Leilani is getting a musical instrument. We have narrowed it down to 2 choices – the most likely one is the stonaphone
Mouse over the keys to hear it!
Credits: Jim Doble, Elemental Design, downloaded from the website http://www.tidewater.net/~xylojim/index.html
This instrument has the most beautiful sound, the pentatonic tuning ensures that there are no disharmonic sounds. Downside is, if Leilani was to use it as a stool and step on it, it would probably break.
The second favorite is the Babydinda – sound is not as rich, a pretty typical wooden xylophone sound, but totally babyproof.
From the builder’s website: “A visual delight as well as a musical one. The keys of this xylophone are each a different type (and color) hardwood. A pentatonic scale, the tones are bright and match each other nicely. Built solid to be able to take a beating from young percussionists”
Check out Jim’s other virtual instruments: Pipe Harp and links to others at the bottom of that page.
More on Pentatonic Scales
The Pentatonic scale is probably the worlds most universal scale. It’s found in the folk traditions of Russia, India, Africa, Asia, Europe, and pre and post Colombian America.
It is a five note scale in which all the notes are harmonious with each other. It’s most easily found by playing just the black keys on a piano. You could pick out any other notes on the keyboard, keeping the same intervals of the black keys, and you can get a variety of pentatonic scales. Another way to imagine it is: do re mi – so la – do, with the “fa” and “ti” left out.
Because of the lack of dissonance, the sound is very sweet to the ear. Anyone of any musical ability can improvise to their hearts content and it all sounds harmonious .
The limitation comes in when you want dissonance in your music or you want to play most modern written music. Then you’d want to go to a diatonic scale or some combination.