Nail violin

A nail violin is a musical instrument, which has a sound box made of wood, as well as many arranged in a circular arc shape iron or steel pins. Played this instrument was a violin bow, which is why it is also one of the coating bar games.

Sound

The sound of the instrument was relatively subtle, but nonetheless pervasive. The most likely corresponded to the sound probably the one Geigenflageoletts.

History

As the inventor of the nail violin is considered the Bayer Johann Wilde. At this " creation" came when he slipped a nail when hanging his violin bow to the wall. The exact date is unclear, but it is the middle of the 18th century, thought to be " born ". However, will not have long survived the nail violin. By the mid- 19th century, it was only rarely encountered. The main producing countries were, among others, Germany and Sweden.

The oldest was probably a nail violin with only nine pins, which has been preserved in the collection of the Bach House in Eisenach. Normally pins were used by 37 - in New York was found even one with 66 pins. The sound box is usually half-or whole circular. However, it is difficult to prove that the instrument actually looked like. Many copies did not exist, museet only one at Nordiska, Sweden, 1792.

There was also a type which had 15-16 sympathetically resonating strings, usually adjacent to 49 pins. The development of this instrument in 1780 is attributed to the Bohemia Senal. Called it was Violino harmonico or Violino harmonica and was presented on tour in Germany. The original strings loose form in 1912 refreshed as Duolon again, in which a vocal bridge was come to the clamp- like sound pins.

Name

The nail violin was known by many other names. In Germany, these included "Needle violin ", " nail game", "Pen Game ", " pin harmonica ", " nail harmonica ", "American harmonica ", "American violin ", "Russian steel fiddle " or " iron violin ". In France, this corresponded to the "Violin de fer ", " harmony à clous de fer "; in English " Nail violin" and the Swedish " Jernviolin ", " Spikharmonika " and others.

Other instruments

In 1888 an instrument was created which worked on the same principle, but had a keyboard. It was named by Bramstedt " aliquot Prank Flute ". Here the pins were lifted by pressing the keyboard up and painted with a violin bow.

Cite

C. Sachs: handbook of musical instrument customer, Breitkopf and Härtel, Wiesbaden, 1979, pp. 66ff.