Tuning and playing the Anglo Saxon Lyre

[jakeaboo40]

What type of lyre are you using in this video I am very interested in buying that type from you

[michaeljking]

@jakeaboo40 They are both Anglo Saxon Lyres, message me, I normally can offer a student model Anglo Saxon lyre within a month if you need it,  otherwise the museum quality replicas take a lot longer and need commissioning and cost much more

[jakeaboo40]

What type of lyre are you using in this video I am very interested in buying the type you are playing in this video from you and how much does it cost?

[ImperialistRunningDo]

@jakeaboo40 Have you gone to his web page? He has a number of different models and price ranges.

I'm a crazed woodworker and have built several based on his plans. This guy's the read deal.

[iannandale]

Hello

I have a 13 string lyre made in Australia for my son's Steiner school. what note should I start with when tuning it - G or E?

Thanks for your wonderful video

[michaeljking]

@iannandale Google the makers of your instrument and inquire with them...these are made in various sizes, mostly to a pentatonic tuning but beyond that i cannot say

[MacDonald989]

what is that

[MoorOfDundee]

VERY Interesting!

[MarkAllanBarnes]

Is there an equivalent to a guitar capo that is used on lyre? So that you could change the tuning from G A B C D E to C D E F G A for example? If it doesn't exist I'll probably invent one, but I wondered if it's already been done.

[MarkAllanBarnes]

I have recently built a 6 string electric lyre (not to be confused with my previous lyre guitars etc.) and tried it out on stage. One of the things that interests me about this instrument is that it offers chords in a wide variety of intonations and temperaments just by retuning strings (with guitar I have to make necks with different fret patterns). I intend to use this lyre in place of rhythm guitar in recordings. Can you suggest an instrument to take the place of bass guitar please?

[PICLex]

Beautiful instrument

[lsur04]

Thank you! This is a very informative video and pleasantly presented. Did you ever hear of the 'lyre' that Arnold Dolmetsch made for Florence Farr? She developed a style of reciting to the instrument though i think the details have been lost. Thanks again - you have given me some ideas!

[michaeljking]

Thanks for your commenst, and for that Dolmetsch note, its a fascinating period or rediscovery, I did find some pictures online of Florence Farr with a lyre, It looks like a Psaltery with an angled Lyre frame, similar to some modern Lyres in Germany, maybe there is a connection. Dolmetschs company later made the reconstruction Anglo Saxon Lyre for the British Museum

[andylowings]

Very creative playing . Good luck with the Lyre

Andy Lowings

[michaeljking]

Thanks Andy,  I am really enjoying your informative videos on the african/early lyres...

[andylowings]

Thank you very much .

Perhaps I should make a proper quality video about these instruments? Those (3) were very much just private videos in order to show someone over in USA how to change a string on an early Lyre.

Regards

Andy

[michaeljking]

Its a great medium for sharing concepts with a worldwide audience, I was a bit thrown when Youtube went widescreen/High definition, but in the long term it means more can be gained watching. ( I don't have an HD camcorder yet but I stretch it to fit the panel...) no one else is doing what you are doing, so I think any more videos you make will be warmly welcomed!!

[primalvision]

I have a Penatonic lyre tuned from e to d. Do you have a CD or music that relates to that tuning? I am brand new to this. Many thanks.

[michaeljking]

I don't use Penatonic tunings myself, but If you look at Bagby's Beowulf website you can see examples from his dvd of a lyre in pentatonic tuning, (I think his is in G Pentatonic off hand) The dvd is worth having if you are into this period of history. German/Steiner Waldorf Kinder lyres/Kanteles are often tuned to penatonic and have similar numbers of strings so there may well be educational material.

[primalvision]

THanks so much. I appreciate the lead.

[MNZ2007]

It's it possible to play more chords?

[michaeljking]

with the basic chords in the key of G and Am You can play many variations, I list the most useful/musical chords in the files section of the Anglo Saxon Lyre Forum, see the playing the lyre pdf document

[wwelti]

I have seen your Lyre videos on YT -- really interesting. Thank you :)

[leftysergeant]

If I wasn't watching this, I would think it was a krar when you strum and damp.

[Klezfiddle1]

Great talk - really informative! I have gradually been getting to grips with the "block and strum" technique on my own 10 string Kinnor Lyre...really great for adding colour to improvisatory passages. I must try that staccato thingy - a really neat trick!