I picked up and played a bowed psaltery way back in the 70s - it is as easy as a piano keyboard.

I know my hearing was rather unusual as I could hear very high frequencies. A crazy neighbour firing a starting pistol in my direction has given me tinitus so I can't hear as well as before, but I found the sound of the psaltery quite pleasant.

The psaltery I played belonged to a friend of mine in Market Harborough, Leicestershire - I shall think of his name as soon as I send this - he made irish pipes as well - the ones with a bellows to drive them. He went of to Southern Ireland, county waterford I think to make pipes there.

It is very easy to make a sustained note with a psaltery but perhaps they need to be of a size large enough to have long enough strings to make a pleasant deep note for average hearing?

Anne