Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings

Subject: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: Doctor John
Date: 06 Feb 01 - 01:39 PM

How much difference does the shape of a musical instrument make to its sound. There seems to be two families: hourglass shaped (guitars) and pear shaped (lutes). Why are mandolins either shape? Mandolin (and fiddle)tuning seems "sensible", guitar tuning is too apart from the irregular interval between the 3rd and 2nd string (why?)whereas banjo tuning is chaotic. How are citterns and lutes tuned? Dr John

Subject: RE: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: Giac
Date: 06 Feb 01 - 06:08 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: GUEST,Arne Langsetmo
Date: 06 Feb 01 - 07:46 PM

How are banjos tuned? Differently.

Cheers,

-- Arne Langsetmo

P.S.: And viva la difference.

Subject: RE: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: Gypsy
Date: 06 Feb 01 - 11:17 PM

You forgot a huge family....hammered dulcimer, trapezoidal shape. And the whole piano family. Guess that harp would fall into a trapezoidal shape as well. Howzabout the autoharp......creep, creep, creep.....

Subject: RE: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: GUEST,Arne Langsetmo
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 11:32 AM

Dulcimers, autoharps, pianolins, psalteries, cymbaloms, canun, are all of the techical group of zithers.

Zithers are stringed instrument with stings across the box, and no neck.

Cheers,

-- Arne Langsetmo

Subject: RE: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 11:46 AM

Actually Arne, there are two groups of zithers....long zithers and board zithers. You're new here so you've missed all my bad jokes about Autoharps. We tend to use the word "harp" for a lot of instruments which are not harps at all and often bear no relationship........but the word sounds so good. I mean like who the hell would buy something called an "Autozither?" Just sounds nasty don't it?

Yeah, let's get all the "Automatically Chorded Board Zither" players together and wank out a little "Wildwood Flower."

Spaw(:<))

Subject: Our Monica...
From: Bernard
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 01:47 PM

I've never understood how mouth organs came to be known as harps. Over here we call 'em 'Gob Irons' - much more sensible!!

Subject: RE: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 01:52 PM

In reference to the original question, form follows function. The early viol family instruments had many shapes, from crywth to teardrop. In Italy, early 18th century, the Master makers decided that the hourglass shape gave the best sound......I would guess that is true of other instrumetnts as well.

Subject: RE: Stringed Instruments: Shapes and Tunings
From: sophocleese
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 01:58 PM

Some instruments were made from hollowed out gourds or other material besides wood and that determined their shape.