Today’s lesson is brought to you by Harry Partch: composer, poet, multi-instrumentalist, inventor, part-time hobo and full-time nutbar. When he wasn’t busy stowing away on freight trains or contracting mumps, Harry found time to invent new instruments (the Quadrangularis Reversum, the Zymo-Xyl and the Harmonic Canon, among others) and pluck new notes out of thin air (not satisfied with the limitations of the traditional 8-note scale, he created not only an 11-tone scale, but also the 29, 37 and 42-tone scales).
For those of you who want to try this at home, Harry’s recipe is pretty much right on the money, but here are some written, step-by-step directions just in case you prefer not to rewind the video. Or if you prefer to take instruction from someone who isn’t doing a teapot dance.
