SongTrellis
Music and Musical Know-how For You

Author:  Charles Schoonmaker Posted:  11/5/02; 8:02:05 PM Topic:  SongTrellis News 11/08/02 Msg#:  3068 (in response to 3067) Prev/Next:  3067/3069 Reads:  848

David,  Bernard, et al.

 I offer the following only slightly tongue-in-cheek.   As a kid, my favorite Grandfather had a saying that kept us in stitches but thinking at the same time...to wit :

' Knowledge, money, and manure have one thing in common.  They're all useless until you spread them around '.

Hope this quotation isn't too folksy of mien but the trellis seems to be the best, unfettered source of musical info, ne: useable knowledge on the net.

With that,  I mention I was introduced to and played a Bowed Psaltier a few days ago.  At first glance it appears to be a poorly designed hi-tech cigar box with too many strings...steel strings mit horse-hair bow no-less ?

In reality,  this little bugger can produce upper register violin (bowed) tonalities unattainable from the tradtionally fingered violin neck.

 The instument has a unique simple string access system from both sides.... kind of like being able to bow the sound board of a miniature piano...left hand humping a single string,  right hand jumping the tuning pegs.

  Ok.  Sounds crazy,  it's small at 2 1/2 octaves (?) but you gotta play one to begin to appreciate the potential....just like any other instrument.

 Thanks, just trying to spread it around, Chas.

Please join our community at SongTrellis. Our contributors welcome your comments, suggestions and requests. As soon as you join the site (or login if you are a member) a response form will appear here.