Search found 212 matches

by kenbloom
Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:08 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: Practice Video - Danza Morena
Replies: 10
Views: 20799

Re: Practice Video - Danza Morena

Beautiful playing and using the accompaniment strings for pedals and counter parts is one of the great resources of the zither. I use that approacvh a lot when playing O'Carolan tunes to get a more harp-like sound. During this time of staying at home, having an instrument that is "the band in y...
by kenbloom
Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:37 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: Question about Trills
Replies: 8
Views: 12683

Re: Question about Trills

I execute trills doing what is described here but maybe the terminology that Pete Seeger invented might be easier to understand. He called these actions a hammer on and a pull off. You play the note and make sure that your noting finger is firm on the note. You use an adjacent finger and literally &...
by kenbloom
Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:00 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: Practice Video - Basket of Turf
Replies: 27
Views: 60400

Re: Practice Video - Basket of Turf

Back in the 70's Rudi Wacek gave me a stand that is exactly like this. I don't know where he got but it certainly is a clever and compact design!

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.org
by kenbloom
Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:01 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: Practice Video - Basket of Turf
Replies: 27
Views: 60400

Re: Practice Video - Basket of Turf

I have found over the years that angleing the zither away from me on the left end and sitting higher has helped me a lot. I have a chair that has adjustable height. I tend to tuck my legs under so that I get good clearance from the table. Positioning the instrument lower in relationship to the body ...
by kenbloom
Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:30 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: adding harmony
Replies: 1
Views: 3629

Re: adding harmony

Hi Rudi, I guess my approach may be somewhat different from others with different backgrounds but I see nothing wrong with what you describe. I often tell my students "it's written on paper, not carved in stone". I think it's better to be able to play the piece and make it your own. In the...
by kenbloom
Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:02 am
Forum: Places and Events
Topic: ZITHER SUNDAY
Replies: 6
Views: 16107

Re: ZITHER SUNDAY

Please send Ludwig my fondest regards. I think about him often and the wonderful help he gave me early on in my zither explorations.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.org
by kenbloom
Thu Jan 02, 2020 9:05 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: Harmonics on the Free Strings
Replies: 21
Views: 19978

Re: Harmonics on the Free Strings

Hi Rudi, Yes we're talking about the same thing. We're just using different terms to name them. I never got my info for doing harmonics on the zither from zither books. I just transferred what I already knew and used from playing guitar, mostly using the octave and fifth harmonics as those are the e...
by kenbloom
Wed Jan 01, 2020 8:40 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: Harmonics on the Free Strings
Replies: 21
Views: 19978

Re: Harmonics on the Free Strings

I was simply making the point that where the right hand plucks the string makes a difference in how easily the harmonic sounds. Everyone else is addressing what the left hand does in lightly touching the node point of the string to get the particular harmonic required. You have to use both hands. Ho...
by kenbloom
Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:29 am
Forum: Learning
Topic: Harmonics on the Free Strings
Replies: 21
Views: 19978

Re: Harmonics on the Free Strings

Here are a couple of tips to make sounding the harmonics a bit easier. You can use the 12th fret of your fingerboard as a guide for the closer accompaniment strings and you can then "guesstimate" the other octave locations by moving up a bit toward the luftresonance from there. You can oft...
by kenbloom
Sat Dec 21, 2019 10:05 am
Forum: Repairs and Restorations
Topic: information on an old zither
Replies: 6
Views: 5524

Re: information on an old zither

Beautiful old zither! Be careful with those tuning machines for the fingerboard. I would carefully remove them and clean and oil the gears so they work freely. Those ivory knobs can crack fairly easily if not afforded some care. With that string length you will want "concert zither" string...