The bowed psaltery is a type of psaltery or zither that is played using a bow. It is different from the plucked psaltery, which has been around for hundreds of years. The bowed psaltery seems to have been created in the 20th century.

History

In 1925, the Clemens Neuber Company in Germany received a patent for a bowed psaltery. This instrument had strings arranged in groups, allowing someone to play the melody on the strings and use the other hand to strum the accompaniment. These are usually called "violin zithers."

At the same time, American companies made similar instruments. They often gave them names inspired by Hawaii, like Hawaiian Art Violin or Violin-Uke. These were sold to play popular Hawaiian music in the 1920s. These instruments are usually not called psalteries, but by the names they were sold under, such as Ukelin.

Today, the bowed psaltery is usually made without strings for chords. However, some modern players adjust the strings to make chords and play it like a violin zither.

After World War II, Walter Mittman, a primary school teacher in Westphalia, helped popularize the standard triangular bowed psaltery. Earlier, Edgar Stahmer from Germany had supported using this instrument in education.

Description

The traditional bowed psaltery has a triangular shape, with each string slightly longer than the one before it. This design allows each string to be played individually with a bow. Chromatic bowed psalteries have sharps and flats on one side and natural notes on the opposite side.

This instrument is similar to a traditional psaltery, which has a wooden sound box and strings that are not blocked over the soundboard. It is different from the Medieval plucked psaltery mainly because its strings are arranged to allow bowing. The soundboard has a hole or rose in the center. In the United States, it is usually played with a small bow, often shaped like a half-circle. In Europe, a smaller modern violin bow is typically used.

Method of playing

The way the instrument is played can differ. It may be held in one hand while the other hand uses a bow to play one note at a time, similar to instruments in the violin family. Alternatively, it can be placed on a surface and played with a bow in each hand, a style similar to the related hammered dulcimer. Some players use two bows in one hand to help play two notes at the same time.

Besides using a bow, the instrument can also be strummed or struck to create different sounds. The strings are often too close together for typical finger picking, but they can be plucked near the end where the bow is used.