ABSTRACT
The standard string instruments derive their sound from the transverse vibrations of the strings. In these strings, the predominant vibrational movement, the one which produces most of the sound, is that of the string moving back and forth in a direction perpendicular to its length. But transverse vibration is not the only dance that strings can do: there are other modes of vibration, most notably the longitudinal. With her Long String Instrument, Ellen Fullman has created a working longitudinal vibration string instrument. Fullman has since discovered that the job can be done more effectively by a ratcheted infinitely-turning winder, a device made in Belgium and used by European farmers for stringing fence wire. Fullman, with input from others, is currently redesigning the soundbox that supports the soundboard. Fullman has evolved a tuning system designed to fit the form of the instrument and its playing technique, and which feeds directly into her processes of composition and improvisation.
