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I knew this thread would be entertaining when I saw the banner ad with a nyckelharpa on it. I've been playing for seven years now, and it is probably one of the finest (and weirdest) instrument I've had the chance to play. I'd like to ask how non-Swedish speakers are getting along, though - a lot of how I learned was through a couple spellmanslags when I lived over there, along with Alpsjö's Spela Nyckelharpa series, which only has the first book translated. I've been meaning to translate volumes 2 and 3 (which have some really good tips for double-stops and other fun tricks that give it such character), but aside from folks in the ANA, I never really meet up with other 'harpa players. More on-topic, I've been meaning to build a jouhikko for a while - anyone have any experience with the crwth-style bowed lyres? Even if you know a good source for this sort of instrument - the closest I've been able to easily find is a guy in California who builds talharpas.
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Jul 9, 2013 19:19
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:I think you're only the second goon in the thread who plays key-fiddle; if you have any story to share about how you got into it, pitches for why others should consider taking it up, etc, that'd be a cool post. It's one of those really odd-but-cool instruments like the 'gurdy. It seems like it shouldn't even be a real thing, just someone's weird napkin-sketch, but it sounds great and has been around for centuries. Sure! I got started in the weirdest loving way possible, so I may as well write it up. Placeholder did an excellent write-up on technique and the basics of it, so I may as well add in my own take and experience on things. First off, I am not a native Swede, nor was I particularly good at Swedish at the time I picked up the 'harpa. I'd been a Ren Faire performer for a few years, mostly doing guitar stuff and singing Irish songs in those vague approximations of melody you get from someone who spends much more time practising the parts the string-hitting bits than the parts that people actually give a poo poo about. I had also just started university as a physics major and was looking to get my language requirements finished up. During the summer courses, I noticed that Swedish was offered and decided that it might be a good idea to take it, as I was one of those guys who thought heavy metal was the greatest thing in the universe - fortunately, I've managed to recover and expand my tastes a bit. I ended up really loving the language and culture - especially the awesome and supportive folk music webs out in Sweden. I looked into what sort of instruments one plays in traditional Swedish circles - guitar looked boring (as I already played that, and hitting chords to accompany melody instruments isn't exactly my cup of tea, as finding a group would be a bitch), I didn't have the patience to sit and learn violin, and (at the time) I figured an accordion would be stupid. I stumbled upon the nyckelharpa by accident - it's on the 50 kronor note, as it's one of the national instruments of Sweden, and decided that it would be a good thing to learn. Got in touch with a gentleman in Sweden by the name of Leif Alpsjö through his web shop and (in my halting, awful, 1st-year-student-with-little-practice-writing-to-Zorn-trial-winning-fiddlers Swedish) inquired if he had a good instrument. This started a long correspondence where he explained a lot of the basics, what to look for, and what would be a good beginner's instrument. I started working a second job solely to store away cash for a 'harpa, and had the money by December of that year. It was a huge trust thing - I had to wire money to some guy I'd never met and hope that somehow, this bizarre fusion of fiddle and accordion would make it to me intact. It did, and I started practising - the instrumental practice was good, but my Swedish improved a lot when I got to chatting with other players online. First off, I've got a bit of a warning for players outside of Sweden - you're going to meet a lot of older folks who don't want anything to do with non-traditional music, and a lot of them will not give any information unless you're part of their spelman group. This was frustrating, as the nearest one was a few hundred miles away. There's also a second category of even more annoying players - the ones who do the whole "Ole and Lena" act, sitting around acting out stereotypes of Swedish emigrants and occasionally playing a tune or two. I was doing a mix of stuff - traditional folk, and playing with a lovely folk metal band that thought it was awesome to have a dude who played a bizarre instrument on board, even if I was playing music that was more Irish than Swedish. Quit after a few gigs, as I realized that I was probably being a dumbass and getting frustrated at myself for not quite knowing what I was doing. I got frustrated with a few years, and then picked it back up when I was living in Sweden. I had a chance to learn from some real good 'harpa players - including getting to hang out with Anders Norudde and chat with him about using it in a non-traditional context. This got me back into the instrument, and into what I'm using it for now - blues. Why Learn The Nyckelharpa? It's an awesome-sounding instrument. It's like a creaky, echo-y fiddle that you don't need to spend years learning proper intonation on. It's remarkably versatile (especially modern chromatic 'harpas), people are guaranteed to sit around for the novelty, and you'd be surprised what sort of cool sounds you can coax out of an instrument that can't really do much in the way of gliss and slides. On the flip side, they're expensive as hell, it's hard to find good instruction if you don't speak Swedish (but if you're looking, I'm translating Leif Alpsjö's books on learning the 'harpa.), and it is incredibly loud when you start out and suck horribly at it. Some Cool Links All of the really obvious and understandable links have already been covered, so I'll toss up some cool links I've come across in my time trawling the internet. Matti Norlin & Anders Norudde - Technically a storbassharpa (older variant), but still - It's two Swedish guys playing the blues on slide resonator and nyckelharpa! Song is "Slit Ont" More Matti and Anders Folkwiki is a great resource for traditional Swedish tunes. There's a lot on there, and while it's in Swedish, you can just randomly browse and find some awesome stuff. Swedish folk-metal band Otyg playing "Holy Diver" with some nyckelharpa mixed in. Take that for weird decisions! In terms of other weird instruments I've played, I've got a couple of bodhrans, a pointlessly huge collection of tinwhistles (including a wonderful Burke Narrow-Bore D), Irish tenor banjo, bouzouki, English concertina, accordion, a few sets of bones, säckpipa, a few random geegaws and a pretty sweet resonator guitar I got off of Craigslist for fifteen bucks and restored to working condition.
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Jul 17, 2013 22:38
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Visteri posted:Anders Norudde?! The other main thing he taught me is that experimentation is all about satisfaction with what you're doing and making good music - while there's a quality standard to look at (i.e. if you sound like poo poo, you sound like poo poo), experimentation is what allows music to keep growing and expanding. One of the big issues in Swedish folk music (that I've experienced) is the emphasis on preservation, rather than innovation - while preservation is important (so that we don't forget our roots), folk music is meant to be a living thing that keeps changing based on the social movement. The biggest illustration you'll see of this is the Zorn trials - let me tell you, some of the politics are ridiculous, especially behind instruments. He's an awesome dude. For those who don't know who the hell Anders Norudde is, he's a Swedish luthier and one of the founding members of Hedningarna, a Swedish/Finnish folk music/experimental group that had some pretty impressive mainstream success (and, incidentally, the inspiration for this username, which just shows how much of a Norudde-fanboy I am). The combination of the two could almost be an inspiration for this thread - Hedningarna was all about experimentation, coming up with weird combinations of instruments, and building cool things - Norudde himself is a luthier and builds weird folk instruments. So this post isn't just me gushing about the one time I met a semi-famous musician at a gathering where he was likely to be, here's a link to Sweden's weirdest musical competition - Årets Näck, where an impartial team of judges chooses who best represents the spirit of Swedish folk music, at least as far as it relates to the traditional legend of the Näck. This involves having (exclusively) male participants play a song while nude/wearing clothing constructed only from materials laying around 'in nature' while standing waist-deep in a river. Even though I shouldn't, I just bought a talharpa from a guy. I'll let everyone know how it goes. Edit: This is why collecting instruments is a terrible idea - especially when you don't have a lot of space.  From left to right: Greek bouzouki, Concertina Connection "Jackie" English model, Irish Tenor 4-string banjo, random harmonica, Tillbury Milled Aluminium Modular Whistle (bodies in D, C, Bb), Burke D Brass Narrow Bore, Sweetone in C, Clark in D, Oak in D, Walton Brass in D, Seth Hamon Säckpipa (my pipes are actually the one that's the first photo example of boxes, as he added that option just when I bought them), crappy Bodhran reworked with electrical tape, some cheap bones, my nyckelharpa, and a cheap resonator guitar. Hedningen fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Jul 18, 2013 |
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Jul 18, 2013 19:06
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What kinds of things did he have to say?
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Got it for Irish, as the skills from Irish tenor translated quite well to the bouzouki - fingering is all the same, although the whole "sustain" thing always weirds me out a little bit when switching. That's a pretty cool article - definitely a variation I've never heard of before. The fretting system is pretty cool as well - I know that trying to replicate some of the fiddle tunes on my chromatic 'harpa has always been annoying. I'll admit, it's not the best bouzouki in the world - the neck's a bit warped, so the intonation is off. It's fine for session work, but I need to bend into a lot of the higher notes, so my playing technique is bizarre. Got it fairly cheap and it's a pretty wall hanger, so I'm not gonna call it a total wash. I will say one thing - this thread has gotten me back into a lot more traditional playing. I've been re-arranging some Swedish tunes in a somewhat more Irish style - it's awesome how well it works. Trying to get a few non-lovely recordings done, because listening to my playing has really pointed to some of the errors I've been making.
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Jul 20, 2013 20:42
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After some incredibly stalled construction, I decided to just give up and buy a talharpa. Then the ancient instrument bug hit, and I bought an Anglo-Saxon lyre. My mail is going to be interesting for the next few weeks as I keep my eyes peeled. Talharpa is by ArCane Lutheriery, with the lyre by Silvershell music. I'll post reviews as soon as they arrive - been playing so much nyckelharpa and säckpipa lately that it'll be nice to have a change. On that note, I've been having a lot of fun playing outside the traditional contexts with my 'harpa. Got to do a set accompanying a bellydance group, which was definitely interesting - a lot of improvisation and working to fit in with the other musicians. I'm also in the process of writing and recording some pieces for a LARP I'm involved with, which has been a fun exercise - it's the first time I've been confident enough to record solo stuff, as I'm playing all the instruments involved, along with finding good real-world bases for all the music I'm playing around with. There's just so much variety in folk that it really lets you hear how cultures differ in terms of aesthetics alone.
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Oct 28, 2013 05:02
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Building instruments is generally a matter of enjoying the process itself: if you're building something just to save money you're probably better off just spending more hours at whatever you earn cash for, and using that cash to just buy an instrument. I very much enjoy the process of instrument building - the main issue is that I lost access to my primary workspace, and my wife isn't exactly fond of me taking up a ton of space in our tiny condo with my various projects. I got some initial work done on the plans for building the Talharpa, along with some of the rough cuts for the wood, but I just didn't have enough time to work on it seriously. In general instrument-building, I've recently made a few PVC shakuhachi, based on a desire to keep my hands busy with projects. They actually sound decent when compared to the professionally-built one I was borrowing as a reference, so I've gotten to help a few more friends get started on playing some less common instruments. Definitely going to play around with alternate tunings - part of the sonic landscape of these instruments is finding interesting tunings to provide different textures. Lyre gets in on Friday, so I figure I may as well put my Old Norse knowledge to good use and finish up a project for one of my folklore buddies by working out a good pattern to play while reciting Völuspá.
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Nov 4, 2013 21:22
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Well, just got my wife a kantele. She's been remarkably supportive of my musical instrument purchases over the years, but hadn't quite found one that she felt like playing - she came from a musical family, played cello for years, but never really got interested in taking it further due to her nervousness about her abilities. So, I decided to surprise her by picking up a ten-string kantele kit from Musicmakers, building it over Christmas, and gave it to her around the New Year. It's been awesome. One of the best parts of learning folk instruments (and other, non-standard instruments) is that you usually don't have a preconceived notion of what good playing should sound like, so she's felt really free to improvise and figure out what sounds good. After a bit of basic technique training (to avoid bad habits), she's really taken to improvising. I ended up retuning my Anglo-Saxon lyre to the same scale as the kantele, and we just improvised for a while, which was incredibly relaxing and wonderful. Still waiting on my talharpa. I'm kinda disappointed in how long it's taking to be built, although I'll post pictures of all the acquired instruments from this past year.
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Jan 8, 2014 06:44
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My talharpa should ship out next week - apparently the finish is just drying and there's some final finishing work to wait on. Considering the amount of time it has taken to get built, I am really looking forward to this drat thing finally arriving so I can suck at it for a month or two before it suddenly clicks.
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Feb 14, 2014 00:33
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So talharpa update - I'm still waiting for the thing, and I have gotten no responses from the maker. So yeah, never buy from ArCane Lutherie. Can't file a chargeback due to elapsed time, Etsy doesn't really care, and I may have to go further in contacting the guy to actually get the instrument I paid for about nine months ago.
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Jul 20, 2014 07:53
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So it looks like ArCane has closed its Etsy shop. Already tried contacting Nathan several times through every channel I could - no responses, and stuff keeps going up on the eBay store, so unless it's an automatic listing of surplus stuff, I've resigned myself to never seeing my talharpa. Bit of a shame - I'm guessing health issues are the root cause, but I'm super-frustrated that I can't even get any acknowledgment out of him for it. Oh well, I suppose that's life. You try obscure instruments, you gotta be prepared for the occasional "never able to find what you're looking for". Now if only there was someone who made a good aulos.
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Aug 21, 2014 07:12
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My father-in-law has one of those frog rasps. Makes sense, as he's a hell of a musician and loves odd instruments. Best present the wife and I ever got him was a stump fiddle. So, for obscure instrument chat: with summer at a close, I decided that my last negative experience with a custom instrument shouldn't dismay me, so I spent some time looking for an aulos and found a German who makes them at fairly reasonable prices. So, I've shot him an e-mail asking about getting one in olive wood, in the hope that I can start playing a weird double-reed instrument. I've never played with reeds outside of my säckpipa, so this should be an interesting process. At least ancient instruments are totally sweet.
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Sep 1, 2014 05:35
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Not to complicate your decision, but if you're considering getting a Euro single-reeded double-tube instrument, take a look at this guy's work in modern/affordable Basque alboka: http://instrumundo.blogspot.com/2013/11/alboka-maruri.html Those are cool as hell. Part of the reason I'm looking at an aulos is the connection to classical Greek performance, as I've been rehearsing The Cyclops with some folks for a truncated street performance, and I thought adding some aulos to the performance would add a bit to the impression. I've been using my säckpipa as a somewhat effective substitute for the chorus, but trying with the authentic instrument seems fun. So, as badass as Basque instruments are, I'm looking at this from a cultural and dramatic standpoint.
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Sep 2, 2014 00:13
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laertes22 posted:I got a mystery check in the mail, and since it is going to probably take some time to track down my concertina, I decided to go ahead and order a sackpipa. I bookmarked the smallpipa websites and forums from back on page 2, but any ideas for places to get sheet music (or tab or whatever sackpipa uses)? Swedish music or otherwise (anything that would sound good on or be in the musical range of sackpipa). I'm guessing you've got Olle's website bookmarked, as he's the de-facto internet voice of the säckpipa (and an awesome dude to chat with if you ever meet him), but may I also recommend folkwiki.se for all your Swedish folk music needs? It's a great site for good Swedish tunes, and if you filter by the keys your pipes can play in, you can find some appropriate tunes. I've heard some Irish tunes on the säckpipa as well, though it was with a different chanter. First thing I recommend is following Olle's suggestion of using bike tubing for tuning your instrument. It's a lot easier (and much less messy) than electrical tape, and I personally think it looks cooler. Edit: oh yeah, if anyone wants (shorter) things translated from Swedish on any of the folk instruments from the region, let me know. Hedningen fucked around with this message at 07:51 on Sep 14, 2014 |
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Sep 14, 2014 07:47
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Man, I love this thread. Based on a whim, I'm ordering a härjedalspipa from Gunnar Stenmark. I figure I already play enough Swedish folk that I may as well add another weird instrument from there. Thankfully, my local library has some nice archives of immigrant performers thanks to a really dedicated folklorist, so I can listen to some actual performance and adapt some of my tinwhistle technique to it. Aulos is going well, apparently - should be ready soon, and then I pay. Not gonna end up with another talharpa experience.
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Dec 6, 2014 20:26
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So my wife is an amazing person and got me a neat little pipe and tabor to start playing with. I have to say, it's definitely a cool instrument combo - the ability to play percussion while also using a whistle for melody is kinda great. Not sure if there's a write-up, but I'm willing to sit down and do one. Even better, however, is the good ol' three-hole pipe; it's a one-handed instrument, and there's a cheap Generation model that's about the same cost as a tinwhistle. Mine needed a bit of tweaking, but I've done so with tinwhistles before, and they're fairly close, instrument-wise. I can say that it's a pretty neat little instrument, albeit a bit loud and less useful for softer stuff until you hit the less shrill stuff. Here is a dude demonstrating badass skills on what is basically a one-handed pipe with three holes and a tiny drum.
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Dec 22, 2014 18:31
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So, after a few months of waiting, the aulos I ordered arrived today. It's a beautiful instrument, and I wish I had more experience with double-reed instruments so that I could really make it sing. It's a crazy experience, playing two pipes at once. Only played it with my plastic reeds so far - don't feel confident in trying the cane reeds quite yet, but drat, this is a wonderful instrument. I'll post pictures as soon as I find my drat camera.
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Feb 2, 2015 22:42
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Grand Prize Winner posted:Hey all! I'm doing sound design for a Greek play right now and we're looking for something that sounds (in the words of the director) "foreign" without sounding like anything anyone can place. I was leaning towards some kind of tuned percussion like a Hang drum or a Hank drum, but the director ain't digging that and I was wondering if there's anything y'all might throw at me. I'm scanning through the whole thread for interesting youtube links as we speak but would really like some suggestions. Anyone remember what that ceramic-jug that could fill with water to alter its tone was? TTFA demonstrated it once but I can't recall the name. Definitely cool stuff. Which play are you doing? I've been doing some work with a group putting on a version of Euripides' Cyclops, with some mixed success using my säckpipa and aulos - even though the aulos isn't quite in the right range for any of the remnants of theatrical aulos playing for Greek drama. Thankfully, it's a rather truncated version that's a modernized interpretation (sort of Futurist-inspired staging with some significant re-writes as part of an exercise in adapted ancient Greek theatre), so the fact I suck at aulos isn't causing too many problems. Depending on how you're doing the sound design, you've got a lot of options. TTFA really covered a lot of the bases above, and I can recommend any of the double-pipe reed instruments. When working on the design, I recommend remembering to base it around tetrachords and the older tuning variants if you can do some fabrication for instruments or use equipment that can be adjusted in terms of pitch. Part of what can make an instrument sound "correct" for this type of drama is sticking to the right sorts of scales and tuning. If you're looking for non-percussion stuff, then I'm going to be contrary and recommend the duduk - it sounds remarkably similar to the aulos, and if you know anyone with a bit of double-reed experience, then they can pick it up in no time. I had zero experience with double reeds before I bought my aulos, and I'm to the point where I can comfortably perform some simple melodies, in part due to the fact that I'm using a duduk-style reed, which tends to be a lot easier to play than the modern concert double reed, albeit with a little less expressiveness and backpressure. Otherwise, if you're looking at other doubled pipes, find something with a movable drone. If you're doing the sound prep before the show and recording it, rather than requiring live performers or on-stage appearance, then look at some of the stuff by the Lost Sounds Orchestra, who have done some sound modeling to re-create what they think the aulos would have sounded like. I always prefer doing the complex stuff like this before a show, especially if it's merely for color and you don't need to display the musicians, but I also tend to look at these things in terms of the acting, rather than sound design, so I'm not too sure what you're doing. For rhythm, try some simple frame drums along with some more exotic percussion - has your director heard the Hank drum in combination with anything else yet? Sometimes, hearing the instrument solo does no justice for what it can sound like in a small ensemble, especially if you're concentrating on low tones and the feel of things, rather than on highlighting an individual instrument. I'd love to hear more about this. On my end, aulos studies are going well - I'm finally getting the hang of the thumb motion. Unfortunately, one of my pipes is starting to crack due to the lovely dryness of my house, and while it was a relatively cosmetic fix (despite all the love - humidifier in the case, bore swabbed clean after playing, and no going from cold), I've learned that the olive wood used for these pipes apparently isn't super-stable at times. Thankfully, the maker has offered to replace the cracked pipe after seeing a couple pictures and my description of the care that's been going into it, and it's still really playable, so I'm not too worried, but it's a bit annoying to see something so beautiful develop a little cosmetic damage for crap that's pretty much outside of my control.
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Feb 18, 2015 04:41
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:EDIT: Hedningen, I'm back in contact with that alboka maker, and want to get one now since he can be hard to get a hold of and I don't know if he'll be making them in the future. Do you want to either hold on to mine while I'm out traveling for the forseeable future, and/or go in on a package of two of them to save shipping, and you keep yours and hold on to mine while I'm out bouncing around? As for GPW's theatre: First off, I love that play. Heaney is a wonderful writer, especially with this adaptation, and knowing it will be transmuted even further is an interesting thing. Have you pointed out the possibility of playing with the generic militaristic themes by using guitar drones and a martial beat that begins on a more traditional instrument, but is then slowly passed off to a more melodic drum, like a Hang/Hank, steelpan, or any of the dozen gamelan drums? It could be an interesting effect, especially if you play with it a bit. I've used an E-bow, looping pedals, and a few assorted weird effects for something similar to what you've described they're looking for. Think of it as layers of sound that keep building, and in theory, you could go with unrecognizable-yet-recognizable versions of tunes that are hidden in the soundscape; slow transformations from martial music (hell, tinwhistle is a fantastic choice to take the piss out of, especially if you get it going lower and lower and replace it with another instrument partway through the melody) to the discordant stuff you're looking at. This has to be a fun project for you, and best of luck negotiating with the director - I know how oddly specific the artistic vision can get and how difficult it can be to nail down what someone wants, especially if they don't quite have the vocabulary to describe what it is they're actually looking for.
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Feb 18, 2015 22:11
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No Gravitas posted:Est ist ganz interresant. Meine Deutche sprache is sehr slech, shade! Alles klar, ich habe eine kleine Google Translate. Alles ist gut. Viel gluck. Keine komplicacionen. Ja. Je sui un Berlinere. Sehr. *cough* Use a string tension calculator to figure out the appropriate gauges for each pitch you're looking to get on your instrument. There's a few other tricks you can use, too - reinforce the soundbox with a steel rod or two, and look into making a heavier base to withstand the tension. Kantele-building guides can help, as they tend to have a much thicker body. I've had a homebuilt zither snap in two from tension, which is a terrifying experience. Making the soundboard out of a nice, heavy single slab can really help, although it won't exactly be loud. If you're willing to add electronics, a piezo pickup could do wonders for getting a good mix between volume and sturdiness for your plans.
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Feb 23, 2015 23:34
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What's the general thread agreement for acquiring a shamisen for a beginner? A friend of mine is quite interested in the instrument thanks to studying bunraku theatre, and I'd like to help her find a decent instrument from a reputable dealer that can ship to the states.
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Mar 22, 2015 00:10
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That is a pretty sweet instrument right there. Good luck on waiting - it's the anticipation that tends to be somewhat killer. On that note, I've discovered that the guy who was supposed to make my talharpa - and apparently finished it, but never mailed it - is still selling via an eBay store. So it turns out my previous assumption of him leaving the game was entirely inaccurate. So, after e-mailing him through there and eBay, I'm going to wait a week, and then start raising a bit more hell, because I paid the guy nearly two years ago, and never really got anything for my drat time. Any suggestions for steps to make sure I get some form of response?
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Apr 16, 2015 05:02
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Well, I'll resolve my talharpa issues in time - hopefully. I have an address, so I'm sending a physical letter to the guy, in the hopes that it will somehow work for getting my drat talharpa. Rather than bitching, I figure I'll be useful for the thread and write up one of the instruments I've picked up lately - the wonderful härjedalspipa, a six-hole fipple flute from - you guessed it - Härjedalen, Sweden.  Here's some whistles There's a long tradition of fipple flutes in Sweden, with most of them falling into the spilåpipa tradition from Älvdalen thanks to good amounts of preservation there. While historical fipple flutes in Sweden tended to vary the number of available holes and tunings, as time went on, established traditions sprung up. While the instrument sprung up in the Norrland regions, it's been most well-preserved in Svealand areas, primarily Dalarna, with Älvdalen traditions leading to the modern 8-hole spilåpipa. Beyond that, however, is the Härjedalen tradition, evolving around several key musicians. Ol'Jansa - whose real name was Olof Jönsson - is the main figure in härjedalspipa lore, with his playing tradition being the most well-preserved thanks to how friendly he was. Interestingly, the modern härjedalspipa tradition could be considered closer to the "original" spilåpipa traditions, thanks to its geographic location, but what is and isn't a "proper" tradition is something I'll leave to the Zorn juries. Thanks to Ol'Jansa, the tradition survived well into the 20th century, but there's another reason that the härjedalspipa still exists - the crafting tradition is still kept alive and well. The current master of the craft is Gunnar Stenmark, who was taught the tradition by Oskar Olofsson. Gunnar has a fantastic web presence, is remarkably easy to work with, and - I believe - speaks English quite well; I wouldn't know, as all of my communication with him was in Swedish, but his website and willingness to ship to the US suggests he's more than familiar with it. He's also an innovator in the field - making flutes in both the traditional tunings, as well as in modern intonation, different keys, and offering a wide variety of flutes made in the tradition. His prices are very reasonable, he ships quickly, and is a joy to work with - consulting on every aspect of the instrument.  A Cool Instrument-Maker The tradition is alive and well today, and is particularly notable in that there is actually a book published on it - Ol'Jansas Låtbok, a collection of tunes in the tradition of Ol'Jansa. It's only available in Swedish, but thanks to the wonders of ILL, I have a copy available and am slowly translating it as a side project for interested students and am working with the publishers to see it printed in English for future students. While one could argue that you need to speak Swedish to really get into Swedish folk traditions, I'm opposed to the idea, as the idea of folk culture is that it can be explored by anyone with a willingness to learn, and there's a lot of Scandinavian-Americans who'd love an instrument like this to play around with. I don't know if anyone's covered the Swedish folk music scene, but thanks to the preservation efforts of early folk societies, a sufficiently-skilled musician can achieve the title of Riksspelman, or "Musician of the Realm", by performing before a jury at the annual Zorn trials. It shows that the performer is sufficiently skilled in a single instrument's regional tradition and can display their skill in a way that exemplifies preserving the folk culture of Sweden. While it's hit some contraversy lately, thanks to issues of what is an "approved" instrument (The diatonic button accordion, which is perhaps one of the most "Swedish" instruments I can think of, wasn't accepted until 1979), it's still a respected title. The härjedalspipa is notable due in part to the fact that the only American riksspelman, David Kaminsky, happens to have won his Zorn badge by performing on the härjedalspipa. He's a really nice guy, and I've been devouring his research into the role of nationalism and national identity in Swedish folk music today. Hoping to see him at a conference in the future, as he does a lot of work in areas that are adjacent to my field, but I got to catch a performance a few years after he won his Zorn badge. So, for playing - it's basically a recorder, with a very soft, breathy and warm tone. The traditional tuning isn't quite in line with modern settings, but it has a lot of character. It's an easy enough instrument to get started on, and there's a good number of people who play outside of Sweden, thanks in part to Gunnar Stenmark's wonderful whistles. As is traditional, here's a few links to sounds: Here is Gunnar Stenmark's website. A waltz and a polska on the härjedalspipa. Härjedalspipa played along with accordion and cello Steklåt efter Tjäder Hans, played on härjedalspipa Hope someone finds this interesting. I've certainly been having a lot of fun with mine.
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May 2, 2015 06:35
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Since I'm getting a sudden brief break from life insanity and a friend of mine has a really well-equipped machine/wood shop, I'll be spending much of next week building instruments out of junk. Aside from cigar box guitars and the various homemade PVC flutes I've already done, any good instruments that have that "junkyard" aesthetic for inspiration? We're both involved in a post-apocalyptic LARP (Terminal nerd velocity, but hey, these kinda games are a good excuse to wear weird costumes and bust out the more obscure instruments because enough mead/cheap beer makes people want to hear weird folk music), so the first couple days are gonna be devoted to building about a dozen CBGs to sell at the next event, but I'm looking to stretch out a little bit and see what else we can hack together. I might try and make a few PVC härjedalspipor and send 'em to any goons who wanna try their hand at at it.
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May 15, 2015 07:22
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Cigar box guitar building went really well, albeit highly over-engineered and way nicer than we were intending. Half the weekend was spent making jigs and shortcuts for future instruments, because it's a bit addictive. First two instruments came out great, though. Purpleheart fretboards, contrasting with oak (for one) and cherry for the other. Still dialing in the intonation, but it's close enough for some fine blues. Got a pair of piezos on one, and a magnetic pickup on the other. Fretting was surprisingly painless, especially after using calipers for fret distances. Of course, as soon as we started posting video of the process, people wanted some, so I guess I accidentally found a way to make some cash? Ukulele is on the bench right now, along with half a dozen necks and some plans for various experimental instruments. We're hoping that the plans for an electric erhu will work - small motor driving a rosined wheel for pitch generation, for a hurdy-gurdy type sound. EDIT: Crossposting from the Woodworking thread - here's a picture of my project. I think it looks decent, and worst-case, it sounds pretty good. 
Hedningen fucked around with this message at 04:31 on May 31, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 03:31
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Quick question - I have an opportunity to buy a sarangi, and I'm not entirely sure if there are any good guides for things to look for when buying. I'm not exactly looking to learn Hindi music, aside from any learning materials that I end up picking up, but it seems like an incredibly cool instrument to fool around with over the summer. Been working on building more instruments; it's been a blast so far. I'm halfway through building a lyre and just finished working on the rough shaping and tooling on the neck for a shamisen. Opted to use modern tuning machines, rather than the traditional pegs, and it fits like a glove in the cigar box I'm using for a body. My instrument-building partner - who is considerably better at tool use than me and has been teaching me the ropes in exchange for musical consultation on the instruments we've built - is getting a CNC router, so we'll be inlaying some purpleheart into the neck in a rather cool pattern.
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Jun 2, 2015 04:39
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To keep this thread going on the weird instrument train, I just bought a kelhorn. It's a capped double-reed instrument with a doubled-back bore, so while being the size of a large recorder, it goes down to a nice, low C. My wife refers to it as the farting duck pipe because I am not good at it yet, but it is a fun little instrument.
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Nov 21, 2015 02:02
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Starting to look into uilleann pipes, due to playing a ton of tin whistle and säckpipa lately and having an immense desire to fuse the two. Thankfully found a local teacher who's given me some whistle exercises to cross over, but now I'm at the hard part - actually finding a set that won't bankrupt me or that isn't behind a two-year waiting list is pretty difficult. Already monitoring most of the sites, but if anyone has a line on a set of used Daye pipes, I'd love to hear it. Also looking to sell my dulcimer, as it definitely doesn't get enough use. It's a Clemmer five-string, looks absolutely gorgeous, and is in great condition - while it was a wall-hanger for a few years, I've been doing a lot of luth work lately and gave it a once-over in the workshop. Not exactly super-relevant, but I know there's enough goons here looking at instruments that it might interest someone.
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Apr 24, 2016 04:58
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Ooh, Clemmers are pretty cool, what are you looking for on yours? One of those 5-strings with the kind of curved bracket cutouts in the sides? Out of probably 75+ dulcimers I've owned, the Clemmer-kit I once had is still a mystery. I can't figure out if I loaned it to someone and forgot to get it back, sold it, gifted it, or still have it somewhere in a case. I guess it's not as bad as loosing track of a handgun amongst many, but it's still slightly vexing me. Seth was actually my first person to contact - found out he's dealing with some repetitive strain injuries, and making UPs is demanding enough that he's taking a break. Checked most of the major sites - still waiting on hearing back from a few people who were selling (but never listed as sold) some Daye practice and half sets. Mostly Irish trad, but I'll likely use it cross-genre. Might someday get the full regulators, but for now, practice (maaaaaybe half set) would be the starting place for a few years. Unsure on the exact type of the Clemmer - it's a good-quality five-string. I think it's a Church, made with gorgeous wood. Plain headstock, with a fly-fishing motif. No idea if anyone would be interested here, but I'm setting funds aside for uilleann pipes.
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Apr 27, 2016 00:16
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So, ended up finding a good set of secondhand pipes via a Facebook group for pipers. BC Childress chanter, along with a nice pipebag and a set of bellows by Dow, which are gorgeous leather-and-brass, with really comfortable sheepskin padding. Initial thoughts - the uilleann pipes are difficult as gently caress, but totally wonderful. Still working on getting good, even notes for tight piping, which was recommended by the local teacher as a good starting place, but I can play through the first octave relatively comfortably and in-tune, apart from some octave jumps on the E. Totally unsure how good the reed is - it tends to jump the octave and shut off relatively easily, but I've had these things for a couple of days and practiced for maybe an hour with the whole kit, and a couple more working on fingering exercises on the chanter alone to get a loose grip on things. So, in short - these strike me as a long learning process, but one that'll be rewarding once I can get some relatively in-tune stuff. Thankfully, my partner in instrument building wants to work on making some Scottish pipes, so I'll be working on a Daye-style chanter and drones this summer while he's building some smallpipes and NSP. Getting in a load of cane should be the next step - gotta build a few dozen reeds so I have spares available when mine starts running into weather issues. I'll toss up pictures of the pipes when I get a chance (and after shining them up a bit) - Childress does great work, and apart from some minor maintenance, I got a great deal.
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May 14, 2016 22:05
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Just showed my luthiering partner your mandocello description. Gonna fab up a bridge and convert a cheap pawn shop Strat to one, will provide a trip report when done. Should be a fun time for all involved. Uilleann pipes remain awesome. Can already play through a few airs and jigs, along with some Pogues that I've decided sound better with the pipes. "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" is a fun tune, plus it's relatively easy to teach people.
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Jun 26, 2016 21:42
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:For the mandocello conversion, make sure to read up on whether you need a pickup that's indiscriminate for string placement or no, like a lipstick, or if stock is fine. Eventually I might get a cheap 3/4 electric guitar and make it an octave mandolin. We were already going to do a pickup swap - actually have a scavenged lipstick pickup in the big box of miscellaneous parts in the luth bench, and stock Squier pickups never sound that great, so switching from stock might be good. Plus, the undeniable urge to tinker - we have a project bass we're calling Theseus because everything has been replaced by this point. It starts with pickups and cosmetic stuff, then a truss pops due to weird tuning so the neck gets replaced, and then we made a body because we got a good slab of wood and wanted to try to refinish it . . . I really should record something. I'm just rear end at doing it myself due to weird mental pressure - the moment I start, I suddenly lose most of my musical ability. It's hilarious - I'll see if I can set something up where my wife is recording without telling me so I don't start forgetting how to play. It's basically crippling "Oh god, permanent record of sucking!", similar to jamming with a new group, but even worse.
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Jun 27, 2016 03:02
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Lavender Philtrum posted:Does anyone here know how to tune the Korean Gayaggeum? 12 string. From asking a buddy who does Korean traditional stuff, I think there's a variety of tunings. One that he recommended is Eb Ab Bb Eb F Ab Bb C Eb F Ab Bb, low to high.
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Jul 21, 2016 21:58
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