Stereogum Home

 

August 28, 2006

The Ultimate Math Rock Instrument

Seed Magazine (link via Jim) reports:

In 580 BC the Greek philosopher Pythagoras discovered that harmonies could be expressed mathematically. His insight, which is based on the observation that doubling or halving the size of an instrument's string produces a new octave, is the cornerstone of the musical scale.

Twenty-five hundred years later, two Canadian mathematicians from the University of Moncton in New Brunswick have created an entirely new kind of string instrument that exploits a kind of mathematics owing more to Pythagoras's theorem for triangles than to anything he ever thought about music.

The Tritare is a Y-shaped guitar-like instrument, custom made by Claude Gauthier and Samuel Gaudet. The strings twist through three necks (Spinal Tap, eat your heart out), all of which project from the body of the instrument at different angles. When strummed, the result is a "network" of vibrations that yields a sound somewhere between that of a regular guitar and a gong.

Whoa. It's like ... one of those guitars that are like ... double guitars. But triple.

Posted at 12:37 PM




6 Comments

That's pretty badass.

Posted by: Van at 08/28/06 1:40 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Looks amazing, but sounds pretty crap - although I base that only on the first sample on their site.

Posted by: Andrew at 08/28/06 1:51 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Thus begins the countdown to the first YouTube video of some kid playing Pachelbel's Canon on one of these.

Posted by: mike at 08/28/06 4:12 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Thus begins the countdown to the first YouTube video of some kid playing Pachelbel's Canon on one of these.

Posted by: mike at 08/28/06 4:17 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Flippin' sweet, is what I think.

Posted by: a is for applebits at 08/28/06 7:14 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

If only Donald Duck had one of these in Mathmagic Land.

Posted by: Ben at 08/29/06 12:01 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Beck - Little Hands (Feat. Feist, Wilco And Jamie Lidell) (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo