Wednesday, 25 June 2014

The Beautiful Melodies Of Psalteries

By Ina Hunt


Greece is recorded as the earliest community to own and use the psaltery. The original version was plucked using fingers as compared to the present day plucking using plectrums. Psalteries have evolved over the years with differences in designs depending on their society of origin. Notable variations were found in the medieval age and some communities in Europe which explains the differences in names and design specifics.

Religious scriptures record instances where this instrument was used in translating foreign words whose meaning was unknown. This information is recorded in the books of Psalms, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and Daniel. The idea is to offer the pitch during pronunciation so that the kings or orators get the words right.

The psaltery consists of a sound board and several strings attached uniformly at an angle. These strings are pre-tuned and produce the desired sound when plucked. Its small size makes it portable to be used in different locations. The uses vary from one person or society to the other. Differences in sizes make the range or pitch of various instruments to vary.

The medieval society had a central place for the psaltery. This was evident in their paintings and sculpture. They also were a common part of theatrical performances and manuscripts written in this era. They would be found in palaces and formed an integral part of entertainment for the king.

The modern psaltery appeared in the 19th century with slight variations from the original design. Its format is triangular such that the portions of each string are bowed at the end. This has not eliminated the original design completely. Traditional psaltery is still being used in its original form among different societies.

The most popular design is the bowed psaltery which resembles the zither class of instruments. It is played using a bow with slight modifications from the original design that relied on fingers. The strings are chromatically arranged to produce standardized sound.

The triangular effect allows each set of strings to extend further than the previous. This is for the chromatic effect which has been enhanced to factor sharps and flats in music. The design of the bow varies depending on its origin. The violin bow is more popular.

Individual players adopt unique playing styles depending on the music of specialization. This has seen differences in sounds across performances. The small size allows it to be held on one hand as the player bows with the other. Additional tone comes from finger strumming.

The design might not allow conventional finger plucking because the strings are too close together. This leaves the player with the option of plucking at the end. Sound is amplified by the soundbox with special holes to allow penetration of sound from the strings.

The psaltery may be customized with different colors provided the quality of sound is maintained. Professionals play with two bows so that they can achieve double stopping. The tightness of the bow is likely to affect the pitch and quality of sound produced. This is an incredible acoustic addition to any music.




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