It has a flat soundboard over which a variable number of strings are stretched. How to play the psaltery the psaltery has strings read more about psaltery. This was a stringed instrument of music to accompany the voice. The bowed psaltery is a triangular instrument with tuning pins on the short end and strings running from there to posts at intervals along each side.
The above books have approximately 1017 songs and some have play along, learning companion cds. This book will show you how you can easily play tunes on the bowed psaltery for your enjoyment or entertaining the kids and grandkids. This book will make playing the bowed psaltery easy. These include the one bow, a nice padded case, tuning wrench, rosin, tuningstringing chart, extra strings, and a two hour long. Each psaltery comes with a violin bow, rosin, instruction book, tuning wrench and two extra strings. This is a 2018 revision of the original learning manual adding a section for advanced musicians. From the 12th century onwards there are many illustrations showing the instrument in different forms but the most common was the trapezoidal shape with curved sides, often referred to as pigsnout. The psaltery is a plucked stringed instrument with open unfretted metal strings stretched over a flat soundboard and plucked with a quill or the fingers. The strings are played between the posts with a short arched bow. The d tenor is basically a larger version of my d psaltery. Over ten books with 10 songs in each bookstwo play along books with cds.
The print is large, which is great for those of us with older eyes. Dating back about 3000 years, it was first played in greece and the middle east and its basic design a hollow sound box with resonating strings stretched across it was the basis for a very wide family of zithers, autoharps and hammered dulcimers. This drawingpattern is necessary for anyone wanting to build their very own bowed psaltery. No other orders right now, so my wait time from when you order is around four. The bowed psaltery sounds a lot like the violin or fiddle. The instruments name may have began in the middle east, around the mesopotamia area, where iran and iraq are today. Our bowed psalteries come with note guides that identify each note with its proper letter in the scale. I offer private lessons to teach you how to play the bowed psaltery.
Bowed psaltery 2 12 octave from westman instruments. This is my new bowed psaltery from phantasy psalteries made by eric meier. Its frequently mentioned in the bible old and new testaments, and seems to have spread north to europe from the middle east. They are very similar instruments, both consisting of a flattish wooden box with several metal strings stretched across it. Plucked psalteries are probably of the oldest variety of psaltery, being very similar to a small harp or zither. The strings are open, none being stopped to produce different notes. The are many books in this series and i have seen many of them in music stores or. Lets you learn to hear the sounds of the notes, and learn the basic bowing techniques. Including the repertoire section, the bowed psaltery handbook begin a lifetime of musical enjoyment by mastering the bowed psaltery with the help of the bowed psaltery handbook. The bowed psaltery is one of the easiest instruments to play you dont need to know anything about reading music. This includes a nice introduction to the bowed psaltery, basic music theory and a few songs.
This full scale size drawing gives exact dimensions, shapes for every psaltery piece, as well as suggestions for woods to use for building this instrument. The bowed psaltery is a type of psaltery or zither that is played with a bow. That which is now used is a flat instrument in form of a trapezium or triangle truncated at the top, strung with thirteen chords of wire, mounted on two bridges at the sides, and struck with a plectrum or crooked stick. Hopefully it will be a boon for anyone who appreciates historic music or wants to take their instrument to a renaissance fair or sca event. Spring creek psalteries beautiful hand crafted bowed. The bowed psaltery handbook is a complete instruction method designed to help beginning bowed psaltery players master this wonderful instrument the bowed psaltery handbook. It is played by using a bow and playing one string at a time. This color coding allows for nonmusically inclined individuals to learn to play a musical instrument in less than 15 minutes. Ekm easy electronic keyboard music books are adaptable to use as a source of songs to play on the bowed psaltery. The bowed psaltery pronounced salltree or sallter is a simple, easy to play instrument. Pin on music ancient music, musicians and musical instruments. This video is after just a little practice over the last three days. It is a handmade, musical instrument is designed for making music played by a simple color code system. An instrument of music used by the hebrews,the form of which is not now known.
The psaltery of ancient greece was a harplike stringed instrument. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Bowed psaltery music teach yourself to play music its. Learn to play the psaltery even if you cant read music. There is something quite enchanting about the silvery sound of the psaltery. The plucked psaltery is played either by resting on the lap or.
It was a great weekend of music and we introduced a lot of folks to the bowed psaltery who had never heard of it before. Weve discovered these letters are the same as those used in the following collection of easy electronic keyboard music books. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Playing the psaltery made easy vol i by jeffrey allen. Early music for the bowed psaltery is her second music book. After seeing for themselves how easy this instrument is to play, many bought instruments and books. The 32n bowed psaltery, is a great instrument to play melodies in any key. Society for promoting christian knowledge publication date. The psaltery is an instrument equipped with strings with fixed sounds to be plucked, either with fingertips or with the plectrum. Instructional books and dvds about the bowed psaltery. The 32n starts at middle c and goes up 2 12 octaves with sharps and flats. See more ideas about bowed psaltery, musical instruments and hammered dulcimer.
Psaltery definition and meaning collins english dictionary. He sells a diatonic version of the bowed psaltery in the key of d, which makes it a popular companion instrument to the appalachian hammer dulcimer. Everything is very well explained and the included music is just wonderful. An ancient musical instrument of the zither family. The psaltery the name coming from the greek word psalterion probably filtered into europe from the near east during the crusades. Inside the bowed psaltery makers workshop flour sack mama. If you want to play your psaltery along with the mountain dulcimer, simply have the dulcimer player use the tablature in the playing the mountain dulcimer made easy vol i instruction book they can play in either daa or dad tablature. Psaltery musica antiqua department of music iowa state university. This is where a lot of psaltery players get left in their dust. Building your own instrument can be very rewarding work, so you will certainly be able to put our plan to good use. For those not already accustomed to reading music, long offers a playbynumber set of books and easy system for beginning musicians. Psalteries and accessories psaltery, bowed psaltery, kirby. It is played with a bow, and the strings are set up similar to a piano keyboard.
The instrument, probably of middle eastern origin in late classical times, reached europe in the. Waynie psaltery wayne simms 5809161500 or 2147042125 all instruments, pictures, novels, web design and creation by wayne simms. Playing the psaltery made easy vol i by jeffrey allen lambert. Notice, also, that the book of psalmshas also become known as the psalter or. For the best hammer dulcimers its davids dulcimers at. However, you do not have to combine these two books, this psaltery instruction book is a stand alone project. Psaltery glossary term meaning as seen in the king james bible. The psimple psaltery instruction book how to play the bowed psaltery. Kendra ward and bob bence the bowed psaltery handbook.
A very good start and gives an excellent foundation. On some psalteries the strings were plucked, on others they were struck, and still others they were bowed. Psaltery article about psaltery by the free dictionary. Oct 10, 2008 this is my new bowed psaltery from phantasy psalteries made by eric meier. Lessons include reading the tablature, tuning, bowing techniques, holding the psaltery and some of my favorite gospel, christmas and traditional folk songs. This is the single best book for starting from scratch on the psaltery. In the prayer book version of the psalms the hebrew word is rendered lute. The strings of this instrument on one side are fixed onto lateral pegs and then span adjustable bridges. Queen mary psalter nun with psaltery and monk with citole. This book will show you how you can easily play tunes on the bowed psaltery for your enjoyment or entertaining the kids and. The are many books in this series and i have seen many of them in music stores or from online music or book companies. A psaltery is a stringed musical instrument, appearing in many different forms and styles throughout history. Bowed psaltery, ringing strings bowed psalteries, handcrafted by rick long, clinton, tn, building quality instruments since 1980. I started my journey to learn to play bowed psaltery about a year ago.
In contrast with the centuriesold plucked psaltery, the bowed psaltery appears to be a 20thcentury invention. The psaltery should be seen as the ancestor of the spinet and harpsichord. Violin bow, instruction book, tuning wrench, two extra strings. Each psaltery comes with a tuning wrench, rosin, horse hair bow, removable note markings and booklet. A history of the plucked psaltery the psaltery is a type of medieval zither. Having all the notes of the d scale on one side will allow you to play faster and smoother. The hebrew nabel or nebel is so rendered in the authorized version in all passages where if occurs, except in isaiah 5.
Bowed psaltery, noted note, music books, easy to read 9notes. Psaltery played by a cat in a belgian book of hours, c. Its name probably originates in religious use, as an accompaniment to singing songs from the psalms, known as psalmody and sung from a psalter, thus the psaltery. If you would like to custom order your psaltery, please call us at 3303230618. Personally i want to play the psaltery in accompany with the mountain dulcimer. Dec 14, 2015 the psaltery is a musical instrument for anyone to play. The psaltery book unknown binding january 1, 1928 see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Dating back about 3000 years, it was first played in greece and the middle east and its basic design a hollow sound box with resonating strings stretched across it was the basis for a very wide family of zithers, autoharps and hammered. The psaltery, taken from the greek word psalterion, probably filtered into europe from the near east during the crusades.
I just started playing the psaltery and bought several how to play books. It is generally tuned in a chomatic 2 octave scale with black notes on the left and the white on the right as seen from the blunt end. It has the beautiful sound of a violin without any of the difficult fingering. If you want to play your psaltery along with the mountain dulcimer, simply have the dulcimer player use the tablature in the playing the mountain dulcimer made easy vol i instruction book they can play in either daa or dad. The music in ekm books have the notes with the letter equivalent shown in the note itself. In 1925 a german patent was issued to the clemens neuber company for a bowed psaltery which also included a set of strings arranged in chords, so that one could play the melody on the bowed psaltery strings, and strum accompaniment with the other hand. Bolton is planning two other books, one of folk music and one of classical tunes. Music books in noted note key of c for bowed psaltery. It is a bit too easy for me and i wish that there were more songs, but still, it is a well presented book for a beginner.
Since i play by ear, i created this channel to help me remember songs that ive figure out. Reenactors have a habit of carrying one round and displaying it proudly as a genuine medieval instrument. In this book, you will learn all about the history of the psaltery and everything that you need to purchase for your new instrument to get started creating beautiful music. Compact, robust, not too difficult to tune and play, and it has a delightful tone. Psalteries and accessories psaltery, bowed psaltery. The psaltery is a musical instrument for anyone to play. The hebrew word nebhel, so rendered, is translated viol in isa. Psaltery a musical instrument, supposed to have been a kind of lyre, or a harp with twelve strings. Because it has all wound strings and is a little larger, the lowest note is an octave below the lowest note on the d psaltery. Another source of music for the bowed psaltery are the easy fake books by hal leonard. The word psaltery derives from the ancient greek psalt.
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