Lujon (musical instrument)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Loo-jon
- Metal log drum
(Directly struck idiophone)
.jpg) Lujon with pitches A♭2, B♭2, D3, F3, G3, and A3 | |
| Percussion instrument | |
|---|---|
| Other names |
|
| Classification | Percussion (Metallophone) |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.222 (Directly struck idiophone) |
| Inventor | William Loughborough |
| Developed | Middle 20th century |
| Volume | Low |
| Playing range | |
| Varies depending on configuration | |
The lujon (/ˈluːdʒɒn/ LOO-jon) is a bass metallophone consisting of individually-pitched metal plates that are attached to the resonance chambers of a partitioned wooden box.[1]
The lujon was invented by William Loughborough.[2] At his Sausalito, California studio, Loughborough created a variety of new percussion instruments, including the boobam and lujon, after working with Harry Partch in the mid-1950s.[3]
The lujon is played with soft mallets and produces a sound that is dominated by its fundamental frequency.[4] The instrument is also known as a loo-jon or metal log drum.[5] In a 2009 Web post, Loughborough provided the following historical background: "Henry Mancini's drummer, Shelly Manne had several drums I made and one of them was the Lujon (a pun on 'John Lewis' who bought the first one). Mancini was very impressed with the instrument and wrote ['Lujon'] using its scale as the theme."[6]
On 7 April 2010, Loughborough died of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain, at the age of 84.[7]