Waterphone
Encyclopedia
A waterphone is a type of atonal acoustic musical instrument
constructed largely of a stainless steel
resonator "bowl" with a cylindrical "neck", which may or may not contain a small amount of water, and with brass rods around the rim of the bowl. The waterphone produces a vibrant ethereal type of music.
Several sizes and design variants of the instrument are available. It is generally played in a seated position by a soloist and played by bowing or drumming and movement so as to affect the water inside, and thus the resonant characteristics of the bowl and rods. The waterphone is recognized as a true musical instrument and appears in movie soundtracks, record albums, and is used in live performance.
The waterphone is a modern invention inspired by the "Tibetan Water Drum, a round, slightly flattened, bronze, drum with an aperture in the center top," according to the inventor of the waterphone, Richard A. Waters. The waterphone in part revives the sound-producing principle of an earlier instrument called a nail violin
, which also used a resonator and rods (nails), and was struck or bowed.
Contemporary classical composers who have written parts for waterphone in compositions include Sofia Gubaidulina
, Jerry Goldsmith
, John Mackey
, Tan Dun
, Christopher Rouse, Colin Matthews
, Carson Cooman, Andi Spicer
, Andrew Carter and Todd Barton. It has also been used prominently by rock musicians Richard Barone
and Alex Wong (when playing with Vienna Teng
) and can be heard in music by The Harmonica Pocket. Canadian musician/composer, Robert Minden, has been composing for his collection of vintage Richard Waters waterphones on many recordings since the mid 1980s. "Like Light Off Water" http://www.lostsound.com/recordings/default.html uses 5 unique waterphones created by Richard Waters between 1975- 1990. Worlds Away (Strange Advance album)
The waterphone has been featured in the soundtracks to many movies, including Let the Right One In (film) (2008), The Matrix
, Star Trek: The Motion Picture
, Dark Water (2002 film)
, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
, ALIENS
, as well as in Tan Dun
's opera The First Emperor
(2006). A sound sample can be found at The Freesound Project
.
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...
constructed largely of a stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
resonator "bowl" with a cylindrical "neck", which may or may not contain a small amount of water, and with brass rods around the rim of the bowl. The waterphone produces a vibrant ethereal type of music.
Several sizes and design variants of the instrument are available. It is generally played in a seated position by a soloist and played by bowing or drumming and movement so as to affect the water inside, and thus the resonant characteristics of the bowl and rods. The waterphone is recognized as a true musical instrument and appears in movie soundtracks, record albums, and is used in live performance.
The waterphone is a modern invention inspired by the "Tibetan Water Drum, a round, slightly flattened, bronze, drum with an aperture in the center top," according to the inventor of the waterphone, Richard A. Waters. The waterphone in part revives the sound-producing principle of an earlier instrument called a nail violin
Nail violin
The nail violin is a musical instrument which was invented by German violinist Johann Wilde in 1740. Wilde was inspired to create the instrument when he accidentally drew his bow across a metal peg, which produced a musical sound...
, which also used a resonator and rods (nails), and was struck or bowed.
Contemporary classical composers who have written parts for waterphone in compositions include Sofia Gubaidulina
Sofia Gubaidulina
Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, is a Russian composer of half Russian, half Tatar ethnicity.Gubaidulina's music is marked by the use of unusual instrumental combinations...
, Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
, John Mackey
John Mackey (composer)
John Mackey is an American composer of classical music, with an emphasis on music for wind band, as well as orchestra. For several years, he focused on music for modern dance and ballet.-Background:...
, Tan Dun
Tan Dun
Tan Dun is a Chinese contemporary classical composer, most widely known for his scores for the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.-Early life in China:...
, Christopher Rouse, Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews OBE is an English composer of classical music.-Early life and education:Matthews was born in London in 1946; his older brother is the composer David Matthews. He read classics at the University of Nottingham, and then studied composition there with Arnold Whittall, and with Nicholas...
, Carson Cooman, Andi Spicer
Andi Spicer
Andrew John Preston "Andi" Spicer , is a British electroacoustic classical music composer who uses electronics in his compositions.The composer is also a writer and journalist...
, Andrew Carter and Todd Barton. It has also been used prominently by rock musicians Richard Barone
Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida who gained attention as frontman for The Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created major concert events at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl and New York's...
and Alex Wong (when playing with Vienna Teng
Vienna Teng
Cynthia Yih Shih , better known by her stage name Vienna Teng, is a Taiwanese American pianist and singer-songwriter based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Teng has released four studio albums: Waking Hour , Warm Strangers , Dreaming Through the Noise , and Inland Territory...
) and can be heard in music by The Harmonica Pocket. Canadian musician/composer, Robert Minden, has been composing for his collection of vintage Richard Waters waterphones on many recordings since the mid 1980s. "Like Light Off Water" http://www.lostsound.com/recordings/default.html uses 5 unique waterphones created by Richard Waters between 1975- 1990. Worlds Away (Strange Advance album)
Worlds Away (Strange Advance album)
-References:* - Worlds Away entry...
The waterphone has been featured in the soundtracks to many movies, including Let the Right One In (film) (2008), The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
, Dark Water (2002 film)
Dark Water (2002 film)
Dark Water is a 2002 Japanese drama-horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, the director of Ring and Ring 2. Dark Water is based on Floating Water, a short story by Koji Suzuki. Its Japanese name is Honogurai mizu no soko kara , which is also the name of the horror anthology by Koji Suzuki...
, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen...
, ALIENS
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
, as well as in Tan Dun
Tan Dun
Tan Dun is a Chinese contemporary classical composer, most widely known for his scores for the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.-Early life in China:...
's opera The First Emperor
The First Emperor
The First Emperor is an opera in two acts with a libretto written in English by Tan Dun and Ha Jin, and music by Tan Dun. The opera received its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center in New York City on 21 December 2006, conducted by the composer and with Plácido Domingo in the...
(2006). A sound sample can be found at The Freesound Project
The Freesound Project
The Freesound Project is a repository of Creative Commons licensed audio samples. Sounds uploaded to the website by its users cover a wide range of subjects, from field recordings to synthesized sound effects. All audio content in the repository is released under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus...
.
Related instruments
- Armonica (glass harmonica), uses water (wet hands) on glass, invented by Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
(inspired by Franklin's love of water); - Nail violinNail violinThe nail violin is a musical instrument which was invented by German violinist Johann Wilde in 1740. Wilde was inspired to create the instrument when he accidentally drew his bow across a metal peg, which produced a musical sound...
; - Water organWater organThe water organ or hydraulic organ is a type of pipe organ blown by air, where the power source pushing the air is derived by water from a natural source or by a manual pump...
and hydraulis; - HydraulophoneHydraulophoneA hydraulophone is a tonal acoustic musical instrument played by direct physical contact with water where sound is generated or affected hydraulically. Typically sound is produced by the same hydraulic fluid in contact with the player's fingers...
, an instrument that's like a woodwind instrument but uses water instead of air, and is played by blocking water jets emerging from a water fountain.