Home Swinger
Encyclopedia
A Home Swinger is a musical instrument
created by Yuri Landman
. The instrument has 12 strings, an electronic pickup
and a movable rod to alter the pitch of the instrument.
Landman created the instrument for workshops at European festivals and venues, where participants built their own copy within four hours. In 2010 also workshops in the US are hosted by Knitting Factory
and Eyedrum
. In addition to this building workshop, he performs with the participants, where they play musical ensemble pieces in the tradition of the multiple guitar compositions of Rhys Chatham
and Glenn Branca
.
The Home Swinger is derived from his Moodswinger
and a DIY-version of this instrument. When played at one part of a string, the opposed part starts to resonate
, depending on a predictable mathematical ratio of the strings' lengths divided by the rod. If the rod is on a harmonic
position the created multiphonic
tone is consonant
and increases in volume and sustain because of the reciprocal string resonance. The sound is comparable with the sound of bells.
The instrument was nominated as one of the instruments for the second Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2010 at the Georgia Institute of Technology
, Atlanta. In 2010 the Musical Instrument Museum
in Phoenix, Arizona included a Home Swinger as well as a Moodswinger in their collection as two pieces of the Dutch section of musical instrument inventions.
Several known artists, such as David Holmes
, Wu Fei
, These Are Powers
, The Go! Team
, The Luyas
, Micachu
, A Place To Bury Strangers
attended one of the workshops and have copies of the instrument.
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
created by Yuri Landman
Yuri Landman
Yuri Landman is a Dutch experimental luthier who has made several experimental electric string instruments for a list of artists including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars, Jad Fair of Half Japanese and Liam Finn...
. The instrument has 12 strings, an electronic pickup
Pickup
Pickup, Pick up or Pick-up may refer to:-Technology:*Magnetic cartridge, also known as pickup, a transducer used for the playback of gramophone records on a turntable or phonograph...
and a movable rod to alter the pitch of the instrument.
Landman created the instrument for workshops at European festivals and venues, where participants built their own copy within four hours. In 2010 also workshops in the US are hosted by Knitting Factory
Knitting Factory
The Knitting Factory is a music venue and concert house with locations in Brooklyn, Boise, Reno, and Spokane. The club originally specialized in jazz and experimental music and has expanded to showcasing all genres of music, performing arts and comedy....
and Eyedrum
Eyedrum
Eyedrum is a non-profit art space and venue in Atlanta, Georgia focused on contemporary art and experimental music ranging from contemporary chamber music, sound sculpture to drone noise music, and art rock. Up until Jan. 1, 2011, they were located in the Old Fourth Ward district, and had three art...
. In addition to this building workshop, he performs with the participants, where they play musical ensemble pieces in the tradition of the multiple guitar compositions of Rhys Chatham
Rhys Chatham
Rhys Chatham is an American composer, guitarist, and trumpet player, primarily active in avant-garde and minimalist music. He is best known for his "guitar orchestra" compositions...
and Glenn Branca
Glenn Branca
Glenn Branca is an American avant-garde composer and guitarist known for his use of volume, alternative guitar tunings, repetition, droning, and the harmonic series. In 2008 he was awarded an unrestricted grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.-Beginnings: 1960s and early 1970s:Branca...
.
The Home Swinger is derived from his Moodswinger
Moodswinger
The Moodswinger is a twelve string electric zither with an additional third bridge designed by Yuri Landman. The rod which functions as the third bridge divides the strings into two sections to cause an overtone multiphonic sound...
and a DIY-version of this instrument. When played at one part of a string, the opposed part starts to resonate
Resonance
In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...
, depending on a predictable mathematical ratio of the strings' lengths divided by the rod. If the rod is on a harmonic
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental...
position the created multiphonic
Multiphonic
Multiphonics is an extended technique in instrumental music in which a monophonic instrument is made to produce several notes at once....
tone is consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
and increases in volume and sustain because of the reciprocal string resonance. The sound is comparable with the sound of bells.
The instrument was nominated as one of the instruments for the second Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2010 at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, Atlanta. In 2010 the Musical Instrument Museum
Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix)
The Musical Instrument Museum is a music museum in Phoenix, Arizona. It is the biggest museum in the world of its type. It has a collection of over 15,000 musical instruments. It includes instruments from nearly 200 countries and territories in the world...
in Phoenix, Arizona included a Home Swinger as well as a Moodswinger in their collection as two pieces of the Dutch section of musical instrument inventions.
Several known artists, such as David Holmes
David Holmes (musician)
David Holmes is a Northern Irish DJ, musician and composer.-Career:Holmes began djing in Belfast from the age of 15. His first hit was the song "DeNiro", with Ashley Beedle, in 1992. In the early to mid 1990s he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain...
, Wu Fei
Wu Fei
Wu Fei is a composer, performer, and improviser from Beijing, China. She mainly performs on the ancient Chinese zither called guzheng, and also sings and plays the piano....
, These Are Powers
These Are Powers
These Are Powers is an experimental music group from Brooklyn, New York and Chicago, Illinois. The band mixes polyrhythm with samples and other electronic sounds and noise rock.-History:...
, The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...
, The Luyas
The Luyas
The Luyas are a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2006 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-History:The Luyas did their first live performance in December 2006...
, Micachu
Micachu
Mica Levi, known by her stage name Micachu , is an English singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. She is classically trained and is best known for experimental music in a variety of genres.-Biography:...
, A Place To Bury Strangers
A Place to Bury Strangers
A Place to Bury Strangers are a New York–based noise rock band composed of Oliver Ackermann , Dion Lunadon and Jay Space . The band plays a heavy, atmospheric wall of sound-influenced blend of psychedelic rock, shoegaze and space rock...
attended one of the workshops and have copies of the instrument.