Friction idiophone

Glass harmonica; sound produced by friction of the fingers against the rotating glass

Glass harp; sound produced by friction of the fingers rotating against the wine glass rims

Friction idiophones is designation 13 in the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification. These idiophones produce sound by being rubbed either against each other or by means of a non-sounding object. Instruments of this type are not very common; possibly the best known examples are the musical saw and the nail violin.

According to musicologist Curt Sachs:^[1]

... It is essential to distinguish between rubbing and scraping. The latter results in a series of beats cause by passing a stick over a notched surface; [whereas] friction is based on adhesion....On a higher level we find...the glass harmonica.

131.1 Individual friction sticks.

131.2 Sets of friction sticks.

• Nail violin
• Cristal baschet, preceded by the euphon

131.21 Without direct friction.

131.22 With direct friction.

132.1 Individual friction plaques.

• Daxophone
• Musical saw
• Triolin
• Turntable

132.2 Sets of friction plaques.

• Clavicylinder

133.1 Individual friction vessels.

• Rainstick
• Singing Bowl
• Ekola

133.2 Sets of friction vessels.

• Glass harmonica
• Glass harp
• Terpodion/melodion
• Verrophone

• Wind machine

• "Idiophone", Music.VT.edu at the Wayback Machine (archived October 17, 2012)
• "SVH Classification", Wesleyan.edu.