| Revision as of 06:15, 30 December 2009 editDiarmuidPigott (talk | contribs)141 edits removed advert note and wrote material critical of instrument. Added references← Previous edit | Revision as of 06:16, 30 December 2009 edit undoVanished user 24kwjf10h32h (talk | contribs)25,250 editsm Reverted edits by DiarmuidPigott (talk) to last version by MisterWikiNext edit → | ||
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| The Guitaret is an ] made by ] and invented by ], in 1963. It was one of a series of such instruments including the ] and the ]. | The Guitaret is an ] made by ] and invented by ], in 1963. It was one of a series of such instruments including the ] and the ]. | ||
| ] | ] | ||
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| ] | ] | ||
| The reeds of the instrument are enclosed in a metalic box, with the only the very tips of the reeds protruding. They are activated by being plucked by fingers or the right hand in the manner of an mbira, and damped by the left hand using a large pedal-like button on an extension to the instrument. In addition, a set of undampened, unplucked reeds act as a kind of reverb to the others. It was designed to be amplified: the instrument itself is very quiet, and it is amplified by two Wurlitzer-style ] running the full length of the reedbank, connected via a DIN 3pin plug. The manual recommends the Hohner ORGAPHON 18 as an amplifier. It was launched at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 1963. | The reeds of the instrument are enclosed in a metalic box, with the only the very tips of the reeds protruding. They are activated by being plucked by fingers or the right hand in the manner of an mbira, and damped by the left hand using a large pedal-like button on an extension to the instrument. In addition, a set of undampened, unplucked reeds act as a kind of reverb to the others. It was designed to be amplified: the instrument itself is very quiet, and it is amplified by two Wurlitzer-style ] running the full length of the reedbank, connected via a DIN 3pin plug. The manual recommends the Hohner ORGAPHON 18 as an amplifier. It was launched at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 1963. | ||
| From the manual |
From the manual: | ||
| <blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
| The Hohner Guitaret is a new rhythm instrument, with a sound similar to the guitar or banjo. Its easy handling permits after only a little practice a perfect rhythm-playing for a dance band or jazz combo. | The Hohner Guitaret is a new rhythm instrument, with a sound similar to the guitar or banjo. Its easy handling permits after only a little practice a perfect rhythm-playing for a dance band or jazz combo. | ||
| </blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
| The instrument itself was not popular, and was dropped from the product line in 1965, presumably because it failed to excite the market. It was one of a number of experiments that Zacharias made converting non-standard musical instruments to modern ones. The ] which was derived from the ] and the ] which was possibly derived from the ] were also dropped at the same time. Instruments that have survived have problems with the reed dampening system, which means that the instrument has come to be played with two hands. | |||
| Despite its obsolescence, its distinct tone has made it popular in both retro- and colourist settings, and it has experienced somewhat of a revival. It has been featured in soundtracks recently for this very reason <ref>"I ended up playing a lot of guitaret (the rare thumb piano-like instrument that Eno gave me" Leo Abrahams, review of Searching 1906</ref>. | |||
| ==Note layout and chords== | ==Note layout and chords== | ||
| The instrument was designed for accompaniment, with the tongues arranged as a set of note clusters arranged in the order of the cycle of fifths. | The instrument was designed for accompaniment, with the tongues arranged as a set of note clusters arranged in the order of the cycle of fifths. | ||
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| <br />] | <br />] | ||
| ==Guitaret performers== | ==Guitaret performers== | ||
| *It is featured on Leo Abrahams' work (he was given a Guitaret by Brian Eno. Leo plays the Guitaret on the soundtrack for "Searching 1906". | *It is featured on Leo Abrahams' work (he was given a Guitaret by Brian Eno. Leo plays the Guitaret on the soundtrack for "Searching 1906" ("I ended up playing a lot of guitaret (the rare thumb piano-like instrument that Eno gave me"). | ||
| *] plays Guitaret both on the ] album and on the ] | *] plays Guitaret both on the ] album and on the ] | ||
| *Max Eastley (creator of instruments) plays Guitaret according to the Lord Jazz Dicography | *Max Eastley (creator of instruments) plays Guitaret according to the Lord Jazz Dicography | ||
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| *Abandon the Earth Mission features a Guitaret | *Abandon the Earth Mission features a Guitaret | ||
| *It is sampled in the MOTU Electric Keys, so the Guitaret sound is likely heard more than the Guitaret itself. | *It is sampled in the MOTU Electric Keys, so the Guitaret sound is likely heard more than the Guitaret itself. | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | |||
| *There was an extended on the Guitaret the on the Music Thing blog, and two recordings were made to illustrate its sound - these recordings are now on YouTube and | |||
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| * includes videos | |||
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| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
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The Guitaret is an electric lamellophone made by Hohner and invented by Ernst Zacharias, in 1963. It was one of a series of such instruments including the Clavinet and the Pianet.
The reeds of the instrument are enclosed in a metalic box, with the only the very tips of the reeds protruding. They are activated by being plucked by fingers or the right hand in the manner of an mbira, and damped by the left hand using a large pedal-like button on an extension to the instrument. In addition, a set of undampened, unplucked reeds act as a kind of reverb to the others. It was designed to be amplified: the instrument itself is very quiet, and it is amplified by two Wurlitzer-style electrostatic pickups running the full length of the reedbank, connected via a DIN 3pin plug. The manual recommends the Hohner ORGAPHON 18 as an amplifier. It was launched at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 1963. From the manual:
The Hohner Guitaret is a new rhythm instrument, with a sound similar to the guitar or banjo. Its easy handling permits after only a little practice a perfect rhythm-playing for a dance band or jazz combo.
Note layout and chords
The instrument was designed for accompaniment, with the tongues arranged as a set of note clusters arranged in the order of the cycle of fifths.
The notes in order are:
The arrangement makes for easy accompaniment of tonal songs. For each note there is an arrangement for major, relative minor, 7th, 6th, major 7th, augmented, diminished and minor 7th.
Guitaret musical examples
These are taken from the original Hohner manual (1963) and show the form of music (and musical style) it was original intended for.
Example 1
1. Basic exercise: This exercise is for all dance rhythms such as Slow Foxtrot, Foxtrot, rock, Boogie, Twist etc. We start slowly in 4/4-time slow blues or rhythm), and gradually increase the tempo. It is played following the usual guitar chord symbols. Mute button: on "1" press the mute button (v), and "2 and" let it up again (^).
Example 1 - Klangwirkung: weicher Rhyfhmus fur massiges Tanz -Tempo
Example 2
2 Basic exercise: Mute button: "1" press down, release on "1 and", as repeat for beats 2, 3 and 4
Example 2 - Klangwirkung: trockener harter Rhythmus fuer Boogie Rock, Twist usw.
Guitaret performers
- It is featured on Leo Abrahams' work (he was given a Guitaret by Brian Eno. Leo plays the Guitaret on the soundtrack for "Searching 1906" ("I ended up playing a lot of guitaret (the rare thumb piano-like instrument that Eno gave me").
- Warren Ellis plays Guitaret both on the Grinderman album and on the Soundtrack for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- Max Eastley (creator of instruments) plays Guitaret according to the Lord Jazz Dicography
- Lali Barriere plays Guitaret in Pad (Projecte Achmed Digital) and with Ferran Fages in a Barcelona experimental duet GRUS. Lali also plays guitaret in "My Pony", last track of "Press the Space Bar", by Chicks on Speed and The No Heads. Lali also started the Guitaret Fan Club on FaceBook.
- Saïd Zarrabi, the keyboardist in Les quitriches, a French beat band from Stuttgart, Germany and Quitriche-en-Auvergne, France doubles on Guitaret
- Aja West plays Gutiaret on Aja West & Cheeba's Flash & Snowball
- Plamo includes Guitaret in his instrumentation.
- Roland Wolff plays the Guitaret in his stage music
- Michael Peters played Guitaret in in Tonlab (2004-2006) as part of a collection of strange instruments
- Icelandic band múm have Guitaret on their latest album and the track Illuminated features it
- Abandon the Earth Mission features a Guitaret
- It is sampled in the MOTU Electric Keys, so the Guitaret sound is likely heard more than the Guitaret itself.
- 1. Grunduebung: Diese Obung ist fuer alle Tanzrhythmen wie Slowfox, Foxtrott, Rock. Boogie. Twist usw. geeignet. Wir beginnen langsam im 4/4-Takt Slow- oder Blues-Rhythmus) und steigern nach und nach das Tempo. Gespielt wird nach den ueblichen Gitarre-Akkord-Symbolen. Klang-Taste: Auf »I« Klangtaste nieder drucken (v), auf »2 und« wieder auf heben (^).
- 2 Grund Uebung: Klang taste auf »1« nieder drucken, auf »1 und« auf heben, ebenso bei den folgenden Zaehlzeiten 2, 3 und 4.