Monochord Strings

[Don]

Hi Avery,

Try http://www.systransoft.com/



At 05:31 PM 1/26/2004 -0600, you wrote:
>  Isaac, 
>
> And that translates to what in the U. S. ?????? 
>
> Avery 
>
> At 04:32 PM 1/26/04, you wrote:
>    moi j'ai essayé mais Minimens est bloqué en mode démo (pas de C3, 4 ou
>whatever).
>  
> En tout cas le niveau de documentation du sieur Lester est plus que
correct !
>  
> Amitiés..
>  
> Isaac
>   -----Message d'origine-----
>  De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
>part de Lesher, Trent J.
>  Envoyé : lundi 26 janvier 2004 20:26
>  À : pianotech
>  Objet : RE: Monochord Strings
>
>    
> 
>      And hopefully somebody will be kind enough to let me know if I commit
>any factual blunders, so I won't remain deluded too long.) 
> 
>  &   So that means probably one string is going to be used as an aural
>reference to the starting point, and so you can hear the two notes of an
>interval sounded together, and the bridge is going to be moved up and down
>on the other string to show how dividing it into different ratios produces
>familiar (or unfamiliar) intervals. 
> 
>    (I think I figured all that right.)
> 
>  """ "   I wonder how it was determined that the string should be at C3?
> 
>  " plain wire string is also supposed to be C3, that string would seem to
>have about exactly 50 pounds tension on it, so I'll take that as the upper
>tension limit for the other string.
> 
>  So keeping it at C3, what non-wound (for the sake of ease of
>sliding/wearability) options other than regular steel music wire are there? 
> 
>    "  Here's a site with some data on phosphor bronze:
>http://www.nbm-houston.com/bronze/bronze524.html "" variety of phosphor
>bronze would apply to music wire.) 
> 
>  Plain gut and nylon brought to the same pitch come out about the same as
>plain steel as far as percentage of breaking strain is concerned, so I'm
>assuming their medium wouldn't be solicited any better and they probably
>wouldn't sound any better, plus they're stretchy and harder to keep in
>precise tune and wouldn't be very loud or sustain very long (or have as
>strong harmonics to demonstrate beating with). 
> 
>   " "  You might have better sources already, but here's a site anyway for
>a whole variety of modern and historical plain wires including these
>(several types of steel and iron, brass, several types of bronze, etc.):
>http://www.fortepiano.com/owners.htm.
> 
>  " (.53mm) to keep the tension at about 50 lbs per string. 
> 
>     """""  "" " speaking length unless you get them custom or something. 
> 
>  """"  "" ""   " (price $1.22), but it's not clear how long they come.)
> 
>  There's a string tension calculator based on D'Addario strings at
>http://www.pacificsites.net/~dog/StringTensionApplet.html" "" mode, it's
>easier to see what's going on.)
> 
>  "), but it seems that at C3 the strings they make for that would put well
>over 100 pounds tension per string on your monochord.
> 
>      Since the pressure and friction on the bridge would be a lot less,
>maybe these less durable windings would work out all right.
> 
>  This site has most of the non-steel strings mentioned so far, for the
>gauge and length you specify: http://members.aol.com/mwstrings/markwood.htm
>  Here's another site: http://www.harpmall.com/harp_strings.htm. 
> 
>  "" that seems best (like Malcolm Rose) rather than using a wound nylon or
>gut core, just for the sake (if I'm imagining this device and the situation
>it will be in half-right) of some volume and better sustain as well as
>stronger harmonics for classroom demonstration purpose. 
> 
>  "" &   http://www.parkepianostrings.com.au/about.php#music or
>http://www.malinco.com/industrial/ that include smaller-than-piano-gauge
>strings. 
> 
>    To keep the tension within a 2-3 pounds of the current string on there,
>F# could be .021, and F could be .022. 
> 
>  If you used gut or nylon at these same higher tunings, I guess the
>results should be good, but not very robust or sustaining, and your total
>tension would be only about 1/6 or 1/7 for the same steel wire gauge,
>though you'd probably automatically use a somewhat larger gauge. 
> 
>    I think .027 gauge bronze wire would be about equivalent tension to
>.029 in steel wire because it's about 13% heavier. 
> 
>  &""   (Not that I have a lot of time on my hands, it's just I have a lot
>to learn and it seems like it would be an interesting experiment.)
> 
>    (If anybody is interested, I can share some of the materials
>data/equations/assumptions I'm going on for these speculations.) 
> 
>  ""  Any comments out there?
> 
>  Trent Lesher
> 
>  & composer, generally curious, and, based on recommendations from this
>list, just started taking the Randy Potter course.)
> 
>   
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: Avery Todd [mailto:avery@ev1.net]
>  Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 9:51 PM
>  To: pianotech
>  Subject: Monochord
>
>  List,
>
>  I've put this on the caut list also, but by the time I left
>  today, had not found out anything. 
>
>  Does anyone know anything about these? One of our theory
>  professors found one in storage here and wants to use it
>  in some of his classes. The problem right now is that one
>  of the 2 strings is missing.
>
>  Here are some specs:
>  ") speaking length
>  pitch should be 1 octave below middle C
>  current gage is .029 (12 ga. in piano wire)
>
>  There is also a movable bridge, so the tension
>  "" great on it.
>
>  Does anyone know the appropriate type of wire for this?
>  Harpsichord wire seems like it would be too thin. How
>  about Fortepiano wire?
>
>  The current string does not seem to be piano wire and
>  I think that would be too heavy for this.
>
>  Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>
>  ======================================================
>  At 09:56 AM 1/22/04, you wrote:
>  The problem right now is that one
>  of the 2 strings is missing.
>
>               :)
>
>  ======================================================
>  "" 
>  having 2 strings, :-) here's what I found on a Google search. 
>
>  ===============================================================
>  I wondered about the two strings, also. 
>
>  But from a Google search I did, I found this at
>
>  http://folklora.lv/muzikas/giga/en.shtml
>
>      The monochord has been created in Sweden in 1829 for accompaniment of
>spiritual singing. 
>  Probably through the Lutheran parochial schools, monochord has got to the
>Latvian peasants, 
>  and they have begun to play on it, to make it and to improve it (the same
>instrument, but with 
>  two strings has been developed).
>
>     Monochord consists of a long, rectangular body, stuck or hammered
>together from wooden plates. 
>  In the upper plate the sound holes are cut and a stepped rod (neck) is
>attached, on which a string 
>  (or two) is put.
>
>  And from a different site: 
>
>  http://4.1911encyclopedia.org/M/MO/MONOCHORD.htm
>
>  In order the better to seize the relation. of various intervals, 
>  a second string tuned to the same note, but out of reach of 
>  the bridge, was sometimes added to give the fundamental. 
>
>  Avery 
>
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Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.

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