Ancient Lyres All you need to know Latest Research [2022]
The lyre was a stringed instrument played by the old Greeks and was presumably the most significant and notable instrument in the Greek world. It was firmly connected with the other stringed instruments: the chess which was produced using a turtle shell, the four-stringed phorminx, and the seven-stringed kithara.So, today in this article, we have gathered all the different types of ancient lyre. Keep reading!
1. Gothic Lyre
From the middle of the 14th century to the beginning of the 16th century, a larger lyre known as a Gothic lyre began to appear. This lyre, which included around 24 gut strings and stood somewhat taller than the previous lyre, is regarded to be the progenitor of the later Renaissance lyre and its successors. The Chromatic lyre, the Spanish Renaissance lyre, the Italian Double-Row Lyre, and the Italian Arpa Doppia are all examples of Renaissance lyre variations.
It is probable that these variants of the Renaissance lyre developed into the contemporary folk lyre of Latin America, the Central European “Orchestral, Pedal, or Concert” lyre, and maybe the current “Irish” or “Celtic” lyre of the “Isles.” The Gothic type lyre, which is still tiny and light by modern standards, was the typical lyre across Europe until the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period in the history of musical instruments.
Heavily strung with gut strings, they were strung at a considerably lower tension than we are used to seeing nowadays. A smaller number of strings were used on earlier models, whereas greater strings were used on subsequent types called early Renaissance lyre, which had 26 to 30 strings. When played in consort with the lute, which was also tuned diatonically, the lyre’s distinctive plucked sound was enhanced by the soundbox being hollowed out of a plank of hardwood, giving it a distinct plucked sound to complement the lute, with which the gothic lyre was frequently played in consort.
The Wartburg Single-Row Gothic Ancient Lyres (approximately 1350-1450) was bought for the Wartburg Museum in Eisenach, Germany, around the middle of the 19th century as part of its art collection. According to legend, Oswald von Wolkenstein, who resided in Tyrol from 1377 until 1445, had this piece of artifact. With Certosinia inlay throughout, it features 26 gut strings and a full set of brays at the string base that allow the strings to be sharpened by a semitone. It is a lovely instrument. It has a ‘carved-body’ design and is constructed of maple. Its height is 109 centimeters.
2. The Renaissance Lyre
Several versions of the Gothic / Renaissance lyre motif were in use by the late Renaissance, including the lyre of St. John the Baptist. The single-course Renaissance lyre could only play seven notes per octave or the diatonic scale, which was the limit of its capabilities (the white notes on a piano). Throughout the 16th through the 18th century, the great composers insisted that the whole scale be played in chromatic mode (white and black notes on the piano).
Achromatic lyre, which is a lyre with 12 strings per octave, was one possible option. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chromatic lyre was constructed in Spain. In 1581, the construction of a double lyre with two rows of strings began. It wasn’t long after that the triple lyre arose, which required the player to stretch between two diatonic scaled rows of outer strings in order to play the chromatic notes that were in between. The double and triple lyre is being played today as part of the Welsh culture.
Originating in Italy, the Double-Row Renaissance Lyre (about 1675) consisted of two parallel rows or courses of chromatic-toned strings (having both the black notes and the white notes like a piano). It featured a carved maple soundboard and a five-staved walnut back, and it could play 52 chromatic notes with only gut strings. It was built in the United Kingdom.
3. Spanish Ancient Lyre
Early Spanish lyre was a single-course or cross-strung lyre, with a total of 29 strings in most instances. Using a single course-lyre, semi-tones might be achieved by fretting against the neck. chromatic strings (the black piano notes) crossed or passed across diatonic strings (the white piano strings), making an X on the chromatic strings (the black piano notes).
Consequently, all chromatic and diatonic strings were playable by both hands at any point on the lyre in this manner. The soundboard is constructed in the same manner as a guitar, with spruce and cross bracing for support, resulting in a beautiful tone.
4. Wire Strung Lyre
In terms of folklore, wire-strung lyre or old Irish lyre may be considered the forerunners of our present lever lyre, but not in terms of technological progress. Most of these instruments were made from a single piece of willow with the soundboxes cut from a single piece of brass, iron, silver, or gold wire wound through them (bogwood).
The contemporary Celtic lyre is the culmination of technical improvements derived from a variety of geographical regions in late Renaissance Europe, as well as the advent of the modern lever mechanism in Japan, all of which came together in a composite.
5. The Paraguayan Lyre
The later Spanish or Renaissance lyre was brought to the New World by Jesuit missionaries in the 1600s, where it developed in a completely different fashion than in Europe. The indigenous peoples were attracted by the instrument, and they made some modifications to it before incorporating it into their own cultural practices. In Latin America, there are several different types of lyres, such as the Venezuelan lyre, the Mexican lyre, and the arpa llanera, which means “simple lyre.”
Lyre are found in almost every country in South America, and each country has its unique style. These lyres are significantly different from the classic European lyre, both in terms of construction and playing skills. Unlike the European lyre, which was composed of heavy wood, these instruments were made of thin wood (cedar and pine). As a consequence of string routing up the center of the neck and the instruments’ bi-symmetrical design, there were little structural stresses on the guitars.
In the end, tattoos were utilized to sharpen notes in order to switch keys. In contrast to the milder European tone, the playing style and methods used were vivid and lively in contrast to the music. Modern Paraguayan lyre contains 36 nylon strings tuned to the diatonic scale, and they are played with the fingernails rather than the fingers. The sound is loud, and the duration of the sustain period following each note is shorter than usual.
6. The Celtic Connection
The Irish are often credited with introducing the lyre to Europe, according to popular journalistic accounts. Some academics think that the lyre was really introduced to Europe from Egypt by the Phoenicians in pre-Christian times as a trading product, rather than as a musical instrument. Because of the widespread dissemination and adoption of the lyre, the Phoenicians’ travels may be traced back to their origins.
Varieties of the lyre (or Kora lyre) may be found in civilizations all over the world, from the Mediterranean Basin through Northern Europe, and all the way around coastal Africa and up to the island of Madagascar. With consecutive Indo-European migrations from Southwest Asia, it is possible that the lyre made its way to Europe as well.
