“The Singing String” is a workshop I developed for a high school in Bremerhaven.
It consists of a simple monochord made up of a long, thin wooden rod and a piano string. An electronic circuit (Ebow electronics) causes the string to play on its own. In the process, the slightest vibrations of the string are amplified and condensed into sustained tones. Through fine-tuning and additional control of the control current, the string can be made to “sing,” meaning it oscillates around its fundamental frequency while the harmonic overtones vary slightly, creating delicate, constantly shifting drones. The self-playing string can also be modified with lightweight materials (aluminum foil, straws, magnets, Patafix), thereby expanding the range to include noise-like sounds.