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TheMoodswinger is a twelve-string electriczither with an additionalthird bridge designed byYuri Landman. The rod which functions as the third bridge divides the strings into two sections to cause an overtonemultiphonic sound. One of the copies of the instrument is part of the collection of theMusical Instrument Museum in Phoenix,Arizona.
In March 2006 Landman was contacted by the noise bandLiars to make an instrument for them. After 6 months he finished two copies ofThe Moodswinger, an electric 12-string 3rd-bridge overtonekoto, one for guitarist/drummer Aaron Hemphill and one for himself.[1] Although it closely resembles an electric guitar, it is actually azither, as it has neither frets nor a proper neck. The pickup and electronics are built into the neck instead of in the body unlike usual electric guitars. In 2008 theMoodswinger II was released as a serial product. Jessie Stein ofThe Luyas owns a copy.
In 2009 Landman created a derivative version of the instrument called theHome Swinger, for workshops at festivals, where participants built their own copy within four hours. In 2010 theMusical Instrument Museum in Phoenix included a Moodswinger as well as a Home Swinger in their collection as two of the pieces of the Dutch section of musical instrument inventions.
The 3rd bridge divides the strings into two segments with different pitches. Depending on where the string is played, a bell-like harmonic second tone is created. The string resonates more or less when the back side is struck, depending on the position of the 3rd bridge along the string. This can be explained byacoustic resonance andmicrotonality. Atharmonic nodal positions, the string resonates more than at other positions. For instance, dividing the string 1/3 + 2/3 creates a clearovertone, while 24/33 + 9/33 creates an indistinct overtone. The color dotted scale indicates the simple-number ratios up to the 7limit (on the Moodswinger II to the 8 limit.) On these positionsjust intonedharmonicdyads occur.
The Moodswinger is focused on a non-atonal playing technique. A mathematical scale is added to specify 23harmonic positions on the strings. Because the instrument has 12 strings, tuned in acircle of fourths, it is always possible to play every note of theequal tempered scale. However some positions have a + or - indication, because the equal tempered scale is not a perfectwell-tempered scale.[3]
The tuning of this instrument is acircle of fourths: E-A-D-G-C-F-A#-D#-G#-C#-F#-B, arranged in 3 clusters of 4 strings each to make the field of strings better readable.
Because of this tuning all five neighbouring strings form aharmonicpentatonic scale and all seven neighbouring strings form amajor scale, available in everykey. This allows a very easyfingerpicking technique without picking false notes, if the right key is chosen.
The instrument has 3 printed scales, used as guides for positioning the moveable third bridge and reading the played notes:
On the Moodswinger II the 1/8, 3/8, 5/8 and 7/8 are Blue dotted. On the Home Swinger the same color system occurs.
The sound of a 3rd-bridged string is a combination of 3 tones. A soft-sounding attack tone of the string part hit at the body side, the corresponding overtone of both sides and a resonating lowfundamental tone of the counterpart of the string at the head side.The diagram below shows the tone combinations of the overtone (above) and the low tone of the counterpart (below). The attack tone is in most positions exact the same note as the overtone. Exceptions are 3/4, 3/5, 3/7 and 5/7. In the 3/... positions the overtone is aperfect fifth of the attack tone, in the 5/7 positions the overtone is amajor third of the attack tone.
| Bridge position | Colour codes | Attack tone : open string[4] | Resonating fundamental of the counterpart:[4] open string | Corresponding overtone related : open string | Corresponding overtone : fundamental of the counterpart | Cents of string parts[5] Body : Neck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Unison | Unison | ||||
| 1/16 | Grey line | 4octaves | Just minor second (16:15) | 4octaves | Justmajor seventh (15:8) 22ma | 111.73 : 4800.00 |
| 1/12 | Green line | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 22ma | Lesser undecimalneutral second (12:11) | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 22ma | Lesserundecimal tritone (11:8) 22ma | 150.64 : 4302.00 |
| 1/11 | Yellow line | Lesserundecimal tritone (11:8) 22ma | Greater undecimalneutral second (11:10) | Lesserundecimal tritone (11:8) 22ma | Just major third (5:4) 22ma | 165.00 : 4151.30 |
| 1/10 | Orange line | Just major third (5:4) 22ma | Lesserjust major second (10:9) | Just major third (5:4) 22ma | Greaterjust major second (9:8) 22ma | 182.40 : 3986.30 |
| 1/9 | Red line | Greaterjust major second (9:8) 22ma | Greaterjust major second (9:8) | Greaterjust major second (9:8) 22ma | 3octaves | 203.91 : 3803.90 |
| 1/8 | Grey line | 3octaves | Septimal major second (8:7) | 3octaves | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | 231.17 : 3600.00 |
| 1/7 | Blue dot | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | Septimal minor third (7:6) | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 15ma | 266.87 : 3368.80 |
| 1/6 | Green dot | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 15ma | Just minor third (6:5) | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 15ma | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | 315.64 : 3102.00 |
| 1/5 | Yellow dot | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | Just major third (5:4) | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | 2octaves | 386.31 : 2786.30 |
| 1/4 | Orange dot | 2octaves | Justperfect fourth (4:3) | 2octaves | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 8va | 498.04 : 2400.00 |
| 2/7 | Blue dot | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 8va | Lesserseptimal tritone (7:5) | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | 582.51 : 1782.51 |
| 1/3 | Red dot | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 8va | Justperfect fifth (3:2) | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 15ma | Octave | 701.96 : 1901.96 |
| 2/5 | Yellow dot | Just major third (5:4) 8va | Justmajor sixth (5:3) | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 8va | 884.36 : 1586.31 |
| 3/7 | Blue dot | Septimal minor third (7:6) 8va | Harmonic seventh (7:4) | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | 2octaves | 968.83 : 1466.87 |
| 1/2 | Grey dot | Octave | Octave | Octave | Unison | 1200.00 : 1200.00 |
| 4/7 | Blue dot | Harmonic seventh (7:4) | Septimal minor third (7:6) 8va | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 8va | 1466.87 : 968.83 |
| 3/5 | Yellow dot | Justmajor sixth (5:3) | Just major third (5:4) 8va | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | Octave | 1586.31 : 884.36 |
| 2/3 | Red dot | Justperfect fifth (3:2) | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 8va | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 8va | Unison | 1901.96 : 701.96 |
| 5/7 | Blue dot | Lesserseptimal tritone (7:5) | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 8va | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | Octave | 1782.51 : 582.51 |
| 3/4 | Orange dot | Justperfect fourth (4:3) | 2octaves | 2octaves | Unison | 2400.00 : 498.04 |
| 4/5 | Yellow dot | Just major third (5:4) | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | Just major third (5:4) 15ma | Unison | 2786.30 : 386.31 |
| 5/6 | Green dot | Just minor third (6:5) | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 15ma | Justperfect fifth (3:2) 15ma | Unison | 3102.00 : 315.64 |
| 6/7 | Blue dot | Septimal minor third (7:6) | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | Harmonic seventh (7:4) 15ma | Unison | 3368.80 : 266.87 |
