A Lyre for my Daughters
This is my second Lyre, carved from a single piece of walnut with a padauk bridge. I used ultra-fine guitar strings (D, G, B and E). It is tuned to a pentatonic scale: D, E, G, A, B, D, E, which creates a gentle floating feel. The tone is quite mellow and can be amplified by placing it on a table. The music dances about the central A, “Sun Tone”, and meanders without settling into a resolve – perfect for young children whose hearing does not crave the more grounded resolution of a major or minor scale. For them music floats just like their imaginative games which can flow fluidly from one theme to another without interruption.
I am grateful to Luciana, who sewed a beautifully quilted case for it complete with a little pocket for the tuning wrench. She is a craftswoman extraordinaire. We will play it every night at our story time to punctuate the beginning and end of the stories as we prepare to go to sleep. Now all I have to do is come up with suitable melodies and lyrics.
Ah, so nice! The girls must love it! 🙂
20 Feb 2012 at 9:35 am
Liao Chun Ting 9:41pm Feb 17
The lyres are made for your daughters are beautiful. I am just wondering whether you could let me know how to make my own one. The information you shared on the web describes that guitar strings were used. Would you please tell me more details about which string for which tune? Do you have any recommended brands and how to tune them? How about the metal part at the end of string? Where can we get them? How long for each string? Would you please give us some idea about how to make the bridge?
Thank you very much.
chun-ting
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Hello Chun-Ting,
I used guitar strings for the lyres. They seem to work well. I can get two lyre strings from each guitar string. for one I use the metal bead at the end and for the other I substitue another bead to hold it in place. The lyre is handcarved and is about 45 cm long with 7 strings – pentatonic: D, E, G, A, B, D, E ascending. Having carved a beautiful ladle at Emerson, I am sure that this will be an easy project for you. The tuners are called zither pins and screw into the wood of the lyre to tighten or loosen the strings. Please send pictures and give my warmest greetings to I-Chi.
Warren
20 Feb 2012 at 6:14 pm
thanks a lot for sharing this information with us all, it has really helped me that’s for sure.http://www.plansaude.com
04 Jun 2012 at 12:46 pm
Dear Warren :
Thanks for shearing the information about making a Lyre.
I have a question.
About the strings for Lyre, which string be tuned to E, A & D
B/R
Ying-Hua
25 Jun 2012 at 2:55 pm
Dear Warren:
Thanks for shearing the information about making a Lyre.
Would you please tell me, which string will be tuned to E,A and D.
B/R
Ying-Hua Huang
26 Jun 2012 at 5:12 am
It is tuned to a pentatonic scale: D, E, G, A, B, D, E (low string to high string). If you are holding the lyre in your left hand, the low D string is farthest from your body. It is also the longest string. The scale ascends as the strings become shorter. I hope that this is helpful.
26 Jun 2012 at 5:30 am