Studia Instrumentorum Musicae presents some rare resources for those interested in researching historic stringed instruments. I recommend starting with the on-line museum of historic guitars, zithers, and citterns.
The deeper you dig into this site the more treasure you will find.
Category Archive for 'Music'
$1.00 Per Album Sale Goes To Haitian Relief Efforts Till February 7th
Posted in Dulcimer, Hammered Dulcimer, Music on Jan 27th, 2010
CD Baby is the firm that handles my online CD and MP3 download sales. They are currently donating $1.00 for each CD or album download towards Haitian Relief Efforts.
This offer applies not only to my recordings but to thousands of independently produced albums.
From CD Baby:
CD Baby will donate $1 toward Haitian earthquake relief for [...]
The Natural History Of The Musical Bow (1899)
Posted in Jew's Harps, Lutherie, Music on Dec 1st, 2009
Musical bows are most likely the original stringed instrument.
Some are played in a fashion similar to the Jew’s harp; the player’s mouth is used as a resonator and by changing the shape of the mouth different harmonics are emphasized to produce melody.
Some musical bows are designed to allow defining notes by fingering the length of [...]
Illustrations from “Sound” by John Tyndall (1915) via Google Books.
At-A-Glance Illustrated Self Instructor For Jew’s Harp With Hillbilly Songs – (1932)
Posted in Jew's Harps, Music on Oct 13th, 2009
I am a frequent visitor to The Toolemera Press and The Toolemera Blog. Gary does a wonderful job of sharing his library of rare books on woodworking, tools and related ephemera. I have learend a lot about tools from reading the PDF files he offers for free download.
Gary also offers a digital edition of “Mechanick [...]
The Okeh Laughing Record – 1922
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
I had a great time at Dulcimer Week 2009, a wonderful festival organized and produced by the lovely and talented Lois Hornbostel.
One evening I performed a set of three songs. I decided to “clear the palate” between two somewhat serious songs with something “a little lighter.”
The song in question was “Shame And Scandal In The [...]
Balancing Instrument Making and Instrument Playing
Posted in Dulcimer, Hammered Dulcimer, Lutherie, Music on Jul 31st, 2009
I find instrument making and playing to be intimately linked together. I enjoy doing both equally. Sometimes I lean more one way than the other for a while but the focus always swings back and forth and more or less balances itself out.
I also find myself focused on different instruments as well and the same [...]
Once again The Internet Archive provides a gem from the past. “Elementary Lessons On Sound” by W.H. Stone was published in 1879. The author demonstrates and explains the physics of sound using the technology of the time; metal rods, a bench vise, vibrating plates, tuning forks, etc.
I have to admit that I have looked at [...]
My standard dulcimer setup features what I have found to be the most popular configuration with most players; 4 strings with the 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 frets. The action is set up for a balance of playability and clean sound (minimal buzzes if you play it hard).
I recommend this setup to most people unless [...]