Tremoloa A rare tremoloa with staggered soundholes on display in the Dickinson County Historical Museum
Other names Hawaiian tremoloa, fr: Trémoloa Hornbostel–Sachs classification 314.122-6 (Board zither sounded by a plectrum ) Inventor(s) Harold Finney, John H. Large Developed Early 20th century
The tremoloa ,[ 1] plural tremoloas , is a stringed instrument belonging to the fretless zither family . It was produced in United States in response to the rapid increase in popularity of Hawaiian music during the 1920s, and continued to be produced until the 1950s.[ 2]
Musical collective Broken Social Scene features the instrument in "Tremoloa Debut." The instrument is also featured sporadically on The Magnetic Fields' album 69 Love Songs .
The tremoloa simulates the tonal effects of the Hawaiian steel guitar by passing a weighted roller stabilized by a swinging lever termed an arm, along a melody string .[ 3] Following, moving the roller after plucking creates tremolo , an effect which gave rise to its name. Additionally, the tremoloa possesses four chords (C, G, F, and D major), to strum out the harmony .[ 4]
The patent for the tremoloa was granted in 1932 to Harold Finney and John H. Large.[ 5] [ 6]
See also
References
^ Brooks, Edouard (July 2013). "Tremoloa Documents Archive" . Retrieved 6 July 2013 .
^ Miner, Gregg and Kelly Williams (July 2011). "Fretless Zither Categories and Sub-Categories" . Fretless Zithers . Retrieved 23 June 2013 .
^ Other accessories for Hawaiian tremoloa (PDF) , Manufacturers Advertising Company
^
Goering, Jurgen (16 April 2000). " 'Hawaiian Tremoloa' Zitheroid" . Mechanical Music Digest Archives . Retrieved 7 July 2013 .
^
Williams, Kelly (6 January 2002). "Tremoloa" . The Guitar-Zither Clearinghouse . Retrieved 25 April 2009 .
^
US patent 1847303 , Finney, Harold & Large, John, "Stringed musical instrument", issued 1932-3-1, assigned to International Musical Corporation
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