Kolrosing: Decorating the Trossingen Lyre

Kolrosing on the Trossingen Lyre



For the Book mentioned in this video:



http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3981218124/?tag=mijki07-21



This is an Amazon Affiliate link to the German language version of their Website, it doesn't cost you any more to buy but adds a tiny bit to my amazon camera fund for better future videos!

My Lyre CD is available from my website as always from my website as a Disc or Download,  It has all my Bowed and plucked lyre plans.  If you purchase this to make a Trossingen Lyre email me after purchase and I may have an extra download file to help you.

http://www.michaeljking.com/lyre_shop.htm

http://www.michaeljking.com/plans.htm



Do check out my Trossingen Lyre pages,  these will be expanded over the coming weeks,  watch out too for the follow up videos

http://www.michaeljking.com/trossingen.htm



Special thanks must go to Dr Barbara Theune-Grosskopf Who has helped me and the Lyre Community through her great work and wonderful openness.



Do check out My Anglo Saxon Lyre Community on Yahoo groups

and my Lyre group on facebook,  there is a world of lyres out there!

In the video I am using a Kolrosing knife made in the USA by Lee Ferguson  see

http://www.fergusonknives.com

for more info on Kolrosing see:

http://www.pinewoodforge.com/kolrosing.html



Best wishes!

Michael J King

website

www.michaeljking.com

facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Michael.J.King.1970

Blog

http://michaeljking.blogspot.com/

Twitter

http://twitter.com/michaeljking

Google+

https://plus.google.com/111213660776947015232/

Kolrosing: Decorating the Trossingen Lyre

Kolrosing on the Trossingen Lyre



For the Book mentioned in this video:



http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3981218124/?tag=mijki07-21



This is an Amazon Affiliate link to the German language version of their Website, it doesn't cost you any more to buy but adds a tiny bit to my amazon camera fund for better future videos!

My Lyre CD is available from my website as always from my website as a Disc or Download,  It has all my Bowed and plucked lyre plans.  If you purchase this to make a Trossingen Lyre email me after purchase and I may have an extra download file to help you.

http://www.michaeljking.com/lyre_shop.htm

http://www.michaeljking.com/plans.htm



Do check out my Trossingen Lyre pages,  these will be expanded over the coming weeks,  watch out too for the follow up videos

http://www.michaeljking.com/trossingen.htm



Special thanks must go to Dr Barbara Theune-Grosskopf Who has helped me and the Lyre Community through her great work and wonderful openness.



Do check out My Anglo Saxon Lyre Community on Yahoo groups

and my Lyre group on facebook,  there is a world of lyres out there!

In the video I am using a Kolrosing knife made in the USA by Lee Ferguson  see

http://www.fergusonknives.com

for more info on Kolrosing see:

http://www.pinewoodforge.com/kolrosing.html



Best wishes!

Michael J King

website

www.michaeljking.com

facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Michael.J.King.1970

Blog

http://michaeljking.blogspot.com/

Twitter

http://twitter.com/michaeljking

Google+

https://plus.google.com/111213660776947015232/

Decorating the Trossingen lyre

The decoration shown here is a method that still is done in Norway and Sweden to this day,  it's called Kolrosing 

Small Nordic knives scratch into the wood a v section and charcoal or coal dust is let into the grooves mixed with animal fat or beeswax.   (Walnut oil is the modern alternative choice ). 

I will be filming a short video demonstrating this next week 

Irish/Scottish Wire Strung Lyre by Michael J king

Lyres have been played in the British Isles for Thousands of years, the recent find of a Lyre bridge in Scotland being a Testament to that This.
For this example in the video I have used a Sutton Hoo as a generic form and have added Simon Chadwick's Wire Strung Lyre strings,  These use a combination of Silver strings with Brass and Iron which sounds very rich when plucked or strummed.

I have added Brass decorative mounts that are inspired by Anglo Saxon/Viking "Celtic" knotwork patterns,  These work well for the time period.












Made of maple with Brass mounts and bone and garnet decoration, Metal Harp pins Supplied with a hard case, spare strings and tuning key. Key of D (diatonic or Pentatonic)

Irish/Scottish Wire Strung Lyre by Michael J king

yres have been played in the British Isles for Thousands of years, the recent find of a Lyre bridge in Scotland being a Testament to that This.
For this example in the video I have used a Sutton Hoo as a generic form and have added Simon Chadwick's Wire Strung Lyre strings,  These use a combination of Silver strings with Brass and Iron which sounds very rich when plucked or strummed.

I have added Brass decorative mounts that are inspired by Anglo Saxon/Viking "Celtic" knotwork patterns,  These work well for the time period.












Made of maple with Brass mounts and bone and garnet decoration, Metal Harp pins Supplied with a hard case, spare strings and tuning key. Key of D (diatonic or Pentatonic)

Anglo Saxon Lyre: Standard Model by Michael J King

Guide to playing the 6 string Lyre

The Lyre was always an instrument that was accessible and easy to play, true whether we are talking about the archaic Greek Lyres or Anglo saxon lyres,  it was an instrument that could be passed around and just about anyone could block a few chords and strum.  At the same time it was the instrument of the Bards,  and in the right hands the virtuoso could do magical things with it.  It explains why some instruments were given names and accredited with special powers.

Lyre Tuning
Lyres at the end of the instruments period were being tuning in a Diatonic tuning and its mostly this tuning I have used on my Lyres,  The Sutton Hoo size I make is mostly tuned to G tuning. The smaller Cologne lyre is in C,  Other players use Pentatonic tunings and others.

The basic Lyre techniques of what is called "block and Strum" is the foundation of the playing

Depending on the tuning fingers of the left hand damp or block certain strings as all the strings are strummed.

In my Anglo Saxon Lyre Playing guide using a Lyre tuned to G Diatonic  Here is the tuning in my video
  G A B c d e
After I go through some of the techniques:



X notes are ones where your fingers touch the strings

O notes are open strings

//// number of strums

There are many patterns which you can learn to create different chords and notes between chords, here are some examples

G chord     O X O X O X

C chord     O X X O X O

D chord     X O X X O X

Am             X O X O X O

Strumming Pattern example

Strumming pattern written out simply:

                    X O X X X O ////  X O X X O O //// X O X O X O ///// 

                    XO O X X O////   X O X O X O /////

                     X O X X O O ///// X O O X X O ///// X O X X X O  



Tune example:

Many monastic tunes can work on the lyre as do simple folk songs and tunes

Hymn to St. Magnus


Misty Mountains



Lyre playing Song:



This is the story of Cadmons Hymn,  It highlights the importance of Song in Anglo Saxon Society and the transition to the Chrsitian Faith.
as Sam Newton says its a Great Window into the pre-Christian world as well as the early British Christianity.

This is a good Bardic performance of Beowulf by Bagby for extra inspiration:




As there are only a handful of Songs that date from the period the lyre was most played,  To further extend your repertoire you can do What Mark Allen Barnes has done and use folk  and modern songs to strum and sing to.

https://www.youtube.com/user/MarkAllanBarnes




Advanced Techniques
When I was beginning I took most of my playing style and techniques and playing from  Kantele playing as this instrument has a lot of parallels culturally.
In this next video we are shown some advanced block and strum and plucking techniques:

Youtube user Songstress73 uploading Germanic/Scandinavian songs with lyre accompaniment.
She includes the original with English translation
Found it very inspiring, thought I would share

Móðir Mín Í Kví, Kví

further tunes:

Heiemo og Nykkjen
http://youtu.be/XI4rGH1Z6M4


Drømte Mig en Drøm
http://youtu.be/NNiiu9xUUic

De Två Systrarne
http://youtu.be/zLwxfu2qwKg

Song without a lyre that could work too
Jag Vill Gå Vall
http://youtu.be/BVc3aQhGOjk
There are more! 

For Further help and inspiration see my

Anglo Saxon Lyre Forum on yahoo here:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Anglo_Saxon_Lyres/info

Facebook Lyre group here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189117621210658/

If you have any questions please post them here or on either of my Lyre forums and the Lyre playing community will get beck to you!
If you are interested in making your own lyre please see my "lyre Making CD-Rom" on my website, now available as a download too for instant access.

Much more lyre music and instruments to come this year,  Wire Strung Irish Lyres,  Trossingen and Ancient Greek Lyres

Best wishes

Michael J King
www.michaeljking.com