By Sally Delacruz
The family tree of stringed musical instruments reaches far into the past. The orchestral instrumentation everyone recognizes today did not emerge fully fledged in the 18th century, but developed over time and across cultures. Their earliest ancestors were often plucked or hammered, and the adoption of the horsehair bow expanded those capabilities. The bowed psaltery is a relative newcomer, and produces its own unique, ethereal sound.
The sounds they produce often remind listeners of harp music, with the added tonality of a dulcimer and violin. Some Biblical passages mention the instrument by name, but that was a result of translators seeking to popularize ancient texts, not a verbatim description. It is true that psalteries originated partially in the Middle East, but they are now grouped with other members of he chordophone family.
This includes nearly any musical device that has strings amplified by a resonator. They have become part of modern culture as expressed through composition, and define the sound that modern orchestras produce. Many are electronically amplified today, and all possess chromatic capabilities. The psaltery-like instruments favored by Renaissance-era musicians did not, and their popularity waned.
The original instrument did not disappear, but simply changed. If instruments possessed DNA, it would be found in hammered dulcimers and their descendants, including harpsichords, and later on the piano. Although the addition of keyboards allowed composers greater freedom of expression, there is an appeal even today to the mystical, clean sounds it can produce.
The current shapes, sizes, and playing techniques emerged fairly recently. Popular history places the birth of the modern version in Germany over a century ago, but the true beginnings probably have no specific date. The addition of a horsehair bow separates ancient instruments from modern, and their design makes playing one comparatively uncomplicated. The sounds are medieval, but the mechanisms are modern.
The current shape resembles a long, narrow isosceles triangle. There are two basic sizes, including the smaller soprano and the deeper sounding alto. Soprano psalteries have a two-octave range, and a somewhat brighter tonality than the alto, which has a chromatic extension on the lower tones. Both are less than two feet long, and weigh little more than 2.5 pounds, making them both personal and portable.
Playing a violin can be difficult because good technique usually takes years of practice, but not a psaltery. It possesses two distinct sides, with spaced string pegs representing the black keys of a piano on the left, with corresponding white key spaces on the right side. Written music does not necessarily have to use standard notation, but can simply designate bow spaces.
When the bow is placed between pegs and slowly drawn across tuned strings, the results can be lovely. Musicians can play from either side, not just from the highest point of the strings. There is not a specifically wrong way to hold one, and many players simply lay them on a table, or cradle them in their laps. There is a growing body of sheet music and psaltery sound-bites on line for those interested in honing their skills.
The sounds they produce often remind listeners of harp music, with the added tonality of a dulcimer and violin. Some Biblical passages mention the instrument by name, but that was a result of translators seeking to popularize ancient texts, not a verbatim description. It is true that psalteries originated partially in the Middle East, but they are now grouped with other members of he chordophone family.
This includes nearly any musical device that has strings amplified by a resonator. They have become part of modern culture as expressed through composition, and define the sound that modern orchestras produce. Many are electronically amplified today, and all possess chromatic capabilities. The psaltery-like instruments favored by Renaissance-era musicians did not, and their popularity waned.
The original instrument did not disappear, but simply changed. If instruments possessed DNA, it would be found in hammered dulcimers and their descendants, including harpsichords, and later on the piano. Although the addition of keyboards allowed composers greater freedom of expression, there is an appeal even today to the mystical, clean sounds it can produce.
The current shapes, sizes, and playing techniques emerged fairly recently. Popular history places the birth of the modern version in Germany over a century ago, but the true beginnings probably have no specific date. The addition of a horsehair bow separates ancient instruments from modern, and their design makes playing one comparatively uncomplicated. The sounds are medieval, but the mechanisms are modern.
The current shape resembles a long, narrow isosceles triangle. There are two basic sizes, including the smaller soprano and the deeper sounding alto. Soprano psalteries have a two-octave range, and a somewhat brighter tonality than the alto, which has a chromatic extension on the lower tones. Both are less than two feet long, and weigh little more than 2.5 pounds, making them both personal and portable.
Playing a violin can be difficult because good technique usually takes years of practice, but not a psaltery. It possesses two distinct sides, with spaced string pegs representing the black keys of a piano on the left, with corresponding white key spaces on the right side. Written music does not necessarily have to use standard notation, but can simply designate bow spaces.
When the bow is placed between pegs and slowly drawn across tuned strings, the results can be lovely. Musicians can play from either side, not just from the highest point of the strings. There is not a specifically wrong way to hold one, and many players simply lay them on a table, or cradle them in their laps. There is a growing body of sheet music and psaltery sound-bites on line for those interested in honing their skills.
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