John Shore (trumpeter)

For the British official of the East India Company, see John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth.

John Shore (c. 1662 – 1752) was an English trumpeter and lutenist. He invented the tuning fork in 1711.[1] Shore came from a family of musicians including the singer Catherine Shore. He was Sergeant Trumpeter to the court. He is credited with demonstrating that the trumpet, which up till then had been a military instrument, could be used in an orchestral role. Shore had parts specifically written for him by both George Frideric Handel and Henry Purcell.[2]

Over time, tuning forks were adapted for use in medical and therapeutic settings, where their precise frequencies have been harnessed for healing and therapeutic purposes.[3]

Tuning forks are known for their nearly pure frequency response, emitting a clear, unwavering tone that is free from the complex overtones found in other instruments. This purity of sound makes them ideal for applications where specific frequencies need to be isolated and targeted.

  1. ^ Feldmann, H. (2008). "Die Geschichte der Stimmgabel - Teil 1: Die Erfindung der Stimmgabel, ihr Weg in der Musik und den Naturwissenschaften" [History of the tuning fork. I: Invention of the tuning fork, its course in music and natural sciences. Pictures from the history of otorhinolaryngology, presented by instruments from the collection of the Ingolstadt German Medical History Museum]. Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie (in German). 76 (2): 116–22. doi:10.1055/s-2007-997398. PMID 9172630. S2CID 260207994.
  2. ^ Shaw, Watkins (2004). "Shore, John (c.1662–1752), trumpeter". The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37955. ISBN 9780198614128. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ "Tuning Forks Collection". Vibrosound. Retrieved 8 October 2024.