节目资讯
刊物:空中英語教室
日期:2012-03-12
难易度:High
关键字:sustain, medieval, inhale, intricate, drone, crank
Welcome back from the break.
Now the one thing that our first two strange instruments have in common is a
single, continuous tone that we call a drone note.
And now, since you're familiar with what a drone note is,
you'll have a better idea of what our next strange instrument sounds like
because it, too, drones.
Allow us to introduce the very strange and ancient didgeridoo on line 24.
Strange Instruments.
Didgeridoo.
Some 2,000-year-old Australian aboriginal cave paintings show people playing
this wind instrument, but some claim that it originated 40,000 years ago.
Didgeridoos are long wooden tubes made from hollow trees.
Players use a technique called circular breathing, inhaling through their noses
while they blow into the instrument.
Glass Armonica.
American inventor Benjamin Franklin observed that rubbing one's wet fingers over
the rims of glasses produced a variety of notes, depending on the glasses'
sizes.
This observation inspired his "glass armonica," a long tube with wine glasses
mounted along it.
Pressing a foot pedal spins the tube so that the player can create intricate
melodies by touching the glasses.
All right. So we've seen a couple strange instruments, the bagpipes and the
hurdy-gurdy.
Kaylah, what is next?
Next is the Didgeridoo.
Now this one is really fun.
I think this is a crazy instrument.
Yeah. And it's also a lot of fun to say: the didgeridoo.
Now where... where is this actually from?
Well, Ryan, that's a good question.
Where does this instrument come from?
Well, in some 2,000-year-old Australian aboriginal cave paintings, we can see
people playing this wind instrument.
So we know it's from Australia.
OK. And you can see them playing it in cave paintings.
These are paintings that people painted in caves a long time ago.
But some people, Kaylah, actually claim that it originated 40,000 years ago.
So these paintings in the cave are drawn on the walls with their hands or with
tools like paintbrushes.
And those paintings are 2,000 years old.
But people think that this instrument can actually be 40,000 years old.
That is a very old style of instrument.
Yes, it is.
Now some of you may have seen a didgeridoo before, it's... they are long wooden
tubes made from hollow trees.
And they kind of make a weird sound, kind of like... (Background Noise).
Wow! That was an interesting demonstration.
OK. Well, they're made out of large wooden tubes from hollowed out trees.
Now when we say something is hollow, that means it is solid on the outside and
empty on the inside.
Yes. And they use these to make these tubes.
Now players use a technique called circular breathing.
A technique is just a way of doing something.
But how does circular breathing work?
Well, it means they're inhaling through their noses while they blow into the
instrument.
It's incredible.
I looked up and listened to this instrument.
It never stops playing because they keep breathing out and at the same time are
breathing in through their noses.
That's right. They're "inhaling" through their noses or breathing in, and so
they can keep playing this without stopping.
Really cool.
That's really cool to see.
And they get to use the whole instrument... their whole mouth to make the sound,
so it has some very cool sounds.
Exactly.
Well, we're moving on to another one.
We're going to America for the Glass Armonica.
Yes, the glass armonica.
And we see it was American inventor Benjamin Franklin who made this instrument.
And he observed that rubbing one's wet fingers over the rims of glasses produced
a variety of notes.
Now I've done this at my kitchen table, and my mother probably yelled at me for
doing it:
But you move your finger... you wet your finger and move it along the outside of
thin glass, of crystal glass, and it creates a humming sound.
Well, he found this worked.
And depending on the size of the glasses, you could get different notes, a
variety of notes.
Exactly. And this observation that he made inspired his "glass armonica," which
is a long tube with wine glasses actually mounted on it.
These wine glasses are not standing up, they're actually sideways, and they spin
around.
Now by pressing your foot on a pedal, it spins the tube so that then the glasses
are spinning so you don't have to move your finger around,
instead, the glass itself is in the spinning motion.
So imagine a long tube that could lay on your lap with glasses along it that are
all spinning, so then you wet your fingers and you can play it.
This is the only instrument I know of that you play with wet fingers.
Really cool.
So you just push your foot on a pedal, spins the tube that those glasses are
stuck on, and that way the player can make these different intricate melodies.
That's right. "Intricate" means it has a lot of little bitty pieces that work
together.
And they create these by simply touching the glasses.
It's a very cool-looking instrument.
Yes, it sounds very cool.
And we hope that you've enjoyed learning about these really strange instruments.
Now let's go watch the skit.
Today we're talking about strange instruments, but they're really hard to say.
And they're hard to play.
Yeah. But I have some other instruments here to show you.
Yes. These instruments aren't really strange, but they're a little unusual.
So Hazel, what instrument do you have?
This is called a banjo.
It has strings like a guitar but the shape is different.
And so is the sound.
(Music).
Hey, that's a happy sound.
I know. That's why I like the banjo.
It's often used in country style music.
That's great.
Yeah. And what instrument do you have, Campbell?
Well, I have a ukulele.
It looks like a baby guitar but it only has 1, 2, 3, 4 strings.
What's it called, a uku-whaty?
A ukulele.
Ukuleles come from Hawaii.
Oh. Are they easy to play?
Oh, sure.
(Music).
And they're a lot of fun.
Yeah, I think they're really popular right now too.
Yeah, they are.
And I want one.
You should get one.
Yeah. I think I will.
Hey, what's that?
This is called an accordion.
An accordion?
That's right.
How does it work?
It's got piano keys and it's also got some buttons over there.
That's right.
The right hand plays the piano keys, and the left hand plays the buttons.
Hmm. What about the middle part?
Oh. The middle opens and closes.
And that's what makes it so loud.
That's nice.
The accordion is... is really, really loud.
And that's why I really, really like it.
Listen how loud I can make it.
OK...
That's great, Hazel.
OK. You can stop now.
(Music).
OK... Well luckily, it's time to go.
We'll see you next time, everyone.
Bye.
I can make it even louder.
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And I guess we have to say goodbye now.
Take care and I'll see you soon.
Not so long ago, it was popular to get friends together and have an iPhone band.
Remember? Each member would play a different electronic instrument on their
phone.
But I think it would be great to hear a band made up of the four strange
instruments found in our lesson today:
the bagpipes, the hurdy-gurdy, the didgeridoo and the glass armonica.
Friends, check YouTube for videos of these strange instruments so you can hear
them in action.
And then be sure to join us tomorrow when we try to "twist your tongue." We'll
see you then.