ROD ORGAN 1
© 1997
7 feet x 5 feet x 8 feet
electro-acousitic musical instrument
Currently in the collection of the Artist
The Rod Organ is a musical instruments/artwork created by Norman Tuck.. In this piece an organ keyboard controls special stepper motors which vibrate metal rods mounted on acoustical chambers to create sound. The keys on the right control the motor mounted on the galvanized metal sound chamber, and the keys on the left control the motor mounted on the wooden sound chamber. Each key is tuned to the resonant frequency of one or more of the wire rods.
The piano key arrangement is completely arbitrary since the sound triggered by each key is not a pure note, and the sounds certainly do not relate in any way to the corresponding sounds of an actual piano. It is intended that someone without any musical training will enjoy playing the Rod Organs without feelings of musical “inadequacy”.
2021 video of Rod Organ 1 at the Center for New Music in San Francisco
Norman at Rod Organ 1 - c.1997
Playing the Wooden Chamber of
Rod Organ 1 at Lincoln Center Out of Doors in
Consul circuitry of Rod Organ 1