Making a tagelharpa

[TBRS1]

A "tagelharpa" is an ancient bowed string instrument used in Nordic countries, and often associated with vikings.

This musician plays tagelharpa and is awesome:

"Tagelharpa" means "horse hair string instrument" because, traditionally, the strings are made of horsehair.

Tagelharpa are true folk instruments - although you CAN buy one, most people who play them make their own.

That's what I'm gonna do.

I have all my stuffs. Here's what I've got:



Underneath is the plank cut into three pieces. They'll be hollowed out to make the instrument and the soundbox.

Top to bottom: 4 bass guitar tuning gears (tagelharpa can have 2 to 4 strings. Mine will have 4 because the parts come in sets of 4), a hank of horse hair (for strings and the bow), a set of 4 violin fine tuners, a hunk of red leather (from a carp), and that odd white thing at the bottom is the shoulder blade of a deer that I think I can use to make the tail piece and, possibly, the bridge.

As I work (this is a leisure time project so it may take a few weeks) I'll post to show my progress.

 

[Rodafina]

Very cool. Looking forward to reading about the progression.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I am soothed when I play the zither. It's a small harp. Beautiful simple sounds. I also like playing the guitar, but I'm not very good at it at all. I'm much more comfortable on the zither.

The tagelharpa, I wonder if you need to be careful to use certain types of wood, or look for the qualities thereof, for the right reverberation? Maybe no knots, certain length, grain, density, etc.

How would you make sure the pegs and the frets/bridge are set up and aligned at just right angles? These are things to consider too, perhaps?

 

[TBRS1]

I am soothed when I play the zither. It's a small harp. Beautiful simple sounds. I also like playing the guitar, but I'm not very good at it at all. I'm much more comfortable on the zither.

The tagelharpa, I wonder if you need to be careful to use certain types of wood, or look for the qualities thereof, for the right reverberation? Maybe no knots, certain length, grain, density, etc.

How would you make sure the pegs and the frets/bridge are set up and aligned at just right angles? These are things to consider too, perhaps?

Uhm...

They are pretty primitive. Most people make them from pine, but other woods would work as well. Clear, without knots is the major criteria.

The pegs are bass guitar tuning gears. There are no frets - the notes are played either by wrapping fingers over the melody string, or by by pushing up against strings with knuckles.

The bridge can be located kind of "where it fits." It needs to go between the sound holes, and exactly on top of an internal bridge pin... roughly in the middle of the soundbox.

This is a "make it up as you go along" kind of thing. I can find all kinds of "how to" but nobody ever gives you exact dimensions.

That's kind of a part of the beauty of the instrument - no two will ever be or sound the same.

 

[Tuffsy]

That's fantastic, I'd love to do that, didn't know you could buy horse hair! I have made and repair guitars so I imagine that the intonation would be quite tricky. Do you use your ear to play in tune? Great project!!

 

[TBRS1]

That's fantastic, I'd love to do that, didn't know you could buy horse hair! I have made and repair guitars so I imagine that the intonation would be quite tricky. Do you use your ear to play in tune? Great project!!

I'll have to mess around with it a lot. I honestly don't know much about playing one, aside from watching others play it.

I imagine it'll have about an octave, but with a four string, you can use two strings tuned to different octaves.

I think.

LOL - I'll let you know if I ever know.

P.S. - you'd be surprised at the things people use horse hair for. Hair weaves, instrument bows, a whole host of equestrian arts & crafts. It's imported from Mongolia, believe it or not.