Psaltery

A woman playing a triangular harp, which was called by Greeks a psalterion. Ancient Greek red-figured pelike from Anzi, Apulia, circa 320–310 BCE.

Picture of an unusual type of psaltery, found in eastern Europe

A psaltery (or sawtry (archaic)) is a stringed instrument of the zither family.

Ancient harp psaltery

The psaltery of Ancient Greece (epigonion) is a harp-like instrument. The word psaltery derives from the Ancient Greek ψαλτήριον (psaltḗrion), "stringed instrument, psaltery, harp"^[1] and that from the verb ψάλλω (psállō), "to touch sharply, to pluck, pull, twitch" and in the case of the strings of musical instruments, "to play a stringed instrument with the fingers, and not with the plectrum."^[2] The psaltery was originally made from wood, and relied on natural acoustics for sound production.

In the King James Version of the Bible, "psaltery", and its plural, "psalteries", are used to translate several words whose meaning is now unknown: the Hebrew keli (כלי) in Psalm 71:22 and I Chronicles 16:5; nevel (נבל) in I Samuel 10:5; 2 Samuel 6:5; I Kings 10:12; I Chronicles 13:8; 15:16, 20, 28; 25:1, 6; II Chronicles 5:12; 9:11; 20:28; 29:25; Nehemiah 12:27; Psalms 33:2; 57:6; 81:2; 92:3; 108:2; 144:9; and 150:3; and the Aramaic pesanterin (פסנתרין) in Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, and 15.

Ancient European zither psaltery

In the Christian era, a psaltery consisting of a soundboard with several pre-tuned strings that are usually plucked came into use. It was also known by the name canon from the Greek word κανών (kanṓn), which means "rule", "principle", and also "mode". The modern Greek folk instrument is called by its diminutive, kanonaki. The instrument is usually small enough to be portable; its shape and range vary.

Medieval psaltery

Psaltery player from the Gorleston Psalter, c. 1310-1326.

From the 12th through the 15th centuries, psalteries are widely seen in manuscripts, paintings and sculpture throughout Europe . They vary widely in shape and the number of strings (which are often, like lutes, in courses of two or more strings).

Modern psaltery

In the 19th century, several related zithers came into use, notably the guitar zither and the autoharp. In the 20th century, the bowed psaltery came into wide use. It is set up in a triangular format so that the end portion of each string can be bowed.

Similar instruments include the large cimbalom and the smaller dulcimer, both usually played using small hammers to hit the strings.

Notes

↑ ψαλτήριον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
↑ ψάλλω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus

References

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Psaltery". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Psaltery.

Psaltery
Discussion of psalteries, with image from the exhibition Making Musical Instruments: The making of musical instruments in Canada by the Canadian Museum of Civilisation

Greek musical instruments
Ancient	Aulos Cochilia Crotalum Pan flute Pandura Salpinx Water organ Lyre Barbiton Chelys Epigonion Kithara Phorminx Sistrum Trigonon
String Instruments	Bowed instruments Byzantine lyra Cretan lyra Pontian lyra Plucked instruments Baglamas Bouzouki Karantouzeni Laouto Lavta Mandola Mandolin Psaltery Tambouras Thaboura Tzouras Oudola Struck instruments Santouri
Aerophones	Woodwind instruments Askomandoura Tsampouna Floghera Karamuza Lalitsa Mantura Souravli
Percussion instruments	Membranophones Tambourine Toubeleki Tympano Idiophones Koudounia Stamna Trigono Zilia
See also	Music of Greece Greek folk music Byzantine music Rebetiko Laïko Greek dances Feta George Papandreou

Medieval music
Movements and schools	Ars antiqua Ars nova Ars subtilior Burgundian School Contenance angloise Notre Dame school Saint Martial school
Musical instruments	Wind Bagpipes Bladder pipe Bombard Crumhorn Flute Gemshorn Jew's harp Organ Recorder Sackbut Shawm String Citole Gittern Guitarra latina Guitarra morisca Dulcimer Harp Hurdy-gurdy Lute Cretan lyra Lyre Psaltery Rebec Tromba marina Vielle Viol Zampogna Zither Percussion Carillon Crotales Nakers Tabor Tambourine Triangle
Musical forms	Antiphon Canso Carol Chanson Chant Conductus Geisslerlied Lai Liturgical drama Madrigal Motet Organum Rondeau Virelai
Composers	François Andrieu Odo of Arezzo Notker Balbulus Hildegard of Bingen Jacopo da Bologna Borlet Antonello da Caserta Philippus de Caserta Donato da Cascia Johannes Ciconia Odo of Cluny Petrus de Cruce John Dunstaple Gherardello da Firenze St. Godric Giovanni da Cascia Lorenzo da Firenze Paolo da Firenze Pope Gregory I Grimace Roy Henry Hucbald Francesco Landini Arnold de Lantins Kir Stefan the Serb Léonin Guillaume de Machaut Lorenzo da Firenze Bartolino da Padova Matteo da Perugia Niccolò da Perugia Pérotin Maestro Piero Leonel Power Jacob Senleches John Koukouzelis Solage Trebor Tuotilo Adam of Saint Victor Philippe de Vitry W. de Wycombe
Traditions	British Isles England Scotland Cyprus France Germany Italy Lithuania Netherlands Portugal Spain
Derivatives and fusions	Medieval folk rock Medieval metal Neo-Medieval music
Related articles	Goliards Monophony Music of the Trecento Neume Polyphony Troubadour

Zithers
East Asia	Ajaeng Đàn tranh Gayageum Geomungo Guqin Guzheng Ichigenkin Indonesian siter Khim Koto Se Yangqin Yanggeum Yazheng
West and South Asia	Kanun Nuzhe Indian santoor Persian santur Iraqi santur Swarmandal
Europe	Autoharp Bowed psaltery Cimbalom Gusli Hammered dulcimer Hummel Kantele Kannel Kanklės Kokles Langeleik Psaltery Psalterium Scheitholt Tsymbaly
Americas	Appalachian dulcimer Mexican salterio Tremoloa

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