Michael Kings Video Blog No.2 -with 7 string Lyres, Fluorocarbon strings and a bowed lyre

[IGOROZKARSKY]

GREAT VIDEO

THANKS

[leedjarv]

Can you also play natural and/or artificial harmonics on this lyre? That would be really cool because then you could play all these notes an octave higher.

[michaeljking]

@leedjarv yes, the same as any stringed instrument, can be used for effect, It is a strummed instrument mainly though, chord accompaniment rather than melody

[leedjarv]

@michaeljking Thank you! Makes me want that kind of instrument more and more! :D

[Mr98giuliano]

Wooow!!!

Fantastic, compliments!!!!! :)

I just have a question: what wood did you use for making the soundboard of the bowed lyre?

Thank you very much!

[michaeljking]

@Mr98giuliano I used maple wood, this is the traditional soundboard material of the Anglo Saxon/Germanic Lyre whether the lyre was from Cologne or England it was always the choice wood, with carefully selected quartersawn timber used

[Mr98giuliano]

@michaeljking For the bowed lyre too?

Ok thanks, and compliment for those works!!!

[michaeljking]

@Mr98giuliano Bowed lyres....always spruce soundboards.....

[Mr98giuliano]

@michaeljking ok thank you very much!!!!

[ClanChattan14]

is it hard to play ?

[michaeljking]

@ClanChattan14 The strings are no more harder to play than gut...they are firmer than nylgut which can feel floppy and thick compared to fc nylon or gut.

[jeppestrale]

Your work is incredible. I just wish the youth of today will divide their computer time with the beautiful musical traditions such as shown here.

[beezerboy94]

Do you ever use metal strings?

[michaeljking]

@beezerboy94 Yes...but not steel strings, too much tension... see the Irish Lyre video played by Simon Chadwick he has used other metals like Brass and iron

[beezerboy94]

@michaeljking Cool, many thanks.

[AdlerMow]

OMG! You're a bard! Note how the wind changes (4:42) as he begin to sing!!

[michaeljking]

@AdlerMow I would love that honour!!! though in truth I did do the first year of studying in the druidic tradition which is the bardic level....lol

[naervana]

@AdlerMow !!! the wind changing... that was remarkable.

[Vargspor]

could you use fluorocarbon fishing line to string an anglo saxon lyre?



[michaeljking]

@Vargspor Look for the seaguar make of strings 35 to 90lb, not the cheapest way to get strings if you need just a few strings mind....

[Vargspor]

could you use fluorocarbon fishing line to string an anglo saxon lyre?

[Vargspor]

could you use fluorocarbon fishing line to string a anglo saxon lyre?

[diagreen]

COOL. thanx

[2Kortoso]

Michael, the scale, is it derived from just intonation, or a piano? :) IMHO these would have been derived from harmonic series and flageolet tones. Does this match up? Thanks!

[michaeljking]

Yes I am sure you are right! I tune by ear, using a fixed instrument like a penny whistle or tuning fork to get the lowest note then tune all the other notes to this, with only one octave you avoid Pythagorean commas ;) I am a fan of just intonation, and 1/4 comma meantone in early music,,,..

[2Kortoso]

@michaeljking Interesting!

[a0e0roberts]

I liked the special effects for the song, where the wind whistling through the trees was mentioned. I'm going to have to figure out how to do that...

[michaeljking]

serendipity ;)

[TheTuberRose]

My husband made me a small lyre, but we're having trouble with the tuning pegs! Any advice for a novice luthier? Also... once we get it to work, can you direct me to where I can learn how to play it?

[AnwendEihwaz]

Michael, your videos are amazing. Your knowledge, understanding, and overall connection with the Folk instruments of Europe really amazes me and puts me in a serene state to know such people exist! I look forward to getting the money to someday order your plans, and an instrument made by your hands. I have just picked up Kantele and your videos have been great in learning very easily the various logical ways of playing it!

P.s. Any plans of making Finnish Jouhikkos in the future?

Anwend

[michaeljking]

thanks for your compliments,

I'm focusing on a generic model of Bowed Lyre at the moment as it sits between my Plucked Lyres and Welsh Crwths on the evolutionary ladder but I suspect that I will make more traditional Finnish Jouhikkos at some point. I am still trying to master making strings with horsehair hair and fishing line for now. For the next few months I am mainly working on replicas of the the wire strung Queen mary harp.

[SFChristo]

Thank you for showing us this. I learned something new- the left hand muting allowing you to strum chords. Is the left hand muting technique somehow the cause of the reason you don't have an 8 string lyre with an added "B" above the low A?

[michaeljking]

The 6 string version does seem particular to the Germanic speaking peoples for at least over a 1500 year period, It popularity probaby due in part to its simplicity the 6 string lyre is very easy to play, requiring just minimal finger positions and covers the most used chords of folk music, I think the instrument dropped out of favour with cultural changes with the harp and other instruments,.

the Finnish people used a 5 string Kantele in the same way until nearly the 20th century

[michaeljking]

With the plucked lyres you damp strings you don't want to hear, reducing the sound from them to a rhythmic percussive sound when strumming.

The bowed Lyres which are a later evolution are fingered with the knuckles or fingers tips, nails less so. On an instrument like the Nyckelharpa you see this way of playing automated with wooden dowels replacing the fingers.

[michaeljking]

thanks, It will be a few weeks before the lyres sound at their best, as their sound mellows due to the strings settling and the wood accustoming itself to the strings. They are a lot quicker than fiddles in that respect)