Monochord
The monochord is a teaching instrument, revered throughout the Middle Ages as a tool to understand the relationship between number and sound. My monochord is designed to allow you to be the theorist and comes with a full set of tools and instructions to explore historical tuning systems in a new way.
- Basic long resonating box, approximately 100 cm long and 9 cm wide and high.
- Deluxe instruments have carved eagle heads and/or decorative soundholes.
- The monochord is equipped with division sticks representing Pythagorean tuning, chromatic Pythagorean, an anonymous just tuning, and equal temperament. Deluxe sticks are made with inlayed wood and embossed letters; basic sticks are inked lines.
- The instrument can be made with one, two, or three strings to allow chords.
Deluxe monochord with eagle heads
Deluxe monochord with eagle heads
Decorative soundhole on a deluxe trichord
Decorative soundholes on deluxe trichordsView Price List and ordering details
Sources
A 12th century image of Boethius using dividers on a monochord. Trinity College Cambridge, R.15.22
Detail of the dividers
Guido teaching with the monochord
A monochordist working with bells. Early 12th century, St. John’s College Library, Cambridge, B.18, f. 1
Boethius using a monochord
Videos and Resources
For teaching with the monochord, please see my article co-authored with Russell Murray in the Journal of Music History Pedagogy:
The Monochord in the Medieval and Modern Classrooms
My favorite resource for studying monochord divisions:
Christian Meyer, Mensura Monochordi, 1996.
