Welcome to "Intermezzo" — where we take a few minutes to bounce some ideas around about classical music.
So far, we’ve explored how sound waves are crashing into things everywhere. We learned about the vibrating vocal sacs of birds, we listened to an organ made out of a cave, we learned how leaves whisper, and today, we’re going to hear ocean waves inside seashells!
Why you can hear the ocean when you put a seashell to your ear, and what does this have to do with acoustic resonance?
A sea shell's curved, hollow shape acts as a resonating chamber. Sound waves bounce around in there causing certain frequencies to become more noticeable. Basically, the shell is a resonating chamber much like the inside of a cello, flute or acoustic guitar.
Certain sea shells, like conch shells, have been used as a trumpet for thousands of years! This shell in the clip below was found in a cave in France and has been dated to 17,000 years ago.
To play it, you buzz your lips into the end and that buzzing frequency is amplified in the shell’s resonance chamber.
A natural horn, which is a valveless french horn, is controlled just by the buzzing lips. It's a little like the conch shell trumpet. We can hear it used in this recording of the Rondo from Mozart's Horn Concerto no. 4 on natural horn.
Friday shout-outs!
Congrats to Willow from Canadian Lakes and Ed from South Carolina!
** Web Bonus **
In India, the conch shell trumpet is called a "shankh" and is played in Hindustani temples along with clanging bells. You have to take a very deep breath before playing it.
I wonder if we could try the same thing on this priceless instrument called a paper towel tube?
Hear today's full episode by clicking "Listen" above.
Christy L'Esperance is the host and producer of Intermezzo.
Thanks to our cohost Andrew.
Scott Clemens is IPR's Digital Content Producer.
