I too would like to see an update. Possibly subscribe to your newsletter

*looks at the instrument*

Y'know, it can't be *that* hard to make it with a wheel instead of a bow, right? Wouldn't be quite the same as a hurdy-gurdy, but also it pretty much would be.

BDA knows this soulful urge.

Here it is!

I'll probably reupload it once I have proper pictures of the instrument and if I find the courage to record a better performance (and better shot, actually seeing the instrument wouldn't hurt; sound isn't perfect either, as all I have at the moment is my DSLR Røde VideoMic), so for now this upload is unlisted and for you guys only.

It's far from perfect, of course. After 50 or so attempts to record it, I'm much more confident with my left hand, but bow control still needs some effort.

This motif is something I've built from an improvisation I did in the woods behind my home, and has evolved into something that I actually really like on the tagelharpa. It's simultaneously the main articulation of a piece of music I'm currently working on, and could eventually include the tagelharpa piece.

Hope you enjoy it!

Last edited by Saniss (2020-05-07 16:18:38)

Thanks man. I won't even try to hide my interest in pushing your jamming idea further. Something can and should happen.

The thumb, yeah - the principe is the instrument rests between my legs; my thumb kind of pushes it down, and the other end gets blocked under my right thigh. Took me a little while to find balance, and I thought I couldn't feel comfortable until a strap would help, but it kinda works now. The strap is still happening, but its main goal will be to allow me to play standing up.

Lights dim. Dry ice fills the stage. Lone spotlight illuminates wrongly sized Stone Henge... Where’s the bit where Michael McKeen comes in? Wrong origins but I can see it. Probably cos I have metal Tagelharpa on the brain. Fit a locking nut and floyd rose and dive bomb that sum bish

In seriousness. Rad as!

Last edited by Regan (2020-05-07 18:08:26)

That's a very interesting notion, actually. Yes, as you correctly guessed, there's some extra effort required to switch between strings. But the tagelharpa is a drone-like instrument, so its primary nature is to articulate notes on a single string, while the others play a continuous, unchanging note (much like the bagpipe).

It's not by any means forbidden to play another string, however, as you can see me doing (quite painfully) at 1:04. But one characteristic of my tagelharpa is that the strings are quite closer to one another (1cm each). This is something I hadn't thought about while designing it, and I'd definitely add more space if I could go back.

I've also seen people do a neat trick which is possible when you play on the middle string: you articulate on it normally, and play notes on the upper string with the back of your finger. That's a whole other level of mastery.

Regs: the second I put a piezo on it, you can bet I'll distort the hell out of that motherfucker.

drew: haha. I think it's the first time I've managed to come up with a motif that sounds unique and actually like a real proper melody with an identity. I'm expecting any minute to find out it already exists and I unconsciously copied it. Is that what all musicians feel like?

Last edited by Saniss (2020-05-07 18:36:06)

Huh, so it's kind of closer to a hurdy gurdy than a guitar or violin in that respect. Neat.

I really wanna make a Viking short and have you do the soundtrack now.

*Strokes chin* Oh reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllyyyyyy...

You wanna DM me your email when you get a sec? We might take you up on that for one of the tracks Kyle is producing for Innervate.

Did a little photoshoot in my forest of a garden at sunset today for a proper social media post which should go online tomorrow. In the meantime, here's the whole export.

PS: I may have gotten myself a Røde NT-1a, studio headphones and an audio interface.

PS2: I may also have gotten myself fine-tuners, but they are cello fine-tuners and turned out to be roughly 3 times too big. I'm dumb.

Last edited by Saniss (2020-05-27 21:33:19)

That is one hell of a beautiful instrument.

I've been thinking about this instrument for two days now!