Musician Marc Chouarain gives a brief demonstration and overview of a fascinating instrument called a Cristal Baschet, which he uses when composing music for film soundtracks.

The contemporary musical instrument was developed in 1952 by the brothers Bernard and François Baschet. Metal rods are embedded in a heavy plate to form the elements. Each metal rod is accompanied by an attached glass rod. The metal rod’s length, weight and position at the equilibrium point determine the sound’s pitch. The glass rod is gently stroked with a wet finger to produce sound.

You can learn more about the instrument here.