percussion musical instruments
- G10D13/24—Material for manufacturing percussion musical instruments; Treatment of the material
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Stringed Musical Instruments (AREA)
- Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
Description
A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
Background of the Invention
1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to musical instruments In particular, the present invention relates to percussion instruments
2 Description of the Prior Art Clave (pronounced clah'vey) rhythm is the rhythmic pattern that forms the basis of Latin music Clave rhythm is characteristically phrased as three beats followed by two beats, or two beats followed by three beats Clave rhythm is typically played on a traditional instrument, which is conveniently called a "clave " The clave is essentially a wooden rod that is held in one hand between the fingertips and the heel of the hand with the thumb used for lateral support Holding the clave in this manner creates a sound chamber between the clave and the palm of the hand Optionally, the clave may have a hollowed-out depression on the side facing the palm, which increases the size of the sound chamber The clave is struck by a second wooden rod, known as the "striker " Hitting the striker and the clave together produces a distinctive, sharp, cracking sound The distinct sound produced by the traditional clave is highly desirable to clave players and Latin music aficionados However, the traditional clave is a difficult instrument to play If it is held incorrectly, the traditional clave will not produce its characteristic sound Furthermore, while playing the traditional clave, the player's fingers are positioned such that they are subject to being accidentally hit by the striker In addition, traditional claves made of wood suffer from the problems common to all wooden percussion instruments First, wooden percussion instruments are costly to produce Wooden percussion instruments also vary in sound and pitch due to variances in density, grain structure, and other physical properties of the wood Moreover, continued striking of a
wooden percussion instrument eventually results in splintering of the wood and failure of the instrument
The disadvantages of wood have been partially overcome in prior art designs through the use of plastic and other synthetic materials For example U S Patent No 4,898,061 discloses a plastic block-type percussion instrument In addition, co-pending U S Application No 09/237 645 discloses a plastic agogo bell, while co-pending U S Application No 09/096,879 discloses a plastic "napkin block "
Nonetheless, there is a need in the art for a clave that readily produces the characteristic clave sound and overcomes the disadvantages of wood Surprisingly, it has been discovered that a plastic clave created as described herein can produce a sound characteristic of a traditional wooden clave
Summary of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a percussion instrument
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a percussion instrument that is easy to play and will readily produce a sound characteristic of a traditional wooden clave, regardless of how the instrument is held
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a percussion instrument that is produced of an inexpensive, durable material, while still producing a sound characteristic of a traditional wooden clave Accordingly, there is provided a plastic clave having a tubular body and a handle The tubular body has an annular wall that defines a sound chamber The handle is designed to shelter the hand of the player or serve as a mounting for one-handed playing The thickness of the annular wall and the dimensions of the sound chamber may be modified to produce various sound qualities and pitches It has been surprisingly discovered that a plastic clave produced according to the present invention can produce the characteristic sound of a traditional clave
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a clave according to the present invention,
Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of the clave of Fig 1 which is mounted within a bracket, and Figure 3 is a cross section view of the clave of Fig 2 taken along line A-A
Detailed Description of the Invention
Referring to the drawings and, in particular, Fig 1 , there is provided a musical instrument according to the present invention, generally represented by reference numeral 1 Musical instrument 1 is identified herein as a "clave " Clave 1 has a tubular body 10 and an elegant shaped handle 30
Tubular body 10 has an annular wall 12 that is disposed about a central longitudinal axis Annular wall 12 defines a tubular sounding chamber 20 Tubular sounding chamber 20 is preferably substantially open at both ends and is elongated along the central longitudinal axis Tubular sounding chamber 20 is generally oval, elliptical, or rounded in shape along a cross-section transverse to the central longitudinal axis Referring now to Fig 3, and given the generally oval, elliptical, or rounded shape of the cross section of sounding chamber 20, it is preferable that annular wall 12 have a broad, substantially flat top section 13 that is separated from a broad, substantially flat bottom section 14 by rounded, side sections 15 and 16 The thickness of annular wall 12 may be modified to produce various sound qualities and pitches Preferably, the thickness of annular wall 12 is about 5 mm to about 12 mm and, more preferably, about 8 mm Also, annular wall 12 preferably has a uniform thickness, which results in a uniform sound or resonance regardless of the exact point at which clave 1 is struck
The dimensions of sounding chamber 20 may also be modified to produce various sound qualities and pitches The length of sounding chamber 20 is defined by the distance that annular wall 12 is elongated parallel to the central longitudinal axis The height of sounding chamber 20
is defined by the distance between top section 13 and bottom section 14 while the width is defined by the distance between rounded side sections 15 and 16
The length of sounding chamber 20 is preferably about 100 mm to about 225 mm and, more preferably, about 149 5 mm The width of sounding chamber 20 is preferably about 50 millimeters (mm) to about 120 mm and, more preferably, about 64 mm The height of sounding chamber 20 is preferably about 20 mm to about 50 mm and, more preferably, about 15 5 mm It is also preferable that sounding chamber 20 be divided into 3 sections, in which the central section has a greater height compared to the two side sections More preferably, the central section is about 18 5 mm in height, while the side sections are about 15 5 mm in height
Referring again to Fig 1 , a striking ridge 17 may be positioned on top section 13 Striking ridge 17 is preferably positioned along the longitudinal center ne of top surface 13, which results in maximum sound production or resonance when the striking ridge is beat with a striker body Striking ridge preferably rises about 6 5 mm above top section 13
Referring to Fig 2, handle 30 is attached to bottom section 14 Handle 30 is adapted to be gripped by the player for two handed playing or, alternatively, mounted within a bracket 40 during one-handed playing Preferably, handle 30 is positioned along the longitudinal centerhne of bottom section 14 Such a position primarily serves two purposes First, positioning handle 30 along the longitudinal centerhne of bottom surface 16 provides maximum shielding of the player's hand Second, because handle 30 is optionally used as a striking ridge, centralized placement of handle 30 is preferred for the production of maximum sound or resonance when handle 30 is struck
Primarily for the comfort of the clave player, it is preferable that handle 30 be molded or curved in an ergonomic fashion Handle 30 preferably extends about 38 mm from bottom section 14 and has a length about equal to the length of tubular body 10 Furthermore, handle 30 preferably has a bulbous base 31 , a tapered middle section 32, and a flared shoulder section 33 that is attached to bottom section 14 More
preferably bulbous base 31 is about 16 mm in width, middle section 32 is about 7 mm is width, and shoulder section 33 is about 16 mm in width The foregoing dimensions for handle 30 result in a player holding clave 1 in a style that emulates the manner in which a traditional clave is held However handle 30 may be optionally shaped in various styles dictated by a desired application
Clave 1 may be formed from a synthetic material Such a material may include ABS, acrylic resins, other thermoplastic resins, and mixtures thereof, as well as fiberglass A preferred material is high density polyethylene In addition, clave 1 is preferably formed as a one-piece instrument by molding processes known to the art, such as injection molding, blow molding, or extrusion
Given the foregoing, it is clear that a clave designed according to the present invention is formed of non-traditional materials into a non-traditional shape It has been surprisingly discovered that a plastic clave shaped according to the present invention can produce a sound characteristic of a traditional wooden clave
The present invention having been described with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims
Claims (1)
- Wherefore We Claim:1 A musical instrument comprising an annular wall disposed around a central axis, said annular wall having an upper section, a pair of side sections, and an opposing lower section spaced from said upper section by said pair of side sections, said annular wall defining a tubular sound chamber having substantially open ends, and a handle adapted to be connected to said lower section, said handle being adapted to be gripped by a hand, wherein said tubular body substantially shields said hand from a striker when said striker is being used to strike said upper section2 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said annular wall has a thickness about 5 mm to about 12 mm3 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said annular wall extends parallel to said central axis for a length about 100 mm to about 225 mm4 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said upper section is spaced from said lower section by about 20 mm to about 50 mm5 The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said pair of side sections is spaced from each other by about 50 mm to about 120 mm6 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said annular wall has a substantially elliptical shape along a cross section transverse to said central axis7 The musical instrument of claim 6 wherein said substantially elliptical shape is about 50 mm to about 120 mm in width and about 20 mm to about 50 mm in height 8 The musical instrument of claim 6, wherein said substantially elliptical shape comprises a central portion disposed between a pair of end portions9 The musical instrument of claim 8, wherein said central portion has a greater height compared to said end portions, and wherein said end portions have a greater width than said central portion10 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said upper section comprises a striking member adapted to be struck by said striking body11 The musical instrument of claim 10, wherein said upper section has a centerhne parallel to said central axis, and wherein said striking member is positioned on said centerhne12 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said lower face has a centerhne parallel to said central axis, and wherein said handle is positioned on said centerhne13 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said handle is disposed parallel to said central axis14 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said upper section has a striking member adapted to be struck by said striker, and wherein said striking member is positioned substantially opposite said handle15 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said handle is further adapted to be mounted on a stand16 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said handle is disposed so that the palm of said hand faces said tubular body and the fingers of said hand are substantially shielded by said lower section 17 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said tubular body is integrally attached to said handle18 The musical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said tubular body is made from a synthetic material19 The musical instrument of claim 18, wherein said synthetic material is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic resins and fiberglass20 A plastic clave comprising an annular wall disposed around a central axis, said annular wall having an upper section, a pair of side sections, and an opposing lower section spaced from said upper section by said pair of side sections, said annular wall defining a tubular sound chamber having substantially open ends and a substantially elliptical shape along a cross section transverse to said central axis and, and a handle integrally connected to said lower section, said handle being adapted to be gripped by a hand, wherein said tubular body substantially shields said hand from a striker when said striker is being used to strike said upper section, and wherein striking said upper section with said striker produces a sound characteristic of a traditional wooden clave
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09496779 | 2000-02-03 | ||
US09/496,779 US6271449B1 (en) | 2000-02-03 | 2000-02-03 | Musical instrument |
PCT/US2001/001084 WO2001057846A1 (en) | 2000-02-03 | 2001-01-12 | A musical instrument |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
AU2001229414A1 true AU2001229414A1 (en) | 2001-08-14 |
Family
ID=23974096
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
AU2001229414A Abandoned AU2001229414A1 (en) | 2000-02-03 | 2001-01-12 | A musical instrument |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US6271449B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1259954A1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2001229414A1 (en) |
TW (1) | TW571289B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2001057846A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7368648B2 (en) * | 2004-01-14 | 2008-05-06 | Pearl Musical Instrument Co. | Set of clave blocks |
DE102007032204B3 (en) * | 2007-07-11 | 2008-10-02 | Roland Meinl Musikinstrumente Gmbh & Co. Kg | Cajon, has striking surface bulged out in convex form, and fastened to base body by punctiform fastening element that is not provided in such manner that upper corner region steeps out from upper front wall |
CA2926147C (en) * | 2013-11-08 | 2016-10-18 | Brian G. Flicek | Percussion instrument |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US471046A (en) * | 1892-03-15 | Prank a | ||
US4779507A (en) * | 1986-07-28 | 1988-10-25 | Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha | Percussive musical instrument |
US4898061A (en) * | 1988-09-30 | 1990-02-06 | Latin Percussion, Inc. | Block-type percussion instrument |
US4901617A (en) * | 1989-03-24 | 1990-02-20 | Malone Kenneth M | Hand-held percussion instrument |
US5207769A (en) * | 1991-10-31 | 1993-05-04 | Malmark, Inc. | Strikerless percussion musical instrument |
-
2000
- 2000-02-03 US US09/496,779 patent/US6271449B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2001
- 2001-01-12 AU AU2001229414A patent/AU2001229414A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-01-12 WO PCT/US2001/001084 patent/WO2001057846A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2001-01-12 EP EP01949058A patent/EP1259954A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2001-01-31 TW TW090101925A patent/TW571289B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1259954A1 (en) | 2002-11-27 |
US6271449B1 (en) | 2001-08-07 |
WO2001057846A1 (en) | 2001-08-09 |
TW571289B (en) | 2004-01-11 |
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