AU2004100186A4

AU2004100186A4 - Slide string drum

Info

Publication number: AU2004100186A4
Application number: AU2004100186A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Mark O'Carrigan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-03-13
Filing date: 2004-03-13
Publication date: 2004-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-13

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT IMPROVEMENTS on the "BUSH (or Tea-Chest) BASS", STRINGED DRUM and similar MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

The following is a full description of this invention, the SLIDE-STRING DRUM, including the best method of performing it known to me Mark O'Carrigan 213 Chifley Rd BELL NSW 2786 ph 02 6355 2777 Page 1 IMPROVEMENTS to the "BUSH (or Tea-Chest) BASS"', STRINGED DRUM and similar MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

The innovative instrument is referred to in this document as a "Slide-String Drum" Primitive string drums using a single string vibrating onto a (commonly) skin soundboard stretched over a gourd, ceramic or other hollow vessel with a string attached to the skin of the drum tensioned by stretching against the toes (or other part of the anatomy), which is plucked to produce notes of varying pitch, have been in use for millennia.

A traditionally cheap and easily played musical instrument is the Tea-Chest or Bush Bass which consists of a tea-chest (or other hollow container) having a stiff piece of board attached to its side, as the neck of the instrument, with a string running from the top of the board or neck and tied through a hole in the upper surface of the hollow container. The lid or upper surface of the vessel acts as a soundboard while the hollow volume of the container acts as a resonator for the vibrating string as the player who stands beside the instrument with one foot on the vessel to stabilise it, plucks the string. This can be a very tiring playing position. The string is traditionally made from venetian blind chord, heavy twine or a proprietary steel bound bass string with minimal intended stretchability.

The tea-chest or bush bass produces a note comparable to a classic, very expensive, wooden double bass, but at a fraction of the cost, hence its popularity.

The range of notes attainable by these instruments is limited by the flexibility of the string, sounding board and neck, normally producing only a limited range of notes.

The StrumDrum (Patent no.GB2348735) is a more versatile instrument than the before mentioned instruments, but is essentially different from the Slide-String Drum in its having a fixed neck and is played standing vertically.

A Slide-String Drum is a musical instrument operated by the player vibrating a string of an elastic nature that is attached between the top of the neck of the instrument and to a soundboard on a hollow resonator vessel, which has a sound emission hole on the end of the vessel opposite to the soundboard, and that the lower end of the neck is centred on a locating pin on the forward edge of the vessel, enabling the neck to be rotatable through an arc of 90 degrees in a vertical and horizontal plane, thus tensioning the string to vary the note produced by the strumming, plucking, bowing or otherwise playing of the instrument. The Slide-String Drum is an innovation on traditional stringed, drum and stringed/drum instruments in the way the player approaches the instrument, tunes it to suit various keys of music and the variety of styles to which it can be easily adapted due to its potential for a range of five octaves, ability to be strummed, plucked, bowed or carry a strong traditional drum beat. Various shaped, sized (volume and dimensional) and materials used in the construction of the string, soundboard and resonating vessel will subtly but significantly alter the tonal qualities of each instrument making some combinations more desirable to specific styles of music.

As is necessary to a stringed instrument, the Slide-String Drum has a single string of a suitably flexible/plastic nature as to produce adequate tonal qualities while under the pressure of being tensioned by the pivoting of the neck to produce a variety of notes. The string is attached at the upper end of the pivoting neck (6a) and through a hole in the centre of the soundboard at a length that is equivalent to the hypotenuse of the triangle created when the neck is vertical to the outer edge of the soundboard of the Slide-String Drum. The string/soundboard junction point (6b) may be reinforced as is necessary to adapt to the variety of materials used in the construction of the Slide-String Drum to achieve various tonal qualities.

The neck is fitted to the body of the Slide-String Drum at a point by the means of locating a hole in the base of the neck onto a fixed pin, which enables the neck to be moved very quickly through an arc of greater than 90 degrees in both vertical and horizontal planes. A hole for the emission of the sounds is cut into the back vertical face of the vessel opposing the soundboard.

Page 2 The Slide-String Drum instrument is then played with the musician sitting straddled over the upper curved surface on an area that is suitably reinforced to bear the weight of a person. (Smaller Slide-String Drum instruments, are held under the arm or between the legs). The player grasps the neck, which is anchored to the pivot point on the drum, in one hand, plucks, strums, bows or otherwise vibrates the string with the other hand while pulling upwards on the neck to tension the string giving a higher note or releasing the pressure on the neck to attain a lower bass or drumming note. This results in a scale of 3 octaves being attained as the neck is pivoted through a 90-degree vertical arc.

By adjusting the slide control along the length of the neck, thus effectively shortening the string, a further 2 octaves can be added to the range of the Slide-String Drum instrument.

Different methods of vibrating the string under different tensions enable the Slide-String Drum instrument to emit an array of sounds similar in tonal qualities to more classic instruments such as the double bass, bass drums and guitars making it versatile for many styles of music.

The claims defining the innovation of the Slide-String Drum are as follows:- I- A Slide-String Drum is a musical instrument operated by the player vibrating a string of a elastic nature that is attached between the top of the neck of the instrument and to a soundboard on a hollow resonator vessel, which has a sound emission hole on the end of the vessel opposite to the soundboard, and that the lower end of the neck is centred on a locating pin on the forward edge of the vessel, enabling the neck to be rotatable through an arc of 90 degrees in a vertical and horizontal plane, thus tensioning the string to vary the note produced by the strumming, plucking, bowing or otherwise playing of the instrument.

2- A Slide-String Drum as claimed in Claim 1, to which a sliding device is fitted over the neck and string, allowing the said sliding device to be positioned along the neck effectively altering the length of the string, hence increasing the range of notes produced by the playing of the Slide- String Drum 3- A Slide-String Drum as claimed in Claims I and 2, wherein the resonator is made of a variety of materials to influence the Slide-String Drum instrument's individual tone and musical qualities.

4- A Slide-String Drum as claimed in Claims 1- 3 where the resonating vessel is of a sufficient proportion that it may be sat upon by the player thus increasing the stability and strength with which the player may then grasp the neck of Slide-String Drum for the purpose of playing the instrument to it's full potential.

A Slide-String Drum essentially as herein before described with reference to the attached drawing and inset therein.

Mark O'Carrigan 213 Chifley Road Bell NSW Australia March 2 9 t"h 2 0 0 4 pae*s

Claims

1- A Slide-String Drum is a musical instrument operated by the player vibrating a string of an elastic nature that is attached between the top of the neck of the instrument and to a soundboard on a hollow resonator vessel, which has a sound emission hole on the end of the vessel opposite to the soundboard, and that the lower end of the neck is centred on a locating pin on the forward edge of the vessel, enabling the neck to be rotatable through an arc of 90 degrees in a vertical and horizontal plane, thus tensioning the string to vary the note produced by the strumming, plucking, bowing or otherwise playing of the instrument.

2- A Slide-String Drum as claimed in Claim 1, to which a sliding device is fitted over the neck and string, allowing the said sliding device to be positioned along the neck effectively altering the length of the string, hence increasing the range of notes produced by the playing of the Slide-String Drum

3- A Slide-String Drum as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, wherein the resonator is made of a variety of materials to influence the Slide-String Drum instrument?s individual tone and musical qualities.

4- A Slide-String Drum as claimed in Claims 1- 3 where the resonating vessel is of a sufficient proportion that it may be sat upon by the player thus increasing the stability and strength with which the player may then grasp the neck of Slide-String Drum for the purpose of playing the instrument to it?s full potential. A Slide-String Drum essentially as herein before described with reference to the attached drawing and inset therein.