Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s Music Outlet, takes a brief look how the phonograph revolutionized how we listen to music
On February 19, 1878, a patent was issued for an invention
that would revolutionize the way people would communicate for centuries to
come. The invention, of course, was Thomas Edison’s phonograph.
Though the concept was not new (sketches of early devices
had been found), Edison’s phonograph became the
first to be put into practice. A groundbreaking machine, the device allowed
someone to both record their voice and play it back. This idea would become the
basis for all physical recordings through the 21st century.
Edison’s first phonograph used an embossed diaphragm that made
indentations on a piece of wax paper attached to a rapidly moving metal
cylinder from the vibrations of a person speaking. He would later start
recording to tin foil instead of the paper. A second diaphragm and needle unit
on the machine was used to play the recording back.
Edison’s famous first recorded words? The nursery rhyme “Mary
Had a Little Lamb.”
At the time, Edison knew this would be big, having
brainstormed several ways this technology could be used by the public. In an
article in the North American Review dated June 1878 (quoted in an article by
the Library
of Congress) he mentions such possibilities at dictation, audio books,
music recordings, toys, answering machines and preservation of languages and
sounds, among other ideas. Edison wasn’t far off, as many of these ideas came
to fruition, especially recording music.
Obviously there were changes made over the years to improve
the quality and availability of recordings, namely the switch to wax and the invention
of discs to replace cylinders (which ultimately led to records and turntables). But the stage had been set, as listening and
creating music would be changed forever.
Phonographs brought music out of the concert hall and into
the home, no personal musical ability required. It ushered in, as Smithsonian
Magazine introduces it, “the beginnings of ‘on demand’ listening.” Someone
could listen to a particular artist whenever they wanted, as many times as they
wanted.
Because of this, listening also became less of a group
activity and more of a personal journey. Defined genres started becoming a
thing around this time as well, as phonographs were advertised as letting
people each have their “own kind” of music. Listening to music has only gotten more
and more personal as the years have progressed. While it has been argued recently
that defined genres have been falling out of favor with the advent of streaming
services, it has become even more common to see people with their headphones on
immersed in the music on their digital device, enjoying music in an
individualistic way.
Music itself changed as well. To comply with the limited
amount of space on a cylinder, songs became shorter, usually two-three minutes.
According to the same Smithsonian article, artists started writing for recording,
giving examples of Igor Stravinsky’s “Serenade in A” and country and blues
artists “chopp[ing] their tunes to perhaps one verse and two choruses.” While
modern pop songs might be slightly longer (and, you know, full-length albums
are a thing), the standard length of a song remains between three and five
minutes to this day.
Over the last two centuries, the way we come to know music
and listen to it has evolved. That is in no small part thanks to the phonograph
player. The device let professional music come into the home and let people
discover their individual tastes as independent listeners for the first time. Songwriting
changed as well, developing the shorter song culture that is still standard
form today. Even as technology continues to change the way we listen, the
phonograph’s legacy remains an invaluable part of music’s history.
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Whatever form of technology you use to listen to physical
music, Vinyl Bay 777 has you covered. As one of Long Island’s largest
independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a
variety of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records,
CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview
location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our
selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.
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