Psalteries are one of the most antiquated musical instruments still played today. They have a history of approximately 4000 years and they appear in the Bible's Old Testament. They have a unique and time-honored place in the history of world music.
The psaltery was invented by the ancient Greeks and is much like a harp or zither in its design. From Greece, its use spread into the Middle East, and then Europe, so that during the medieval era it was to be found all over Europe. Nowadays it is available in other areas as well, and there is a sub-industry of manufacturing handmade instruments.
Like the guitar or lute, the psaltery has a hollow body with strings attached to one side of it. The has the shape of an isosceles triangle. The strings are attached along the body's edges and also to tuning pins at one end. The pins can be turned to produce the desired pitch (note) in each string. The vibrating strings produce the sound, which is then amplified by the cavity of the body. Psaltery design has not been stable over time, but the basic principle has remained the same.
There are different kinds of psaltery. Some are plucked, either by hand or with a pick (plectrum), while others are struck. The most recent type is played with a bow, like a violin. The oldest type is the plucked one, which is much like the playing style of a harp. The plucked one is several thousand years old.
The history books make frequently mention the psaltery. The ancient Greeks depicted it in their art and the Bible refers to it on several occasions. The obvious example is the Book of Psalms: 'Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.' (Psalms 108:2, an excerpt from the King James Version. There is no conclusive proof, however, that the word as used here is actually referring to the psaltery, since the original text's meaning has been lost.)
Historians believe that psalteries were transported into Europe from the Middle East by returning crusader knights. The instrument became an acceptable one for ladies of the court, and this is reflected in art dating from the medieval era in Europe. It then was involved in the invention of other instruments like the dulcimer and the harpsichord.
The musical influence of the psaltery has been vast. It has been linked to the invention of the piano too, because both instruments rely on the striking of strings to produce their notes. This theory is, however, somewhat controversial. It seems likely that the psaltery was also involved in the development of notated music.
There is a certain mystical appeal in listening to ancient instruments like psalteries. Their music is like a journey through time to a distant era, now long gone. In an age of loud electronic music and cutting-edge sound technology, it is refreshing to be able to observe the earliest instruments displaying the most basic musical principles, and to wonder at how it all began thousands of years ago.
The psaltery was invented by the ancient Greeks and is much like a harp or zither in its design. From Greece, its use spread into the Middle East, and then Europe, so that during the medieval era it was to be found all over Europe. Nowadays it is available in other areas as well, and there is a sub-industry of manufacturing handmade instruments.
Like the guitar or lute, the psaltery has a hollow body with strings attached to one side of it. The has the shape of an isosceles triangle. The strings are attached along the body's edges and also to tuning pins at one end. The pins can be turned to produce the desired pitch (note) in each string. The vibrating strings produce the sound, which is then amplified by the cavity of the body. Psaltery design has not been stable over time, but the basic principle has remained the same.
There are different kinds of psaltery. Some are plucked, either by hand or with a pick (plectrum), while others are struck. The most recent type is played with a bow, like a violin. The oldest type is the plucked one, which is much like the playing style of a harp. The plucked one is several thousand years old.
The history books make frequently mention the psaltery. The ancient Greeks depicted it in their art and the Bible refers to it on several occasions. The obvious example is the Book of Psalms: 'Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.' (Psalms 108:2, an excerpt from the King James Version. There is no conclusive proof, however, that the word as used here is actually referring to the psaltery, since the original text's meaning has been lost.)
Historians believe that psalteries were transported into Europe from the Middle East by returning crusader knights. The instrument became an acceptable one for ladies of the court, and this is reflected in art dating from the medieval era in Europe. It then was involved in the invention of other instruments like the dulcimer and the harpsichord.
The musical influence of the psaltery has been vast. It has been linked to the invention of the piano too, because both instruments rely on the striking of strings to produce their notes. This theory is, however, somewhat controversial. It seems likely that the psaltery was also involved in the development of notated music.
There is a certain mystical appeal in listening to ancient instruments like psalteries. Their music is like a journey through time to a distant era, now long gone. In an age of loud electronic music and cutting-edge sound technology, it is refreshing to be able to observe the earliest instruments displaying the most basic musical principles, and to wonder at how it all began thousands of years ago.
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