Technologi

Psalteries can be found in almost all folk cultures, all around the world. They come in all shapes and sizes. They were usually plucked with the fingers or a plectrum. You will find them on numerous medieval paintings, but the first ones appeared long before that time. Today, you can find yourself a beautiful bowed psaltery for sale in numerous online shops.

Bowed psalteries produce unusual sound that fits perfectly in any medieval ensemble. If played using fingers or a plectrum, this interesting instrument produces lovely tingling tones, very pleasant to ears. Bowed sounds are different, they float in midair on the most beautiful way, and you just have to hear these sounds to understand why people appreciate them so much.

For all of you who never had a chance to learn how to play, this could be a great opportunity. This instrument is so easy to play that anyone can do it, extremely quickly. Specialized shops mostly offer different music sheets as well, guide books and all important info about their offer. Just choose a few simple songs and you will be able to play them in no time at all.

You have probably seen zithers and harps. Well, they look quite similar to psalteries, with strings that run the entire length. Although the first psalteries were made very long time ago, in the Middle East, they were brought to other parts of the world, in Europe and China, in the middle ages. They were quite popular, and played in all possible occasions.

Simple wooden boxes equipped with gut strings were probably rectangular at first, and soon after that, triangular. They were carried in front of the player, who had used his fingers, or sometimes a plectrum, to pluck the strings. Some players used two sticks to strike the strings. After some time, the shapes became more imaginative, and other shapes were introduced, for example, trapezoidal. Wing-shaped ones were especially popular in Northern Europe.

Today, gut strings are hard to find. They are mostly replaced with steel strings. They make this instrument louder, and the sound is much brighter. You will find many other instruments based on this one, for example, a harp. Popular zither is also based on ancient psaltery, as well as the hammer dulcimer. More and more people are interested in this great little instrument.

Psalteries come in many different sizes and shapes. Different materials are used to make them even more attractive. For example, they are often made of precious woods, and sometimes are artistically decorated. They look very nice, but their sound is absolutely surprising. You have to hear it, by all means, and you will understand why it is so popular even today.

Well, you don't have to be interested in playing psalteries to buy one. It looks really interesting, and can be used as a decorative element as well. If it is made of precious wood and beautifully shaped, you can find a nice place in your living room to put it there. In any case, when you see one, you'll find it hard to resist.