Aluphone
The Aluphone is a tuned percussion instrument consisting of aluminum bells that are struck with a mallet to produce musical tones. In its standard configuration, the bells of the Aluphone are mounted on a frame, but it can also be played as a single handheld bell or as a stack of bells. The bells of the Aluphone are very durable, so they can be struck with a large variety of mallets, wands, or hammers depending on the tone that the musician seeks to produce. The Aluphone is closely associated with Evelyn Glennie, who played the instrument in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Etymology and Alternative Spellings
Construction
Aluphone 17 Note Standard is a smaller version of the Aluphone Concert. It has 17 bells and covers 1 1/3 octave from C5 – E6. The Piccolo extends the range of aluphones with one octave from C7 – C8. The sound of the Piccolo is beautiful and vibrant, and the shape of the bells is very similar to that of the Cymbal Antique, from where the construction of the modern crotales was made. Some say the sound may be very close to that of the original crotales. Aluphone Bass is a smaller version from C4-G4. It can work as a bass extension.
History
According to Harry Ellis, the idea for the Aluphone was developed at a trade show that two men, Michael Hansen and Kai Stensgaard, were separately attending. At the trade show, Hansen was showcasing aluminum cones that were designed to protect the tops of wooden posts. As a musician, Stensgaard was curious about the sound the cones would make when he struck. He was impressed with the tone created by the metal cones when struck and asked if Hansen could produce cones that would produce an assortment of unique pitches that could be incorporated into a playable instrument. Hansen agreed to work with Stensgaard on the project. In 2011, Stensgaard presented the Aluphone for the first time at Percussive Arts Society International Convention.