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patentiert als Schlagwerk

English translation: First patented/marketed/designed as a percussion instrument


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13:26 Mar 19, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Music
German term or phrase: patentiert als Schlagwerk
The same context as the previous question - I don't really understand what's meant:

Das Vibraphon macht es ihm nicht leicht. Sein Sound ist zwar exotisch, gilt aber als wenig flexibel und historisch auf Unterhaltung und Effekt festgelegt. Patentiert als Schlagwerk gehört es zur Familie der Perkussionsinstrumente und wird häufig auch als eine Möglichkeit unter vielen trommelnden Alternativen wahrgenommen. Einige Säulenheilige haben ihm bislang Charakter verliehen und ein wenig Swing, etwas Bop, eine Prise Moderne und einen Schuss Salsa ins Stammbuch geschrieben.

Any tips anyone?
Krokodil
Germany
Local time: 04:16
English translation:First patented/marketed/designed as a percussion instrument
Explanation:
Then omit ‘gehört es zur Familie der Perkussionsinstrumente’, as this is a classic case of doppelt-gemoppelt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibraphone
The first musical instrument called "vibraphone" was marketed by the Leedy Manufacturing Company in the United States in 1921.
Selected response from:

Andrew Swift
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:16
Grading comment
Not much to choose between the two answers, but in the end I used "originally patented as a percussion instrument" and left out the bit "gehört zur Familie der Perkussionsinstrumente...". (There would be a case for incorporating parts of the other suggestions too.)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3First patented/marketed/designed as a percussion instrumentAndrew Swift
3 +2patented as a percussive contrivance/device (of sorts)opolt


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
First patented/marketed/designed as a percussion instrument


Explanation:
Then omit ‘gehört es zur Familie der Perkussionsinstrumente’, as this is a classic case of doppelt-gemoppelt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibraphone
The first musical instrument called "vibraphone" was marketed by the Leedy Manufacturing Company in the United States in 1921.


Andrew Swift
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 48
Grading comment
Not much to choose between the two answers, but in the end I used "originally patented as a percussion instrument" and left out the bit "gehört zur Familie der Perkussionsinstrumente...". (There would be a case for incorporating parts of the other suggestions too.)
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, I think we're getting close. Maybe "Originally patented ...."


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ramey Rieger: Originally designed.......patented? who patents a music instrument? The vibraphone is CENTURIES old, if not millenia................
2 hrs
agree  Jim Tucker: yes - literally ofc "patented as a kind of drum" -- because that was all the company that patented it had manufactured to date: the Leedy Drum Co.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks. I think I prefer 'drum' to 'percussive device'.
agree  Christian Schneider: A lot of instruments were patented, e.g. the Saxophone. Nevertheless I like 'designed' better.
1 day22 hrs
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57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
patented as a percussive contrivance/device (of sorts)


Explanation:
Or: "came into life/originated as a patented percussive device", or something similar, to mitigate the repetition of "percussive/percussion" ...

I would suggest such an expression to maintain the ironical undertones, alluding to the (perceived) fact that the vibraphone was the result of an engineering effort (rather than true musicianship), that it went from wood to metal, etc., the (possible) implication being that the lack of expressiveness/character is a result of this history.

(The vibes were first conceived as an enhancement of the marimbaphone: "Das Vibraphon wurde 1916 in den USA als "Steel Marimba" patentiert." -- quoted from: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibraphon )

opolt
Germany
Local time: 04:16
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: I like percussive device, too
21 mins
  -> Thanks Trudy!
neutral  Jim Tucker: Yes - that last section is not quite right, because the steel marimba is an instrument in its own right: the vibraphone itself was not called a steel marimba, but rather the basis of the vibraphone was called that -- rotating plates on a steel marimba.
1 hr
agree  Joel Schaefer: Device, not contrivance.
3 hrs
  -> Thank you Joel!
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