Sound of Tine, Tooth and Tongue
By Robbie Rhodes
In my list of music devices and mechanical tone generators I said that the sound in a music box is created by "plucked pendant metal tines". "Pendant", in this case, denotes "hanging or suspended" -- perhaps not the best description.
Beatrice Robertson sent these definitions appearing in the music box reference books:
Tallis: "plucked tuned steel tongues"
Bulleid: "plucked tuned steel teeth"
Webb: "plucked tuned metal teeth"
Ord-Hume: "plucked tuned steel element capable of vibrating"
I guess I'll use the "tongues" definition from Tallis above, because I don't agree with "teeth". I think "tongue" is better; it surely has a parallel in the tongue of the organ reed (and accordion and harmonica). And consider this: if the tongue of a reed is plucked it generates the same type of sound as a music box. Conversely, I bet that a music box comb fitted with air channels could be used like a rank of organ reeds!
In English we say, "the teeth of a comb", but also "the tines of a fork or rake". The tuning-fork used in the lab and for tuning the piano has two tines. I view teeth as short and stubby, while tines are long and thin. In more typical usage neither teeth nor tines are associated with vibration, but the tongue certainly is!
My purpose is not to force a new definition on the music box world; there the traditional terms must be preserved. Rather, I am exploring better definitions and terms for delineating categories, which are based upon physics and physical properties instead of traditional origins.
Robbie Rhodes |
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Mechanical
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