Anglo Saxon Lyre 2

[goblue21450]

You've inspired me to make my own lyre:D Im currently making one out of oak in the Kinnor style, and hopefully it will have good sound quality.

[michaeljking]

@goblue21450 the same playing techniques were used on the simplest greek lyres and other early lyres like david "harp".... Look forward to seeing a video from you in the future

[goblue21450]

@michaeljking I have completed my lyre, and it sounds awesome! overall i think i did a nice job on it for being my first one without using any plans or kits. It only cost a grand total of $50 to build with enough leftovers to make another one. hoping to post a vid soon on my other channel "FossegrimmenLyres".

[michaeljking]

@goblue21450 Will look out for that, my first lyre I made when I was 19 was also economical and strung with nylon guitar strings...

[deviantcreep]

This is soooooooo f***ing awesome!!!!!

[31619halo]

Is he using a guitar pick?

[michaeljking]

@31619halo I have made picks from horn but in this example , yes, a guitar pick!!

[Vanastarr]

That is beautiful

[yerk3]

I've had a huge piece of oak in my shed since autumn. Is making something like this out of oak advisable?

[michaeljking]

@yerk3 oak is fiine for the body but the thin soundboard is best made from maple

[cyprussunizhot]

wooow very old greek instrament.

[dvon21]

That's one nice flute.

[googlebear6]

If u find a saxon trumpet please tell me of it id like to try out different trumpets

[michaeljking]

I think the closest thing would be the small wooden Lur found on the Osberg ship, or the wooden lurs found in Norway today, like smaller versions of Alpenhorns,

[googlebear6]

Thnx i will try and find it.

[2Kortoso]

It seems to be popular worldwide as an accompaniment to singers.

[2Kortoso]

Willow wood makes good pegs that won't slip. Try it.

[EricMetalGuitarist]

This guy is nothing but a big lyre! An insidious, dishonest lyre!

Lol. Just kidding. In all seriousness, nice work dude! You were rocking out on that thing. Bad ass.

[michaeljking]

for a smaller lyre, under 2' like the cologne model lyre which had an iron tailpiece brass strings might be more fitting. If you want further advice email me privately when you done some drawings and refined your ideas.

[michaeljking]

Are you making it dark ages re-enactment? Pine can be used,(no pine lyres are extant though, only maple, oak and yew but I wouldnt use bronze strings on a pine lyre, The lyre will work better with low tension nylon, gut or horsehair strings.

[u2poz]

that is tatally awesome! love it! :)

[roksancastle]

British culture is so fascinating. I wish that I could do more to help it survive.

[jinjaking]

I feel the same, Anglo-Saxon/viking culture is fascinating, so I'm gunna try and make a folk metal band incorperating instruments such as the lyre with modern guitars/drums, should be awesome!

[TotallyNotAlex]

@roksancastle Technically this is not British, as the term "Briton" refers to the Celtic people who lived in the southern England region before the Anglo-Saxon invasion.

The Anglos were Germanics, so the harp they brought with them was of Germanic origin.

[Pawnbroker00]

@TotallyNotAlex

Thats definitely true.

Of course noone wants to believe that english culture is not native to scotland wales and england these days.

[TotallyNotAlex]

@Pawnbroker00 Still doesn't negate english culture's awesomeness, though, but I do wish we had some more traces of Brython culture left.

[Pawnbroker00]

@roksancastle .... Anglo saxon is german and of german origin. There is nothing british about them or their culture.

Of course, on the other hand, you'd be fully against the survival of cornish wouldnt you?

[McPhersonBassMaster]

@Pawnbroker00

Anglo Saxon is of Germanic origin, when the Angles and the Saxons came to England. They aren't German, Germanic can include the norse tribes, of which the Angles and the Saxons descended from. Along with that, they absorbed the culture of Gaelic and Celtic tribes already living on the islands, constituting the typical Anglo-Saxon man we have today. For all we know, the harp they have was part of that mixed tradition. It happens all the time. Just check Russia, for example. -Eli

[Pawnbroker00]

@McPhersonBassMaster Come on.. those tribes were from northern germany.. which is german just incase you have forgotten..

[McPhersonBassMaster]

@Pawnbroker00

And southern Denmark, and all the other territories they had there. There was no such thing as the actual "German People" Until the country of Germany was formed, from all the smaller kingdoms in the area. The modern day German is a mix of various tribes, same as the Anglo Saxons were. I believe you need to read up on your history.

[Pawnbroker00]

@McPhersonBassMaster I was referring to german, as in germanic german, not german nationality.. whatever, your fat old opinions are irrelevant

[McPhersonBassMaster]

@Pawnbroker00

Germanic is not German, they're different. German is the nationality, Germanic is from the area. Any Frenchman you find is of Germanic origin, but is he German? Not necessarily.

[Pawnbroker00]

@McPhersonBassMaster wrong again. Alsatians are not germans in your opinion then? Or baltic germans? Or polish germans, or volga germans? Yeah yeah..

[McPhersonBassMaster]

@Pawnbroker00

Did I say they weren't? They're German. But Germanic and German are different, something you don't seem to realize. Germanic origin is nearly that entire area, including Germany up into areas near Denmark. The Franks, who were the original French tribe, were Germanic. Does that make them German? No. There was no German until there was a Germany for him to come from.

[EnglandWatcher]

i would llove to have one of thows for my self please play more it's Awesome

[greenleo71]

I would LOVE to own one of these for myself. PLEASE, PLEASE PLAY MORE FOR US!

[Klezfiddle1]

I'm really interested in the "string blocking" technique here - are you blocking strings not in use, or are you changing the pitch of the strings being blocked by the left hand fingers?

[michaeljking]

I am blocking strings I do not want to hear, and strumming the lot giving a percussive sound. This technique was used in ancient times from Mesopotamia to Greece, and is still used in african Lyre playing today.  The autoharp is a modern instrument that has mechanized this old technique

[EnglandWatcher]

awesome

[leftysergeant]

This is similar to the way that the krar and simsimiya are played. Notice, too, that the sound is somewhat different when the strings are strummed near the bridge and further out. Some Ethiopian and Eritrean players use that feature as well to vary the sounds that they can produce.

[Klezfiddle1]

Such a great sound! Is that lovely soft tone achieved by authentic gut stringing? Where can I get hold of 10 gut lyre stings???I find the jangly, high-tension nylon strings I am stuck with on my cheaply manufatured Kinnor Lyre really annoying sometimes :o(

[michaeljking]

Nylgut is a much better sounding and economic choice, Gut sounds siilar but breaks frequently and is twice as expensive.

[Drosme]

you know how to play that thing dude=)

[Ballyvourney]

Beautiful instrument!!!

Therefore, wit hthis instrument i can play also chords?

thanks

[michaeljking]

You can find the playing guide on my website that shows the dampening/fingering patterns for a few chords you can play, G, c, D Am etc plus the half chords that when combined with the voice make other ones. The diatonic tuning works well for folk tunes. given the ease of playing and this ability to accompany the voice its no wonder it lasted as long as it did.

[Ballyvourney]

many thanks for your info!!!

i see you your website!

thanks from Italy

[WotansFeuer]

Wow, awesome! Wes hál!

[DepthChargeMusic]

Nice Historical Instrument. Love it!

[RaptorTwo]

So lovely!

[reaperpro]

it sounds neat

[Qcaster]

wow, cool instrument,

[SirDeco]

nice idea:-d