INSTRUMENT MAKING

 Peter has hand-made his own guitar and has now started to make bowed psalteries.

 The bowed psaltery is a form of stringed instrument and is played with a bow. It is probably one of the easiest instruments in the world to play. Anyone can play it, anyone who has ever played an instrument and anyone who never thought they could.

It is a hand-held triangle with strings running its length and it is played by simply moving/drawing the bow across the strings between the pins on the right and left sides. The right side of a bowed psaltery has the diatonic/natural notes (like the white keys on a piano) and the left side contains sharps and flats (like the black keys on a piano). The space between each pin is a separate note.

The bowed psaltery has a haunting and soulful sound, somewhat reminiscent to that of a violin. It is primarily a melody instrument although there are players who play with two bows allowing some harmonies. A bowed psaltery is basically a bowed version/development of the ancient (biblical times) plucked psaltery, reconstructed in the 20^th century from ideas in early drawings. The contemporary bowed psaltery was probably developed in the late 1940’s in Germany.

It is nice as a solo instrument but is also used in psaltery groups or mixed ensembles. It is also a good instrument to be used in schools. 

If you would like your own psaltery please contact info@petermccune.com