iBand makes music with two fingers and iPhone

VIENNA, AUSTRIA - SIX fingers and three iPhones are enough to create a band, and Austria's iBand is living proof, having scored a hit on the Internet by converting the little gadgets into a guitar, a keyboard and a set of drums.

The Viennese trio first gained attention in February on the video-sharing website YouTube with its music video "Life is greater than the Internet."

The clip, showing a bird's eye view of six hands wearing fingerless gloves and typing away at three touchscreens, has since been viewed over 2.8 million times.

"It was a test, we were rather surprised by all these viewings, but of course it's flattering," Seb, the "drummer," told AFP.

Fascinated by the pocket-sized gadget's possibilities, the three members of the band, all in their mid-20s, imported Apple iPhones as soon as they went on sale in the United States in December and began experimenting with the accompanying software.

"The idea was there even before the software existed," said Marina, an arts and communication student who is the band's singer and "pianist."

The iPhone is very easy to play, says the band, which has composed three pop songs.

"Of course the screen isn't very big and it doesn't have all the advantages of a real instrument," says Marina's brother Roger, the band's "guitarist".

"But I can change the settings any way I please. For instance, I can play two different notes on the same guitar chord at the same time. And as long as there are new programmes, there will be new sounds," he added.

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