4/30/2014

About Bowed Psaltery For Sale

By Eloise Hewitt


Psalteries can be found in almost all folk cultures, all around the world. They come in all shapes and sizes. They were usually plucked with the fingers or a plectrum. You will find them on numerous medieval paintings, but the first ones appeared long before that time. Today, you can find yourself a beautiful bowed psaltery for sale in numerous online shops.

Plucking strings using fingers or a plectrum produces very pleasant, ringing tones that tingle in your ears. Bowed psaltery has different sound quality. It seams just like this sound float in the air, but it is quite difficult to describe it. You simply have to hear it. It has a sort of a medieval quality, and it is easy to find out why so many people appreciate it.

It is really easy to play this lovely instrument, and anybody can learn this very quickly. If you have always wanted to learn how to play music, this might be a perfect opportunity for you. You will surely learn a few simpler melodies the very first day. Music sheets are mostly available in any music shops that sells psalteries, and you can also find useful how-to books there.

Psaltery looks quite similar to both zither and harp. The strings run the entire length of the instrument. It seems like the first ones were developed in the Middle East, at least a few centuries BC, and brought to Europe and to China during the Middle Ages. Back then, these lovely instruments were played in all given occasions. It was often played during psalms reading, for example, but any other occasion was great as well.

The first ones were probably just simple wooden boxes with gut strings, mostly rectangular. Triangular shapes were easy to make, and soon became popular. Later on, other forms were developed, and the most popular ones are definitely trapezoidal and wing-shaped ones, especially in northern parts of Europe. Ancient instruments were sized to be easily carried in the arms, and played with fingers or struck with two sticks.

Gut strings are now replaced with steel made ones, to improve the brightness and loudness of the sound. Many other instruments were based on psalteries, for example, the hammer dulcimer, harp, zither and other string instruments. Lately this charming, interesting and beautifully sounding musical instrument became very popular once again.

If you are interested in buying psalteries, you will find beautiful ones online, in specialized shops. Some are artistically decorated, some are simple or made of precious woods, and some are more modern, made of different materials. In any case, you will positively enjoy playing any of them, whatever shape you prefer. They all produce absolutely lovely sound you will certainly adore.

Well, you don't have to be interested in playing psalteries to buy one. It looks really interesting, and can be used as a decorative element as well. If it is made of precious wood and beautifully shaped, you can find a nice place in your living room to put it there. In any case, when you see one, you'll find it hard to resist.




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