The Far East also had its Musical Bowls. In 1300, the Chinese had an instrument which was called Shui Chan. This instrument consisted of nine cups struck with a stick. The Japanese Hi was described as a teacup-shaped porcelain gong whose sound was described as “drinking cups when accidentally struck.”
Musical Bowls were certainly known to the Islamic nations of the Middle East by the 14th century. Writers speak of tusūt, or Musical Glasses, played by sticks called qudbán. A Persian writer describes sāzi kāsāt (musical bowls) and sāzi tāsāt (musical cups). An Arabic author mentions kizan (cups) and khawabi (jars) and says the water content also determined the pitch. In 1520, sini (China cups) were one of the seven instruments of music used in Egypt. They were beaten with reeds.
Knowledge of these musical instruments spread westward from Asia. Diderot’s Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonnée des sciences, des arts, et des métiers published in 1756 makes reference to Musical Glasses. Other earlier publications also refer to making music with cups tuned with water. Books were printed in German in 1647, in Dutch in 1651, in English in 1652, and in French in 1656.
It is possible that the knowledge of using water-tuned vessels for musical purposes may have developed independently in Europe. The earliest record in Europe dates back to 1492. A woodcut showing a Pythagorean experiment shows six bells and six glasses tuned with water being used to demonstrate harmonic intervals.
Musical Bowls were certainly known to the Islamic nations of the Middle East by the 14th century. Writers speak of tusūt, or Musical Glasses, played by sticks called qudbán. A Persian writer describes sāzi kāsāt (musical bowls) and sāzi tāsāt (musical cups). An Arabic author mentions kizan (cups) and khawabi (jars) and says the water content also determined the pitch. In 1520, sini (China cups) were one of the seven instruments of music used in Egypt. They were beaten with reeds.
Knowledge of these musical instruments spread westward from Asia. Diderot’s Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonnée des sciences, des arts, et des métiers published in 1756 makes reference to Musical Glasses. Other earlier publications also refer to making music with cups tuned with water. Books were printed in German in 1647, in Dutch in 1651, in English in 1652, and in French in 1656.
It is possible that the knowledge of using water-tuned vessels for musical purposes may have developed independently in Europe. The earliest record in Europe dates back to 1492. A woodcut showing a Pythagorean experiment shows six bells and six glasses tuned with water being used to demonstrate harmonic intervals.
Musical Glasses did not come into serious musical use in Europe until the early eighteenth century. Previously they were regarded as scientific toys or used for novel amusement at social gatherings. By the 1730s however, references were made to using set of tuned glasses for concert music. Walther’s Musicalisches Lexikon of 1732 notes that one performer played concertos on the glasses accompanied by violins and bass. In his Musicus of 1738, Eisel mentions that the glasses were used to play music in church and other ceremonial occasions.
Water-tuned vessels played with sticks are being performed in concerts today. While Lynn Drye and other performers use bowls, one variation of the instrument utilizes bottles.