Benjamin Franklin Invents the Glass Armonica | PBS | A Film by Ken Burns

Official Website: https://to.pbs.org/3p9drjq | #BenFranklinPBS Franklin developed a musical instrument that he called the armonica (after the Italian word for harmony). To play the armonica, a musician powered a foot pedal to rotate 36 concentric glass bowls and produced notes by putting wet fingers to the spinning glass. In Austria, the glass armonica provided the music for a royal wedding. Mozart and Beethoven would compose chamber pieces for it. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: https://www.pbs.org/donate Subscribe to the PBS channel for more clips: https://www.youtube.com/PBS/ Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS Video App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR FOLLOW US: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PBS/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PBS/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbs Shop: https://shop.pbs.org/ #BenjaminFranklin #AmericanHistory #KenBurns About the Production Ken Burns’s four-hour documentary, “Benjamin Franklin,” explores the revolutionary life of one of the 18th Century’s most consequential figures, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States.

Added 4 Oct 2026