This ancient instrument is referred to several times in Biblical texts. Its clear, pure tone has won many modern players. Each string plays an individual note when stroked with the bow. The triangular layout of our instruments mimics a piano keyboard so that it is already familiar to many musicians. These instruments have twenty-four notes with a two-octave chromatic range. They each come with a bow, resin, tuning wrench, case, and instructions. Price - $279.00
Our standard model has a mahogany top and back. All solid
wood construction gives a rich, dark sound.
To purchase an instrument call 276-755-3808 or e-mail Jeff at
Psaltery Accessories
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Case, $29.95 Extra bow, $22.95 Resin, $1.00 Instructional Video,$39.95 |
Electronic Tuners
These tuners have become standard equipment for most
musicians. Hammered dulcimer players psaltery players,
and other folks who play instruments with many strings
find them almost indispensable. We have several models to
choose from. All of the tuners we sell are fully
chromatic so that they can tune any instrument.
List Price, $34.00. Our Price, $29.95
Psaltery History
To quote the Grove's Dictionary of Musical
Instruments, a psaltery is "an instrument of the
zither family consisting of a raised wooden board, or a
wooden box with soundholes, with strings stretched
parallel to the soundboard and attached at either side by
wooden pegs or metal pins. Usually the strings are
plucked, by the fingers or by plectra."
The term Psaltery has been used for hundreds of years to describe a wide variety of musical instruments. Many translations of the Bible have numerous references to psalteries. While it is impossible to determine the exact instrument they are referencing, it is most likely to have been a harp shaped instrument. The term psaltery probably began to refer to box shaped zithers sometime in the third century.
As the definition above indicates, throughout most of its history, the psaltery has been a plucked instrument. While we can be sure that at different times in the past, various musicians had experimented with bowing it, it does not appear that this was a common technique until well into the twentieth century. The present form of the bowed psaltery was developed in Germany as a teaching aid for young music students. This was an instrument that could be handled easily and replicated the layout of our modern keyboard so that it was very easy to translate musical ideas.
This instrument is primarily a
melody instrument and I believe that it sounds best when
used to play a slow melody line with other instruments
providing a chordal back-up. It can also be used to play
recorder music (the range is similar to an alto recorder)
and works well in duet. You can also learn to play some
harmony by laying the instrument in your lap and using
two bows. The easiest way to do this is by playing third
harmonies with your melody.
Relax, enjoy, and make music.