THE MUSIC OF ANCIENT GREECE!

[nickparrott]

Your videos have inspired me to buy one of these things. What a beautiful instrument.

[Klezfiddle1]

Thanks! I got my lyre from the Early Music Shop in Bradford, UK, if this is any help? Would you also be interested in ordering a copy of my my debut CD, "King David's Lyre; Echoes of Ancient Israel"?

[biggugly0402]

are you familiar with Pythagoreanism and the Quadrivium? very cool music by the way

[Klezfiddle1]

I'm afraid not - please enlighten me!

[biggugly0402]

check out hans kaysers Text Book of Harmonics at hanskayser dotte comm the quadrivium is the Pythagorean mathematical synthesis of four subjects mathematics or number unto number music theory numbers in time geometry numbers in space astronomy numbers in time/ space the quadrivium provides the most fundemental prototype of unified theories of physics the contraction and expansion of time/space is within the division of the vibrating string

[bemjamin]

Ever heard of a band called Synaulia?

they're amazing

[OldWaysFollower]

absolutely amazing!

Gods be blessed that this music has been preserved.

Keep up your work!!

[SCWguqin]

OK, holy crap. That was awesome.

I continue to discover the capabilities of the lyre family, THE "art instrument" for so much of the ancient western world. I love your approach here of just going nuts and exploring the technical possibilities.

[johnshipe]

How does one know for sure that what is transcribed in the fragment actually represents these melodies? In other words, are the intervals really understood explicitly? And the rhythmic divisions? (This is not a rhetorical question. I'm ignorant and curious.)

[Klezfiddle1]

Ancient Greek musical notation consisted of letters representing pitch,written above the text of the song - do a Google image search of "Delphic Hymn to Apollo" or "Song of Seikilos",and you can actually see this inscribed in stone!Rhythm can be inferred from the words of the text

[johnshipe]

"Rhythm inferred from the text" sounds a little iffy. Can we assume that it's just a guess? How the musicologists know the interval spacing is what confuses me.

[Klezfiddle1]

I am but a self-tuaght musican :o( You could try getting in touch with John Wheeler,who runs the "teamim" Youtube Channel;he is an academic expert on ancient music.

[johnshipe]

Thanks for this info. You are, by the way, very impressive as a musician. Thanks for these postings.

[Klezfiddle1]

Another type of musicla notation known from ancient times,was a system of hand gestures called "chironomy",which both represented the pitch & ornamentation of melodies - this is found in the recently deciphered music of the Hebrew Bible,& was also used in ancient Egypt - check out the fantastic Youtube Channel "teamim".I've a few featured videos from there on my own Youtube Channel Page

[Klezfiddle1]

Try rubbing a bit of violin bow rosin on the slippy peg - this trick sometimes works for slippy violin tuning pegs, which like the ones on your lyre,are only held in place by friction. Also,try the tuning strings at a lower pitch & therefore a lower tension - I usually tune my bottom string down to a low C

[rakkav]

Michael tells (i.e., complains to) me that those are the original nylon strings. As on a folk harp, so on one of those lyres, if the pegs aren't pressed into the wood properly, they won't hold their pitch. (Those Pakistan-built lyres aren't all that well-made; I used to own one.) Comments, Michael?

[rakkav]

Clarification: I do recognize this tune from MUSIQUE DE LA GRECE ANTIQUE, but it took a little concentration to spot it. Not everyone has this recording or others that include a version of the tune. Thus, my friendly suggestion. You do have the tune at the end...why not at the beginning? (But your lyre technique is getting nothing short of amazing...not bad for a self-taught player!)

[rakkav]

VERY NICE! :) Suggestion: Most listeners (myself included) would not know what the original, transcribed tune sounds like. The same goes for many Jewish tunes. Why not start with a "straight" rendition of the "theme", and then go into the "variations" such as you are doing here? That would educate the willing and defuse the self-appointed critics. (שלום מיוחנן רכב)

[Klezfiddle1]

When I thought of doing a musically interesting arrangement for this otherwise pityfully short surviving fragment of ancient Greek music,I decided to add an improvised introduction & middle section to "set the mood" - but I can see what you mean about making clear to the listener what the ACTUAL fragment of ancient Greek music IS in this type of arrangement! Thanks again,for this really useful tip :o)