page_title: Hydraulophone
section_title: 12-jet diatonic
hierarchical_section_title: Hydraulophone / 12-jet diatonic
caption_attribution_description: English: Hydraulophone - water flute: Extended playing ranges for a diatonic 12-water-jet hydraulophone. The standard A to E range, in which it is possible to play with polyphonic embouchure on any or all diatonic notes at the same time, is shown on the left side. When playing monophonically, some additional notes are possible on certain hydraulophones, indicated here by small cue notes. Left, the extended notes come from depressing the key changer, sharpener, and flattener. To play a low G, one must be playing in C minor (with Ab) and depress the flattener simultaneously. When playing on the high E jet, depressing the sharpener produces an F. Right, the additional extended range from the two octave-changers (up to two octaves down, or one octave up).
context_page_description: A hydraulophone is a tonal acoustic musical instrument played by direct physical contact with water where sound is generated or affected hydraulically. The hydraulophone was described and named by Steve Mann in 2005, and patented in 2011. Typically, sound is produced by the same hydraulic fluid in contact with the player's fingers. It has been used as a sensory exploration device for low-vision individuals.
context_section_description: Many diatonic hydraulophones are built with 12 water jets, one for each of the instrument's 12 notes.
  The standard compass starts on A, extending up an octave and a half to E.
  The standard A to E range, in which it is possible to play with polyphonic embouchure on any or all diatonic notes at the same time, is shown on the left side of the diagram. When playing only monophonically, some additional range is possible on certain hydraulophones, indicated here by small cue notes at the end-points.
  Left, the extended notes come from closing key change valves or flexing key change levers, for sharpener, and flattener. To play a low G, one must be playing in C minor (with A♭) and close the flattener valve simultaneously. When playing on the high E jet, closing the sharpener valve produces an F.
  With change-valves, the diatonic hydraulophone is polyphonic in the same sense as a so-called "chromatic harmonica" – you can play chords and move all members of a chord down one semitone or up one semitone together, but the function of the valves is usually not separated to work on a per-note basis, so for example, you can play an A-minor chord, and flex the entire chord down to A-flat minor, but you can't easily play an A major chord without the use of polyphonic embouchure to bend only the middle note to a C♯ (which requires more skill than the average hydraulist has). Thus the "diatonic" hydraulophone is called "diatonic" conservatively to "under promise and over-deliver".
  Finally, on the right, the additional extended range comes from the two octave-change valves (all notes can be shifted as many as two octaves down, or one octave up).
caption: Extended playing ranges for a diatonic 12-water-jet hydraulophone
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