Dental Harp

2023 by Till Bovermann

The Dental Harp is an aeolian harp, a string instrument that is played by the wind. In difference to traditional aeolian harps, it has no resonating body and its strings are made from dental floss. Found objects such as tree branches or a reindeer antlers serve as the frame for the strings, while their vibrations are captured by two Struktophon’s, high-quality contact microphones made by plonk.

The sound of the Dental Harp is a delicate, ethereal sound that is created by the wind as it moves through the strings. The resulting sound is overtone-rich and shifts constantly as the wind changes direction and intensity.

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Dental Harp was first constructed during my Science Trails residency in 2023. It continued its path during Field_Notes 2023, the north escaping in the context of Wait and Hear, in which it was picked up and further developed and contextualised as Black Dental Floss by the participants.