US1590869A - Stringed musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

June 29 1926..

C. S. WEBER STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed April 14 5 2E p 0 15!?! vZ/k? Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES CHARLES S. WEBER, OF LEMOORE, CALIFORNIA.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed April 14, 1921.

This invention relates to harps and pianos, it describes a new musical instrument having 24 fixed steps to the octave, thereby enabling the performer to use perfect intervals instead of the flat fifths and sharp fourths unavoidable in the equal temperament.

Fig. 1 is a front view of two units forming a complete instrument,

Fig. 2 shows one method of stringing,

Fig. 3 shows hinges for joining two units,

Figs. 4, 5, and 6, illustrate parts used in another method of stringing.

The new instrument may be named a double harp. In its preferred form it embraces two units; L in Fig. 1 shows the set of strings for the left hand to play on, R shows the right hand set. Each set is cut by the central bridge 5 into two divisions, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In a six octave harp the upper division 14 between upper wrest plate 1 and the lower row of bridge buttons 6 may hold the notes of the treble; the lower division 15 between the lower wrest plate 2 and the upper row of buttons holding the base. Thus 73 notes spaced the usual distance apart, are placed within reach of each hand of the performer, eliminating the need of pedals 0 erated in the old way for adding 80 secondary notes to the 4.3 primarily obtainable.

In the smaller sizes encompassing two or three octaves, every main string may be contained in one division; the other being used merely to balance the pull on both sides of the central bridge. There being one set of tuning pins 3 secured in the upper wrest plate, another set 4 held in the lower plate, it should not be difiicult to establish a tone relation in the two divisions, whereby the primary tone of the main strings may be enriched with sympathetic unisons derived from the other division.

The rows of incisions 13 in the bridge plates serve for proper deflection of the strings.

In the experimental models a central sup port was used for resisting the pressure of the strings. This device, however was soon abandoned for the expedient of casting the wrest plate in one piece with the bridge plate, thereby increasing the rigidity of the frame above and below the strings.

The pull of strings on the front of any unit may be balanced on its rear notefor note If so, the set in the mm at righ Serial No. 461,264.

set will duplicate a left set whilst the primary left set will hold a secondary right set on its rear. Thus the front as well as the rear of a complete instrument may be used for performance.

The hinges 12 allow the units to diverge as may suit the performer. Fig. 3 shows two different degrees of opening in the hinge.

The knee stop 10 serves to silence vibrations in the lower division, whenever the progress of harmony should demand it. A slight pressure of the arms against the longer strings in the upper division should produce a similar effect.

Fig. 4. drawn on a large scale is a top view of a button used for attaching strings to the central bridge. The fiat side shown in Fig. 6 matches exactly the bottom of a shallow cavity cut in said bridge, both flat surfaces should touch, and form right angles with the string 23 drawn taut; this should pass centrally through the hole 22 cut through the bridge and tapering to the narrow exit 19 on the apex of the button. The end-portion 18 of a wire sharply deflected by being thrust into a slit 21 in one of the lobes on the button, will rather break than pull out; the end of a gut string may be more secure in the hole cut in the other lobe of the hood 17.

The width of the bridge added to the height of the button is gained for the vibrating length of a string by the use of this device, found most satisfactory in the central notes, but less so in the extremes, where the heaviest strings of the bass oppose the lightest of the treble. Here the string ing shown in Fig. 2 is preferable. A string belonging to the upper division 1 1 in passing through the central bridge is deflected towards the sounding board, and is out of reach of the performer, in the lower division. Similarly the string 15 belonging to the lower division correspondingly deflected in its passage, slips out of reach in the upper division.

To distinguish between right and left sets all reference letters pertaining to the right set bear a mark.

To tune the double harp in a way to have perfect fifths, fourths and thirds for build ing chords on the various ste s of the 12 major and 12 minor scales, I rst tune the left set. Starting with middle C, after 5 fifths up and 6 fourth; down, all perfect- I arrive at F shore middle (11 Since forms an unbearingly sharp fourth I avoid the necessity of using it, by starting a second circle with C which forms a perfect fourti with F of the first circle. The right hand set offers a suitable place forthe second turn of quintes. Proceeding as before, I finish with it". Since this forms a faulty fourth with C, it also may be rejected in favor of C F, the novel modulation may be effected almost imperceptibly.

Following 24rnotes tuned in the double quintcircle are all within the central octave of the two sets:

CG DAEBFtF Ci tGttDtiAt FC G D Guided in each hand by the proper quint circle I finisn tuning by making the octaves perfect. It will then he found that each note of the right set sounds nearly a fourth more correctly a fifth, of a semitone higher than the corresponding note of the left set. Examination of the frequencies of vibration will reveal, that in each hand the major thirds are almost to the same extent too sharp for their tonies, making use of this discovery 1 strike C with the right hand E with the left; a practically perfect major third results; the aberration from the perfect being less than A,; of the fault inherent in the corresponding major third of the equal temperament. Since all the steps in the double quint circle were formed by perfect fifths and fourths, and since the fourth is an inverted fifth, the conclusion was arrived at, that, any two notes separated inthe above series bysan identical number of steps should form similar intervals.

Now E and C in the series are 8 steps apart, and form a practically perfect major third; A and F, also A and if, being the same distance apart, should therefore form also perfect major thirds. A comparison. of frequencies in above F; also in A above F shows proportions almost exactly like 4 to 5; proving them almost perfect major thirds. The minor thirds former by notes 9 steps apart show an equally small aberration from the perfect, except that the upper note in the major is short 1 y about one vibration in a thousand; same note in the minor. has one vibration to spare. Git B also C D are practically perfect minor thirds. Since the fifths fourths and the thirds in their vibrations the simplest numerical relation to the tonic, the musical ear recognizes in them even a slight deviation from the perfect interval when unable to perceive greater aberi tion in the others.

In these therefore the writer of music may be allowed a greater freedom in distributing the component notes of chords between right and left hands of the performer.

This task 1,5e0,see

should be aided by the circumstance that the double quint series contains a supply of perfect sevenths, another of perfect seconds; sufficient for the usual demands of modulation.

Since neither the primes nor the octaves in the left set chord with those of the right, a doubling of the notes in chords is very difficult for one performer but maybe readily executed by two; one at the front, the other at the rear of two units. F or solo playing one side may be tuned to the equal temperament for executing the more showy pieces, reserving the more expressive for the side tuned to perfect intervals.

Various attachments have been tried to overcome the technical difficulties in performing on the double harp; but, the results so far attained are incomplete. It cannot be doubted, however, that a combination with the pneumatic or the electric player (neither being affected by the difiiculties of execution) should aid progress in music by showing the effect of perfect intervals in the compositions of masters.

Following series shows the 21 s steps in an. octave of the ascending scale in a double iarp tuned to perfect fifths and fourths:

Here small steps are alternating; with larger ones; the small ones like C to C passing from the left to the right set, are about equal to a comma, in musical notation accepted as the smallest interval, which, however, to my knowledge has not been used before for a. distinct step in the scale of any musical instrument having fixed notes. The larger steps passing from the right to the left set like G to Ct are equal to about of a semitone.

Claims:

1. A stringed instrument having strings to give twenty-four steps to the octave, individual strings of fixed length for each step, the steps differing; one I in the other, the smaller steps alternating with the larger; substantially as set forth.

' 2. A stringed instrument having slings to give twe four steps to the octa dividual st k step, the steps differi one the smaller steps alternating throughout the scale leadii est string in the bass db set to the shortest string in l .e division of the right set; substantially speci-

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