Sunday, June 7, 2009

Lithophone....Regional Science Centre Guwahati

LITHOPHONE..IT IS A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DEVELOPED CENTURIES AGO IN WHICH NOTES ARE PRODUCED BY STRIKING DIFFERENT ROCKS. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST ANCIENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS(4,000YRS. BACK) ,CHINESE BIANQUING ARE BELIEVED TO BE THE OLDEST.LITHOPHONE IS SIMILAR TO INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS METALLOPHONE,XYLOPHONE,MARIMBA AND GLOCKENSPIEL.

The Regional Science Centre Guwahati  has  developed this Lithophone with technical help from the Central Research and Training Lab. of the National Council of Science Museums in Kolkatta.
Eight granite slabs of varying lengths are fixed on a tubular platform,they produce a particular sound when struck by a provided nylon hammer.

      This morning we visited the centre just to see this exhibit......not only it was unique,it really made beautiful sounds when my two and half yr.old son struck it.I wish it was displayed  in a better spot .

9 comments:

  1. I see that you are a dental surgeon and a mom. Busy lady. Interesting instrument.

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  2. Kavita, your son is such a sweetie. He's the same age as my granddaughter. That lithophone is very interesting. It must have been fun to play on it.

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  3. Well yes, I remember reading about the Lithophone way back in school, good snap :)

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  4. pramod says you are doing a great job! very informative

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  5. Hi Kavita,
    Nice post!!
    And the lithophone was so interesting, even I am tempted to strike a few notes there, in case I am ever able to visit Assam.
    Watching your son try his hand at the instrument, I thought, what lucky chap to have tried his hand on a thing, which was devised centuries ago.

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  6. Oh this is so tempting...

    my favourite joint as a child used to be the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre at Pragati Maidan...

    Nice idea... I must go there soon.

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  7. definitely a interesting post. in my opinion, it is very important to expose young children to "the arts," whether it be music, photography, painting... and also it's important to nurture any interests they have.

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