Description: The bowed-psaltery is a zither played with a bow and it is a member of the chordophone family. Prior to existence of the bowed-psaltery many stringed instruments are played with a bow including the Welsh Cyrth. A patent was issued for the bowed-psaltery in 1925 by a German school teacher Walter Mittman, in Westphalia Germany. He advocated the use of this triangular shaped psaltery for music education along with the luthier Edgar Stalmer (b. 1911 d.1996) both luthier’s made the first plans for the bowed-psaltery available in Germany. Since the 1960s Edgar Stahmer and his friend in England Ronald Roberts patented the original plans in print. During the 1980s an American luthier Ronald Zachery Taylor popularized the bowed-psaltery by making the plans available in magazines. Since the advent of the internet plans for the bowed psaltery have been transmitted from text-file to very graphically detailed plans available. The sound of the bowed psaltery can be described as “hauntingly beautiful” and quite resonant.

 

 

 

Citations: Michealjking.com -Psaltery Making > apsimplesaltery.com > Bibliography: Stanley Sadie -New Grove Dicttionary of Musical Instruments Book O to P Vol. 2 Making Early Stringed instruments by Ronald Zachary Taylor, Publishers – Stobart Davies Limited Dryad Press ISBN: 9780854420513 > Ronald Roberts -Musical Instruments to be played ISBN: 0852190956.