Peter Yates plays the Arpeggione

On the Arpeggione, a bowed guitar, Peter Yates plays three of Carolan's Laments

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Peter
• Yates
• bowed
• guitar
• arpeggione
• UCLA
• Cal
• Poly
• Pomona
• calguitar.com
• homemade
• instruments
• Carolan
• classical
• music
• yt:quality=high
• yt:stretch=4:3

[BardRonka]

What strings do you use? And how you have used a guitar neck for an arpeggione?

I really love it, and I want to make one for me :D

[peterfyates]

@BardRonka  I use gut strings, made for viols. The 1st string is the limiting factor. I now have mine custom made, as it has to be low-tortion (low twist) or it will unravel. Alternatively, one could use steel strings for the trebles, though the sound is different. The guitar neck was spliced onto the neck of a 1/4 size cello, and a new fingerboard planed and sanded to suit the compound radius needed. Best, Peter Y

[melodytokyo]

Is this way of holding bow unique to this instrument?

[peterfyates]

This bow-hold is from viola da gamba technique (from the Baroque time). The arpeggione is also played using the usual cello overhand grip. Peter Y

[cppnak10]

Bravo Dr. Yates

[UncleTito72]

Wow, this is awesome!. I have a quick question. Viol players press ON the fret. Are you pressing on the fret? Or behind the fret, like guitarists do? I love the sound.

[BlissfullyDoomed]

Dr. Yates can you please show us how to build an arpeggione? I would much appreciate it.

-Ryan Ebalida Bliss

[peterfyates]

@Hikikomori013 Alternative number four is to splice the neck of a guitar onto the neck of a 1/4-size cello. A new fingerboard needs to be planed and sanded to the required compound-radius. My arpeggione cost me $300 plus some time and labor. Peter Y

[BillysFlipCamcorder]

@Hikikomori013

Thank you so much!

=D

[Hikikomori013]

@BillysFlipCamcorder There are three alternatives. One, you can buy a bowed guitar from a luthier like GuitarViols here on YouTube. I think dundyzip makes actual Arpeggiones in Japan.

Two, you can buy a viola da gamba and use guitar tuning. Either of these routes will cost about $5,000.

Three, buy an old guitar at a yard sale and take the neck off. Make a large cigar box style body for it and attach the neck. A wine case might be about the right size. That might run under $100 total.

[BillysFlipCamcorder]

Mr. Yates, could you show me how you constructed this monster?

I've been dreaming of bowing a guitar for years.

[iqeman23]

The subtitles are hilariously ensuing.

This video is great Dr. Yates.

Bradford