Langspil
Encyclopedia
The Langspil (ˈlauŋ̊spɪl) is a traditional Iceland
ic drone zither
. Since old folk music has been gaining more popularity in recent years, more and more people are able to play this instrument. And since it only has 1 melody string with 1 to 5 drone strings (usually 2) it is easy to learn to play it compared with more complicated instruments.
The langspil can be played by plucking the strings by hand, with a bow or by hammering. Langspils exist in two basic versions, straight and curved and are generally around the length of 80 cm, but can be as long as 104 cm or as short as 73 cm. Many different types of wood have traditionally been used, including pine, fir, beechwood, birch, oak and walnut, since they were generally constructed from driftwood.
In 1855 the book Leiðarvísir til að spila á langspil (A guide on playing the langspil) was published. It also included information on how to make langspils, although with a slight printing error in the fretting. This book increased the popularity of the Langspil quite a lot. However by the middle of the 20th century the instrument had become rare and few played it any more.
By the 1960s the singer, Anna Þórhallsdóttir, realized that the langspil was slowly disappearing from Icelandic musical traditions and as a response she spearheaded its revival, which is still ongoing.
Today a number of bands and performers include the langspil in their reportoire, including Spilmenn ríkinís, Sigurður Rúnar Jónsson aka Diddi fiðla, Bára Grímsdóttir, Chris Foster
and Þórður Tómasson á Skógum.
The langspil also has an important place on the yearly folk-song festival on Siglufjörður
.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic drone zither
Drone zither
Drone zithers or droned zithers are stringed instruments of the zither family that have few melodic strings and a greater number of drone strings. The oldest known form of drone zither is the Scheitholt....
. Since old folk music has been gaining more popularity in recent years, more and more people are able to play this instrument. And since it only has 1 melody string with 1 to 5 drone strings (usually 2) it is easy to learn to play it compared with more complicated instruments.
The langspil can be played by plucking the strings by hand, with a bow or by hammering. Langspils exist in two basic versions, straight and curved and are generally around the length of 80 cm, but can be as long as 104 cm or as short as 73 cm. Many different types of wood have traditionally been used, including pine, fir, beechwood, birch, oak and walnut, since they were generally constructed from driftwood.
History
The oldest written sources describing the langspil are from the 18th century. In those times langspils are described as a long thin box, wider at the bottom end and with one to six strings. In the early 19th century a version with a curved soundbox emerged which has improved sound qualities.In 1855 the book Leiðarvísir til að spila á langspil (A guide on playing the langspil) was published. It also included information on how to make langspils, although with a slight printing error in the fretting. This book increased the popularity of the Langspil quite a lot. However by the middle of the 20th century the instrument had become rare and few played it any more.
By the 1960s the singer, Anna Þórhallsdóttir, realized that the langspil was slowly disappearing from Icelandic musical traditions and as a response she spearheaded its revival, which is still ongoing.
Today a number of bands and performers include the langspil in their reportoire, including Spilmenn ríkinís, Sigurður Rúnar Jónsson aka Diddi fiðla, Bára Grímsdóttir, Chris Foster
Chris Foster (folk singer)
Chris Foster born 1948, is an English singer and guitarist known for his interpretations of traditional and contemporary songs.He was born in Somerset, a county in the west country of England. It is there that he first heard and started singing traditional songs. He trained as an artist at the...
and Þórður Tómasson á Skógum.
The langspil also has an important place on the yearly folk-song festival on Siglufjörður
Siglufjörður
Siglufjörður is a small fishing town in a narrow fjord with the same name on the northern coast of Iceland.Population in January 2011 was 1,206 but the town has been shrinking in size since the 1950s when the town reached its peak with 3,000 inhabitants....
.
See also
- Appalachian dulcimerAppalachian dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
- Epinette des VosgesEpinette des VosgesThe épinette des Vosges is a traditional plucked-string instrument of the zither family, whose use was confined to two areas in the Vosges mountains of France approximately 50 km apart: around Val-d'Ajol and around Gérardmer.-Origins:...
- Hummel (instrument)Hummel (instrument)The hummel is an old Swedish stringed instrument similar to an older type of zither and is related to the Norwegian langeleik. The name is thought to come from the German word hummel, meaning "bumblebee", referring to the droning sound created by the accompaniment strings.-History:The hummel is...
- LangeleikLangeleikThe langeleik also called langleik is a Norwegian stringed folklore musical instrument, a droned zither.-Description:The langeleik has only one melody string and up to 8 drone strings....
- ScheitholtScheitholtThe scheitholt or scheitholz is a traditional German stringed instrument and an ancestor of the modern zither. It falls into the category of drone zithers.-History:...
- FiðlaFiðlaThe fiðla is a traditional Icelandic musical instrument, consisting of a box zither with two bowed strings. The strings pass over a bridge near the playing end of the instrument, and are tuned at the other end by two tuning pegs.-Similar instruments:...
, the other string instrument native to Iceland