Couesnophone facts for kids
The couesnophone, also known as the goofus or queenophone, is a musical instrument that looks a bit like a saxophone. It's a type of free-reed instrument, which means sound is made when air blows over small vibrating parts called reeds. When you press keys and blow into a tube, these reeds vibrate, creating music.
Many people describe the couesnophone as an accordion you play with your mouth. It sounds like a mix of a harmonica and an accordion. A French company named Couesnon received a patent for this instrument in 1924. They described it as a saxophone jouet, which means "toy saxophone" in French. However, there's a key difference: the couesnophone can play several notes at once (this is called polyphonic music), while a saxophone usually plays one note at a time (which is monophonic).
How to Play the Couesnophone
You can hold the couesnophone in two ways. You can hold it like a saxophone, pointing downwards. Or, you can hold it horizontally, similar to how you would hold a melodica. This is possible because its mouthpiece is a flexible rubber tube.
The keys on the couesnophone are arranged in a way that might remind you of a piano keyboard. There are two rows of keys. One row is for the "white keys" of a piano, and the other row is for the "black keys." This setup is similar to how early melodicas were designed.
Famous Couesnophone Players
The couesnophone became popular in jazz music in America. A famous saxophonist and vibraphonist named Adrian Rollini introduced it. Some people even thought he invented it! The name "goofus" might have been created by jazz musicians like Rollini or Ed Kirkeby. It was probably easier to say than "couesnophone."
Adrian Rollini played the goofus on many recordings. Some of these include "Deep Elm" by The Little Ramblers. He also played on songs by The Goofus Five, like "Everybody Love My Baby." With the Varsity Eight, he played on tracks such as "How I Love That Girl" and "Doo Wacka Doo." Rollini also featured on "Raggin' the Scale" with Joe Venuti and the Eddie Lang Blue Five. Another musician, Don Redman, also played the goofus on songs like "You'll Never Get to Heaven With Those Eyes."
