Bob Marley once quipped that music doesn't hurt when it hits; a lot of people seem to agree with that, at least going by the number of plays that musicians get on the internet. For instance, Justin Bieber got over three billion plays on his YouTube page, a number that almost equals half the world's population. Such numbers would not be possible without advanced technology; modern music relies on high tech from creation to distribution. Most people can identify electronic keyboards and other equipment used in creating music, but only a very small number seem to know what psalteries are.
These are musical instruments that look very similar to small guitars. They are classified in the zither family, and are characterized by strings that do not extend beyond the sounding box. Other instruments in this group include Appalachian dulcimers, pianos and harpsichords. Psalteries are some of the oldest musical instruments known to man. They were once used by ancient Greeks, and are even mentioned in the Bible.
These instruments have evolved over time. Ancient Greeks made them with several tuned strings. As they made their way to every corner of Europe, variations in size and the number of strings became common. The nineteenth century saw the rise of guitar zithers and autoharps. Bowed psalteries were invented in the twentieth century; these are played with bows rather than plucked.
The guzheng is a close relative of the psaltery, the main difference being the number of strings; the Chinese instrument tends to have anything between eighteen and twenty three. This makes it possible to do things that a normal psaltery can only dream of. For instance, a skilled player can evoke a waterfall, a horse trot and so on. These instruments emerged at some point during the Warring States period, and became a common feature of the Chinese court in Tang dynasty.
Another Chinese instrument that is closely related to a psaltery is the guqin. This long, slim instrument has seven strings, and unlike a guzheng, it has no moveable bridges. Guqins are relatively quiet, with a range of just four octaves. Regarded as instruments of finesse and subtlety, they were favored by the Chinese elite; even Confucius is said to have regularly played one. Like most zithers, it is plucked, not played with a bow.
Zithers are found all over the world, even in the chilly expanses of Finland. The Finnish version is known as a kantele, and has been in existence for several hundred years. Originally, the instrument was carved out of a single piece of wood and stringed with horsehair. Modern versions include several pieces, and the strings are made out of steel. Small kanteles have fifteen or fewer strings; anything with more is referred to as a concert kantele.
The santoor is a Kashmiri version of the psaltery, with historians tracing its origins to Mesopotamia and ancient Persia. The instrument can have up to seventy two strings. The body is normally made from maple or walnut.
The koto are Japanese psalteries closely related to the Chinese guzheng. The device is almost two metres long, and is the national musical instrument of Japan. The koto has thirteen strings set over a similar number of moveable bridges; these make it possible to change pitch. The instrument's popularity can be traced to Kenjun, a Buddhist priest who focused on creating pieces for it. The device is made out of wood, and the end product may be decorated with shells, metallic figurines, ebony and so on.
These are musical instruments that look very similar to small guitars. They are classified in the zither family, and are characterized by strings that do not extend beyond the sounding box. Other instruments in this group include Appalachian dulcimers, pianos and harpsichords. Psalteries are some of the oldest musical instruments known to man. They were once used by ancient Greeks, and are even mentioned in the Bible.
These instruments have evolved over time. Ancient Greeks made them with several tuned strings. As they made their way to every corner of Europe, variations in size and the number of strings became common. The nineteenth century saw the rise of guitar zithers and autoharps. Bowed psalteries were invented in the twentieth century; these are played with bows rather than plucked.
The guzheng is a close relative of the psaltery, the main difference being the number of strings; the Chinese instrument tends to have anything between eighteen and twenty three. This makes it possible to do things that a normal psaltery can only dream of. For instance, a skilled player can evoke a waterfall, a horse trot and so on. These instruments emerged at some point during the Warring States period, and became a common feature of the Chinese court in Tang dynasty.
Another Chinese instrument that is closely related to a psaltery is the guqin. This long, slim instrument has seven strings, and unlike a guzheng, it has no moveable bridges. Guqins are relatively quiet, with a range of just four octaves. Regarded as instruments of finesse and subtlety, they were favored by the Chinese elite; even Confucius is said to have regularly played one. Like most zithers, it is plucked, not played with a bow.
Zithers are found all over the world, even in the chilly expanses of Finland. The Finnish version is known as a kantele, and has been in existence for several hundred years. Originally, the instrument was carved out of a single piece of wood and stringed with horsehair. Modern versions include several pieces, and the strings are made out of steel. Small kanteles have fifteen or fewer strings; anything with more is referred to as a concert kantele.
The santoor is a Kashmiri version of the psaltery, with historians tracing its origins to Mesopotamia and ancient Persia. The instrument can have up to seventy two strings. The body is normally made from maple or walnut.
The koto are Japanese psalteries closely related to the Chinese guzheng. The device is almost two metres long, and is the national musical instrument of Japan. The koto has thirteen strings set over a similar number of moveable bridges; these make it possible to change pitch. The instrument's popularity can be traced to Kenjun, a Buddhist priest who focused on creating pieces for it. The device is made out of wood, and the end product may be decorated with shells, metallic figurines, ebony and so on.
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