Elements of Folk Psychology: Outline of a Psychological History of the Development of MankindWundt, Wilhelm Max
Science
Elements of Folk Psychology: Outline of a Psychological History of the Development of Mankind
Wundt, Wilhelm Max
Ethnopsychology
the pleasure secured by the player from his playing remains purely
subjective. But, from this point on, the further development to
tone-effects that are objective and are richer in gradations is reached
by simple transitions effected by association. The _one_ string, taken
over from the bow used in the chase, is no longer sufficient. Hence
the bridge appears, which consists of a piece of wood whose upper side
is fastened at the middle of the bow and whose lower side is toothed
for the reception of several strings. The strings also are perfected,
by being made of threads detached from the bamboo of which the bow
is constructed. Then follows a second important advance. Instead of
taking the end of the bow in his mouth and using his own head as a
resonator, the player makes use of a hollow gourd and thus renders the
tone objectively audible. The best and most direct point of connection
between the gourd and the bow proves to be the end of the stick that
carries the bridge. It is now no longer the head of the player that
furnishes the resonance, but the substituted calabash. In its external
appearance the calabash resembles the head--indeed, upon other
occasions also, it is sometimes regarded as a likeness of the head,
and eyes, mouth, and nose are cut into its rind. Thus, the association
of the gourd with the head may possibly have exerted an influence upon
this step in the development of the musical instrument. Perhaps the
inventor himself did not realize until after the artificial head came
into use that he had made a great advance in the perfection of his
instrument. His music was now audible to others as well as to himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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