Heh heh heh, anyone seen this? Sort of amusing. The fiddler's bow (which, unfortunately, you can only see for a few seconds) intrigues me. Anyone here use a bow like this? It seems strange to me that almost the whole video is of the little wooden dancing dudes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXlpVa-9RUk
I have seen a bow like that before. Can't remember when, now. I would guess it must be home-made. Do you think he used horse-hair? 'Cos that almost looks like string ...
The little wooden dolls are jig dolls - fairly widespread in the English tradition at least. A good operator can really make the doll look as if it is stepdancing.
Bows like this are used in various cultures on bowed string instruments - an obvious development from archery bows/a cheap way of getting something that will function.
Interesting Ramiro. Doesn't a bowed psaltry use some sort of bog old bow too?
benhall.1 - I wondered what he used too. Whatever it is, it's all tied up in a big messy knot at the top end of his bow. It does look like string or something.
The Other Person in The House has listened to this and pointed out that the fiddler is playing 3 notes at once (triple stopping?) and this is made possible by the shape of the bow.
I like the second clip, Ramiro - I couldn't get the first to load (or I'm being impatient). Might be related to the Rebec (but sounds a lot better!). The bowed psaltery is actually a relatively modern instrument (appearing around the 1900s I think) based on the early versions with plucked strings, and rearranged to make them bow-able (if that's a word).
It may be the same thing, as the wikipedia page for Rebec shows
a spanish girl playing what we call Rabel.
Anyway, as the popular instrument it is, it's built in a lot of forms.
Speaking just on spanish rabels their top can be made of wood, goat skin or tin plate, and they can have one, two or three strings with different tunings.
Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
Heh heh heh, anyone seen this? Sort of amusing. The fiddler's bow (which, unfortunately, you can only see for a few seconds) intrigues me. Anyone here use a bow like this? It seems strange to me that almost the whole video is of the little wooden dancing dudes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXlpVa-9RUk
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by MartySmith
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
After the set, he was fixin to hunt some possom and squirrel with it down in the holler.
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
It looks like he's playing a fiddle with a saw - as opposed to playing a saw with a fiddle bow. Turnabout is fair play, I guess!
The little wooden dancers are pretty spastic, but they actually have moments of looking rather like step dancers doing a hornpipe...
Pete
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by Reverend
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
I have seen a bow like that before. Can't remember when, now. I would guess it must be home-made. Do you think he used horse-hair? 'Cos that almost looks like string ...
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by benhall.1
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
The little wooden dolls are jig dolls - fairly widespread in the English tradition at least. A good operator can really make the doll look as if it is stepdancing.
Bows like this are used in various cultures on bowed string instruments - an obvious development from archery bows/a cheap way of getting something that will function.
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by c.g.
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
In Spain there is an instrument called 'rabel' which is a kind of primitive fiddle. It's played with a bow like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ2F0WNFPEQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmxWSvi7xVo
there are a lot of references to it in middle ages texts and
sculptures.
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by Ramiro
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
Interesting Ramiro. Doesn't a bowed psaltry use some sort of bog old bow too?
benhall.1 - I wondered what he used too. Whatever it is, it's all tied up in a big messy knot at the top end of his bow. It does look like string or something.
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by MartySmith
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
The Other Person in The House has listened to this and pointed out that the fiddler is playing 3 notes at once (triple stopping?) and this is made possible by the shape of the bow.
# Posted on September 12th 2007 by c.g.
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
I like the second clip, Ramiro - I couldn't get the first to load (or I'm being impatient). Might be related to the Rebec (but sounds a lot better!). The bowed psaltery is actually a relatively modern instrument (appearing around the 1900s I think) based on the early versions with plucked strings, and rearranged to make them bow-able (if that's a word).
# Posted on September 13th 2007 by Mark Harmer
Re: Ah, the bygone days of yesteryear...
It may be the same thing, as the wikipedia page for Rebec shows
a spanish girl playing what we call Rabel.
Anyway, as the popular instrument it is, it's built in a lot of forms.
Speaking just on spanish rabels their top can be made of wood, goat skin or tin plate, and they can have one, two or three strings with different tunings.
# Posted on September 14th 2007 by Ramiro