---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment William, Thanks for all the information. However, I believe my post was misleading. The picture on one of the sites I sent is not one of the monochord at my school. That site is simply where I found the information about their being sometimes two strings instead of just one, as the name would imply. Sorry. I don't have but I'll ask the prof if he has a digital camera and could take a picture of it for me to post. Thanks again. Avery At 10:24 PM 1/22/04, you wrote: >The picture gives me every belief that this is not merely a monochord, but >rather a tromba marina. > >The monochord was usually plucked. I don't actually know of a tretis that >refers to bowing it. Since the fingerboard seems to be occupying all the >space that there is, I have to wonder if the moveable bridge would be much >use (if such it is) if you're intended to bow this thing over the >soundhole. Monochords were usually intended for instruction and >experimentation in theory of intervals, and rather than a guitar-like >fingerboard which this one has, they'd be marked with proportions, usually >in great arcs, with other notations. None of that seems visible in this >picture. > >On the other hand, the Tromba Marina was actually intended to be bowed at >the other end, so a movable bridge would make some sense. More over, the >trombamarina was usually equipped with drones, one of which would have a >bridge with one long foot. The bridge would balance on one foot, with the >other just barely not touching the top of the instrument, and when bowed, >would tap the top, making a rasping sound which was apparently much favored. > >The tromba marina was a harmonic instrument: the bow excites the string, >which makes different notes by the placement of the finger very lightly >over marked positions which brought forth that harmonic. The sound was >likened to the trumpet (hence tromba). Because of it's ease of making the >notes (easily into the second and third and even fourth octave of >harmonics) it was favored as an instrument for cloistered nuns to use in >worship in place of the trumpet (which apprarently was either not allowed >or not favored for women to use) and the instrument also carries the >moniker 'nuns fiedel' or nun's fiddle. > >There appears to be only one tuning peg visible, though. Are the other >strings pulled on the same peg as the existing string? Are there other >pegs out-of-sight? > >It may be misleading that there is a metal string on it at all. Most all >instruments of that era would have had gut strings. Then again, it is hard >to make out the carving in the side, so this might be a more fanciful >recreation or even a late renaissance instrument. How well does the string >seem to fit into the bridge and nut grooves? does it look like some >'aftermarket' adjustment for a different kind of string was made? > >Are there any maker's marks on the thing? How about some physical >dimensions for the box? > >That bow is the big thing: I just don't remember any references to >monochords (or polychordal monochords, which the ones with more than one >string were usually called) with ornate bows. And that bow looks more like >a recreation from iconography, with the usual high arch. > >It'd really help to have some length and width specs and to know about >tuning pegs for the extra strings, and the shape of the moveable bridge! > >raybro > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/7a/35/a8/c7/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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