Lithophone

This postcard from 1906 illustrates the method of early lithophone performances in Luray Caverns, Virginia, United States

A lithophone is a musical instrument consisting of a rock or pieces of rock which are struck to produce musical notes. Notes may be sounded in combination (producing harmony) or in succession (melody). The lithophone is an idiophone similar to the bars on instruments such as the glockenspiel, metallophone, xylophone and marimba.

In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, lithophones are designated as '111.22' directly-struck percussion plaques.

Notable examples

A more sophisticated lithophone trims and mounts individual stones to achieve a full-scale idiophone:

The German composer Carl Orff calls for a lithophone called Steinspiel in his later works. Some lithophones include electric pickups to amplify the sounds.

See also

References

  1. P. Yule/M. Bemmann, Klangsteine aus Orissa Die frühesten Musikinstrumente Indiens?, Archaeologia Musicalis 2.1, 1988, 41–50 (also in English and French); Paul Yule, Rätsel indischer Kultur, in: H.-G. Niemeyer - R. Pörtner (eds.), Die großen Abenteuer der Archäologie (Salzburg 1987) vol. 10, p. 3739 ISBN 385012150X.
  2. "Musical Stones: Rock music from the Cumbrian Hills". Brantwood Trust. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. A clip of Sigur Rós playing the slate marimba can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3D5431SPs&feature=related

External links

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