Virtuoso Pamelia Kurstin performs and discusses her theremin, the not-just-for-sci-fi electronic instrument that is played without being touched. Songs include “Autumn Leaves,” “Lush Life” and David Mash’s “Listen, Words Are Gone.”

The theremin, the first electronic instrument ever invented, was on the brink of historic oblivion when it was rescued from obscurity by director Steven Martin’s classic 1994 documentary Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey . And while a few brave souls have sought to master this temperamental instrument since then, none have done so with more sly effervescence than Pamelia Kurstin.
From the rock-steady composure she assumes behind the instrument (necessary lest her breathing drive the sensors out of tune), one might presume a shrinking conservatory personality, but a quick glance at the MySpace page or website of the self-described “bird-punching rollerskating thereminist” will quickly dash any of these quaint notions. Far from being a quirky curiosity, however, Kurstin is a sensitive, emotional stylist capable of coaxing sublime melodic content out of an instrument usually doomed to B-movie sci-fi soundtracks. (And her walking bass imitation is pretty cool too.)
Born in Los Angeles, Kurstin currently resides in Vienna, and performs with acclaimed eccentric rockers Barbez, among many others. Her latest solo CD, Thinking Out Loud, was released in 2007 on John Zorn’s legendary Tzadik label. She’ll bathe your dog and give you a haircut (”if you’re daring,” she warns) in exchange for a six-pack.

Today, we bring to you an instrument whose glimpse we had given in one of our earlier posts. The Xaphoon or Bamboo Sax is a single reed wind instrument that was invented during the 1970s by Hawaii based instrument maker Brian Wittman. Since Wittman stays in Maui, Hawaii from where he acquires the bamboo for making this instrument, it is often referred to as the Maui Xaphoon. Measuring only over a foot long (12.5 inches), the Xaphoon has a chromatic range of 2 octaves. Although it looks like a flute, the sound of a Xaphoon is more similar to a Saxophone or a clarinet (and hence the name Bamboo Sax).

Since its invention Wittman has made over 40,000 Xaphoons manually. Making a Xaphoon is quite a long and tedious process. Since the bamboos from which the Xaphoons are made have different dimensions, mass production is nearly impossible. The bamboo is cut and dried for six months before the production. Then the mouthpiece is cut out in a parabolic shape and the windpipe is carved skilfully. Another reason that makes the production of this instrument unique is that the tuning is done by the instrument maker based completely on his own judgement without using any measurements. Mineral oil and varnish are then applied to give a finishing touch. An impressive video of the production process is available on the official Xaphoon website.

The Xaphoon became so popular worldwide that it was impossible to fulfil all the orders in the traditional way. Hence, in 2000 an injection moulded Xaphoon called the pocket Sax was created. The pocket Sax is a much more portable and affordable instrument and is generally used by beginners to get a hang of the instrument. With some colours added, the instrument looks even cooler. The Cobalt Blue Pocket Sax appears dark until held in light and in a proper arrangement creates a perfect jazzy ambience.

Just like the Hang Drum, the Xaphoon has not yet found its way into popular music despite its beautiful soothing sound. A story goes that Simon and Garfunkel used a Xaphoon during one of their Australian concerts. Paul Simon also featured the instrument prominently during his 2006 U.S. tour. Mark Stuart who plays Xaphoon with Paul Simon is the most celebrated Xaphoon player of all. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton, who is himself a saxophone player, was apparently impressed by the Xaphoon when it was played at a TED conference in 2007.

It is said that the Xaphoon is one of the easiest wind instrument to learn and it produces a wide variety of sounds. Also at $50, the pocket sax is highly affordable. So the next time you feel like learning an exotic instrument do place an order for the Xaphoon.  Unlike the usual, we leave you today with the audio files of some classics played on the Xaphoon. Also check out a Scottish Fusion band playing a Bollywood number on the Xaphoon. Enjoy!

Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘El Condor Pasa’ on the Xaphoon

The Beatles – When I’m 64 on the Xaphoon

Pink Panther Theme

Scottish Fusion Band “Highland Baja” playing “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”

Appearance can sometimes be deceptive. This instrument here that looks like a miniature flying saucer or two cooking pans put on top of each other would seem like some traditional percussion instrument that produces gong-like sounds. It has however been invented as late as 2000 A.D. after an extensive research on gongs, Ghatam, cow bells, drums and other percussion instruments. You will really appreciate the research that has gone into the making of this instrument after you have heard its melodious sound. Few percussion instruments that I know of produce sound as sweet as this one.

The Hang [pronounced ‘Hung’] was created by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer of the PANArt Company in Switzerland in 2000 and was first displayed at the Frankfurt music fair in 2001. The hang consists of two steel pans with nitride surface that are attached to each other. The top side [called the ding side] contains eight tone fields which together form the tone circle. This circle surrounds a central dome called the Ding. The other side is called the Gu side which is a plain steel pan with a hand sized hole in the middle for sound resonance. [For the techies: it is a Helmholtz resonator; remember the tuning fork and resonance tube experiments of your schooldays]

There are many ways to invite the Hang to sound: with fingertips, thumbs, and the heel of the palm – and a mix of all three. Most of the time, the Hang sits on the player’s knees, but you also could play it on a drum stand. Players can let their hands and their feelings discover how to play.

If you have a Hang you can put it under the rain and you will listen the symphony of the gods! it make a exact time song and it’s so deep.

- Joan Oench

The Hang is produced only in Bern, Switzerland and hence is a very difficult instrument to obtain. The creators only by the PANArt company which is a small company and hence produces a very limited number per year. You have to either go to Bern and obtain one yourself or write a letter to the company for obtaining one. It is not just a simple letter but more like an SOP for obtaining a hang. If they don’t like you, you may have to wait for a long time to get it.

The instrument being so rare and so young has not been used much in mainstream music. However, it sounds do fantastic by itself that it does not need the company of an orchestra for one to appreciate it. We have shown here a few videos that will give you a sneak preview of this fantastic instrument. Soon we will be back with another such rare and lovely instrument. Until then, enjoy!

Randy Granger gives an introduction to the Hang (beware of his bad jokes! )

Biddle de duddle de doo!

In 1968, the Scottish musician Donovan released a hit single called The Hurdy Gurdy Man. The name of the song was inspired by his friend Mac Macleod’s band Hurdy Gurdy. Neither the song nor the band had anybody who played a hurdy gurdy. However, the repeated reference to hurdy gurdy in the song did help revive an almost forgotten musical instrument and it was used by a lot of contemporary musicians in the days to follow.

The hurdy gurdy is quite unique in its structure. Since it is considered to be a folk instrument, it does not have a standard structure and hence a lot of variants are available. However, the three key parts of the instrument are the strings, the wheel and the keys which are constant across all designs. The rosined wheel is rotated by a crank that moves against the strings similar to a violin bow. There are two types of strings in this instrument – the melody strings and the drone strings. The drone strings give a constant pitch to accompany the melody that is produced by the strings passing through the key-box. Because of the constant pitch created by the drone strings, many people often confuse it with a bagpipe. The keys are connected to the melody strings through tangents that create the notes of the melody. The unique structure of this instrument makes it a rare keyboard instrument on which one can bend notes.

The Hurdy Gurdy is nowadays considered to be a Celtic instrument. However, its origins maybe traced back to the middle-east. The earlier version of this instrument was called the Organistrum and it was played by two people with one turning the wheel and the other pulling the keys. Later the instrument was modified so that a single person could play the instrument by turning the wheel with his right hand and playing the keys with his right. The Hurdy Gurdy was quite popular in Europe during the medieval and Renaissance period. However, the instrument lost its noble patronage as it provided only a limited range of notes and new age music demanded polyphonic instruments. During the 18th century, however, French Rococo tastes for rustic diversions brought the hurdy gurdy back to the attention of the upper classes, where it acquired tremendous popularity among the nobility, with famous composers writing works for the hurdy gurdy. By the twentieth century, the instrument had again almost become extinct.

As mentioned before, the instrument came back into public consciousness due to Donovan’s song The Hurdy Gurdy Man. In contemporary times, a lot of musicians have used the Hurdy Gurdy, however, only rarely. Ritchie Blackmore, former guitarist of the band Deep Purple sometimes plays Hurdy Gurdy while playing for his band Blackmore’s Night. Metallica used a hurdy gurdy in their song Low Man’s Lyric from the album ReLoad which was played by David Miles. Sting played a hurdy gurdy accompanying Alison Krauss in the song You Will Be My Ain True Love from the Cold Mountain soundtrack.

Although this instrument has been used off and on in contemporary music, there are few well known dedicated players of hurdy gurdy. The most well known amongst them is probably Nigel Eaton who has released 10 albums as a hurdy gurdy player and also accompanied well known artists such as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. To revive interest in the instrument, a group of enthusiasts has started the annual Hurdy Gurdy festival which takes place in UK during the months of April every year since 2007. We can only hope that their efforts would prevent it from getting extinct once again.

Melissa The Loud talks about Hurdy Gurdy and music.

A beautiful solo on the Hurdy Gurdy

Ritchie Blackmore Playing the hurdy gurdy

Donovan – The Hurdy Gurdy Man

It was one fine day in 1968 when a 15 year old Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who was then learning the Sitar, stumbled across a Spanish guitar brought by a German student at his father Manmohan Bhatt’s music school. He set about experimenting with it, trying to modify its structure to suit Indian music. What resulted was an Indian version of the Hawaiian slide guitar designed to play Indian classical music, the Mohan Veena.

Most basically an archtop guitar, the Mohan Veena consists of 20 strings, three melody strings and five drone strings coming out of the peg heads and 12 sympathetic strings wound around respective tuning pegs set on a piece of wood by the side of the neck. It is played like a Hawaiian slide guitar, with the first two fingers of the right hand used to strike the string (a technique developed by Bhatt himself) with a metal or plastic wrap for the thumb, and the left hand for sliding with the help of a steel rod or slide.

Bhatt drew a lot of flak from the purists for what they termed as a dilution of traditional music, when he forayed into fusion music with the Mohan Veena. Nevertheless, he has managed to silence the critics with his immense success in the field, even winning a Grammy in 1994 for the album A Meeting by the River done with American slide guitarist Ry Cooder. Unknown to a lot of people, he has played in movies for A R Rahman in movies like Iruvar. The distinct sound of the Mohan Veena can be discerned especially in the interludes of the song Narumugaiye. There is a Mohan Veena solo version of Jana Gana Mana in Rahman’s album of the same name. He also scored music for a Hindi movie named Bawandar. Other famous players of the Mohan Veena include folk musician Harry Manx who studied as a student of Bhatt for five years, and Matt Malley, founder and bass guitarist of rock band Counting Crows.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s elder son Salil Bhatt is an accomplished player of the Mohan Veena. Not to be outdone by his father, he went on to create his own version of the instrument, which he calls the Satvik Veena. While the shape and design are almost similar, Satvik Veena is an all-wooden instrument, tail-piece, tuning pegs and all, as opposed to the metal counterparts on a Mohan Veena. The tuning pegs are also concealed in a Satvik Veena, thereby keeping the tuning intact. And Salil with his Satvik Veena has already won a lot of acclaims all over the world. Talk about chip off the old block!!

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s solo version of Jana Gana Mana in Rahman’s album.

Harry Manx talking about the Mohan Veena and performing Reuben’s Train on the same.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Mohan Veena), Salil Bhatt (Satvik Veena) and Doug Cox (Dobro) performing a piece from their album Band of Gypsies

The name John McLaughlin needs no introduction to music followers we believe, especially jazz and fusion followers. In case he does, a pretty detailed one shall be given in our Gods of Guitar section soon enough and we don’t want to kill the suspense right away! This article would rather deal with an instrument made specially to his specifications, an experimental guitar which he christened the Shakti Guitar.

The idea for the Shakti Guitar struck McLaughlin early 1971 after he started learning Veena, a South-Indian stringed musical instrument, under Dr. S. Ramanathan, then a teacher of South Indian music at the University of Connecticut. When McLaughlin formed the fusion band Shakti with Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar and Vikku Vinayakram, he started looking for a Veena-like articulation in his guitar which led him to Abraham Wechter, a consulting luthier for Gibson guitars. In collaboration with the Gibson R&D team and helped by the ideas from the Sarod(a North-Indian stringed musical instrument) maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, McLaughlin took his first Shakti guitar to stage for the Shakti concerts in the 1975-1976 timeframe.

Coming to what a Shakti guitar is all about, it mainly differs from the normal guitar in terms of its 13 strings, made up of seven drone strings in addition to the standard six. The seven sympathetic drone strings are placed beneath and diagonal to the standard ones. Another innovation was the scalloped fingerboard, ie, the area between the frets were shaped concavely similar to that of a Veena. This ensured that the fingertips didn’t touch the fretboard while playing, and also enabled pushing down

The scalloped fingerboard of a Veena

and pulling of strings across frets. What resulted from all this was a radically new sound that had never before been heard from a guitar.

The Shakti guitar was used extensively by McLaughlin during his Shakti concerts till late 1970s. In 1978 however the band got broken due to various reasons, and that unfortunately was the last that was seen of the Shakti guitar. In 1997 when the band was reincarnated as Remember Shakti, he could not use the Shakti guitar as it had been previously lent to a musician and was returned in a totally unusable condition. McLaughlin instead went for Gibson Johnny Smith, a hollow bodied acoustic-electric guitar that he had been playing in between. The Shakti guitar was not seen to return even in the subsequent concerts of Remember Shakti, the last one being in 2007. Here is hoping that John McLaughlin decides to use the great instrument in the near future so that the current generation gets to see it live in action.

John McLaughlin playing his Shakti guitar at Shakti’s Montreal concert in 1976

We kick off this series with an instrument recently used by A R Rahman in the soundtrack of the movie Delhi 6. People who listened to Rehna Tu from the movie might have noticed a different-sounding instrument towards the end of the song. This is the instrument of our concern in this article.
Developed by Lippold Haken, a professor of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of University of Illinois, the continuum fingerboard is technically a music controller as opposed to a proper instrument, in that it cannot generate sounds of its own and works in conjunction with an instrument like a synthesizer. The continuum provides sound control in three dimensions, ie, three directions of finger movement. The x direction, ie, finger movement across the instrument provides continuous pitch control. This is considered one of the biggest advantages of continuum over the keyboard, ie, it allows seamless transition from note to note like a violin or a wind instrument. The y direction, ie, width-wise movement along a single key, controls the timbre. The z direction which corresponds to changing the finger pressure on the key helps vary the strength and intensity of output, providing for effects like tremolo.
The continuum fingerboard first hit the limelight in 2005 when Dream Theater’s keyboardist Jordan Rudess used it in the album Octavarium for a couple of songs. Subsequently he played it during the 2005-06 Twentieth Anniversary tour of Dream Theater, one of the first occasions of the Continuum being used live on stage. It was also used in the background of the movies War of the Worlds and Superman Returns, but only for creating special sound effects. The first full scale usage as a musical instrument in a movie OST came with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull scored by John Williams. A R Rahman started using it as part of his Third Dimension North American tour in 2007, giving a verbal introduction of the instrument at the start of each of his concerts there. After his return to India, he used it in a piece he composed for the Changing Notes Concert held in Chennai as part of Times of India’s Chennai edition launch. And now comes this song from Delhi 6 where it has been used extensively for close to 2 minutes towards the end (4:48 – 6.30). A comparison of the playing styles of Rahman and Rudess clearly brings out the range of sounds that can be produced using this instrument. Other famous players of this instrument include John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and Terry Lawless.
It is good to see the efforts of the professor bearing fruit, as the continuum has now overcome the image of a freak contraption and has grown into a full scale orchestral instrument. And given Rahman’s penchant for having a difference in his music, we surely are going to hear more of the continuum fingerboard in lots of future albums. The continuum fingerboard is being sold by Haken Audios.

Rehna Tu from Delhi 6

A R Rahman’s composition for the Changing Notes concert in Chennai

Jordan Rudess introducing the continuum fingerboard among his other instruments prior to Dream Theater’s concert in Rome