Epineete anyone?

Subject: Epineete anyone?
From: Ma-K
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 02:48 PM

Can anyone tell me how to tune a Epineete. It has two strings over the frets and three drones. The middle drone is coil all the rest are wire strings.

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Ma-K
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 02:59 PM

haven't even learned how to spell it yet. Epinette Des Vosge.

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 04:05 PM

Ma-K, I found this at:
http://users.skynet.be/jlb/epinette/epinette.html It was all in French, and I sort of had it translated, don't know just how helpful it will be, but perhaps the table at the bottom? Since it is a type of lap dulcimer, maybe that gives you a place to start?

One knows the virginal in wide areas of central, septentrional and Western Europe. The dulcimer of the Appalachian Mountains is a well-known American alternative of this instrument.
One finds the virginal in various countries, under various names, for instruments however not always identical but nevertheless same family; for example: Norway: langeleik, langh”rpu, langspil Sweden: hummel, langspel, langharpa Iceland: langspil Finland: jouhikantele Estonia: moldpill Latvia: diga Karelia: versikannel
In Hungary, Romania, Moravie, one also finds instruments which of it are derived... and which point out the zither! In the Germanic countries, one finds some in the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, certain Swiss areas and the north of Germany.

In the Netherlands, it is known under the name of Hommel. In France, one almost exclusively finds it in the Vosges (from where his name) and in French Flanders. in North America, it is widespread in the Dulcimer form.

Development in same century :
Before the First World War, it is in Belgium that the development of the instrument reaches its apogee European, especially in the north of the country, and in the south.
During the war, it seems that the virginal was rather popular in the trenches.
After 1918, the play of the virginal developed considerably in several areas of Belgium. One finds it in the south under name " Roughs-hew of Ardenne ". It seems that hundreds of instruments were built in the years 1930-1940.

Finally, after the second war, the virginal strongly loses its popularity, without never really to have however disappeared...
Since 1970, the virginal clearly reappeared in our areas. The name of VIRGINAL OF the VOSGES is current there, following the resemblance of the Walloon instruments to their cousins of the Vosges.

CONSTRUCTION / ORGANOLOGY?

One can consider 5 great types of models of construction:

* VIRGINALS WITHOUT CASE OF RESONANCE
rather primitive instruments, generally composed of the only melody cords (often from 2 to 5)

* VIRGINALS A CASE OF RESONANCE OF A PART
the body of the virginal can be dug with the back and not to have a back, the role of this one being filled by the table on which it is posed; other models integrate a back added after digging of the body; others are dug by the top, thus have a bottom (back) contiguous, a table of play being added over; others finally are done of an opened body, a separate table and back being added...

* VIRGINALS IN SEVERAL PARTS

on a back in thick board, one assembles a made body of low fish-plates and one deposits the table over

* INSTRUMENTS A CASE OF RESONANCE SEPAREE

these instruments generally comprise 6 parts: chevillier, back, two fish-plates, fish bottom, count. With such a process of construction, very many aesthetic alternatives are allowed.

* INSTRUMENTS A DOUBLES CASE OF RESONANCE

that is to say two cases of resonance... in general, one starts from a complete instrument, having his case of resonance, and one y accolle an additional case, which can then take various forms: out of sand glass, the form of trapezoid etc.

PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION

One will find hereafter the various stages of the construction of a virginal of the Vosges.

1. cut out contour (fish-plates) : after having traced the general form chosen on a board of approximately 2 to 3 cm thickness, to cut out with saw according to features' outside and interior, both being separated from 2 to 3 mm

2. cut out back and bottom : to cut out the 2 forms (in theory identical) bottom and back; simplest consists with pla‡er first pi prepared at stage 1 on the fine board intended for the back and the bottom and with tracer the form to be followed with a pencil.

3. cut out table :realized for example in a fine board of pine; to position the hoops (which can be the large ones fasten) at the distances defined on the board hereafter

4. parts before joining

5. joining of the back. Once the assembled instrument, he remains with per‡er of the holes in the head to place the keys there (4, 5 or 6 according to the number of cords that one wishes); to drive out fine nails in the counterfoil (in same number) to fix the other end of each cord; to place the cords and to grant them...

6. ...et the result!

DRINK : there is no really rule: one traditionally uses the wood one has: beech, fir tree, orme... the table will be of a rather tender wood. One will not choose too thick boards not to harm the resonance of the instrument; for example, of the fir tree from 2 to 3 millimetres thickness will be appropriate well for the fish-plates (in so far as one takes care not to use a wood which is split easily), the bottom and the table (attention however with gauchiment of the bottom.). HOOPS : can be out of wood stuck on the table, in wire (for example of large fasten), out of metal (like the guitars); they can even consist of notches cut in a hard wood. The foregoing plan shows you that the hoops are more or less regularly spaced.

DIMENSIONS : strict dimensions should not be necessarily respected. The only securities to be followed in an imperative way are the relative gaps between the hoops. Thus, according to the length of your instrument (often from 50 to 80 cm), you will have to pay attention to two things:

1. all the hoops (of the first to the counterfoil it rest is not essential to obtain a virginal which " sounds " well -) must be positioned with the top of the case of resonance. It is necessary especially to pay attention to this for the very first hoop, without what it would not sound well if it were placed above a part out of full wood.

2. Position of the various hoops: as specified herebefore, the distance between the first and the derni…re hoop do not have importance and depend mainly on the size of your instrument; what is on the other hand capital, it is the relative gap between each one. You will find below the method to calculate the site of each hoop, while measuring starting from the 1st hoop (play with vacuum), with like example a distance of 50 cm between the first and the counterfoil (x=50 cm). If the distance of 64 cm on your instrument, is remade calculations by replacing x=50 by x=64, quite simply...

NOTE outdistance since
the 1st hoop
result in cm
if x=50cm
C
play with vacuum--- 0
RE 5.65
SEMI 10.5
F 12.75
GROUND 16.85
THERE 20.45
IF bemol 22.15
IF 23.75
C 25.25
RE 27.95
SEMI 30.45
F 31.55
GROUND 33.60
THERE 35.30
IF bemol 36.20
IF 36.85
C 37.65

You will note that all the semitones are not taken again; this is desired (although nothing prevents you from putting some) because the traditional repertory of the Virginal of the Vosges does not require these semitones!

PLAY

1. in the left hand: a piece of bamboo, which one makes slip on the cords, by stopping just on the left hoop to obtain the corresponding note
2. in the right hand: a plectre of guitar to rub the cords, by also rubbing the nonhooped cords to mark the rate/rhythm; the plectre can be replaced by another bamboo which one will use then to hammer the cords; one can also use a bow (of a model smaller than the bow of violin) to obtain a sonority completely other... Note: certain elements of this page come from a source of which I do not find the origin (because partial photocopies.). If you recognize yourselves in some of these paragraphs, let me know it)

More information? Contact me by "mailto:[e-mail]" ! "http://translate.copernic.com:8090/jlb/index.html?AlisTargetHost=http://users.skynet.be&AlisFramesTgtDoc&AlisUILang=en&AlisUI=frames_ex/gen_toolbar&AlisTargetLang=en"<

If you want the photos, you will need to copy/paste the original URL........the url at the bottom (just above) is the translated one.....don't know if it will work for pasting or not.

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: catspaw49
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 04:10 PM

Geeziz........I dunno' Sorch....some weird stuff there.

Being an ancestor of the Appalachian Dulcimer I would try the varios modal tunings that are used by dulcimers. I have no experience with one at all Ma, but there's one in a museum down in Gallipolis. there's some thought that it was one of the major influences on the App design so take it from there!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 04:15 PM

Twas' indeed a weirdness, huh spaw? I have no idea what all the "?" things mean, but here is one in English, with an e mail addy. Ma-K could e mail him with description, etc, and maybe get more help...... Click here.

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Ma-K
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 05:38 PM

Been there Sorcha. I have had not musical training so what he said is Greek to me. Pardon me i'ts French to me. Gee wizz Spaw I thought you new everything..

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 05:50 PM

Ma-K, try the second clickie I gave in my post just above yours......scroll way down, and at the bottom is an e mail clickie--in English. He posted it, so I assume he welcomes queries.........

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 05:50 PM

Ma-K, try the second clickie I gave in my post just above yours......scroll way down, and at the bottom is an e mail clickie--in English. He posted it, so I assume he welcomes queries.........

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Ma-K
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 06:13 PM

Thanks again Sorcha. I just e-mailed him......Mary also

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 06:16 PM

OK. I have no idea how the double post happened---and there are too many Marys on here, LOL!

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Ma-K
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 07:55 PM

Sorcha......Just got good information from the blue clicky e-mail address..thank you

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 07:58 PM

Way Cool! Good on ya, Mary!! Glad that worked! Whoopie! Mudcat wins again!

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Ma-K
Date: 28 Dec 00 - 10:20 PM

I got some good info from the E-mail on the epinette site you gave me Thank you Sorcha

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 11:25 PM

In case it's any help, Jean-François Dutertre gave these modal tunings for the épinette (assuming one course of melody string(s) [chanterelles] and three drones [bourdons] with his 1974 recording, L'Épinette des Vosges (Le Chant du Monde LDX 74536):

Do [Ionian]:   g - g - C - c

Sol [Mixolydian]:   g - g - G - d

Ré [Dorian]:   g - a - D - d   or, more practically,   f - g - C - c

La [Aeolian]:   g - a - A -e   or, more practically,   f - g - G - d

Mi [Phrygian]:   eflat - g - C - c

I can never remember exactly how the French mode names equate to the ecclesiastical ones, so no guarantees that the above are correctly described; the intervals are right, though.  Those tunings are for the long-scale épinette, so the pitches may, for your purposes, be an octave -or even two- higher than I've indicated.  It's worth experimenting, too; I found several other tunings which were rather good, though it's twenty-odd years ago and I don't recall the details.  I should mention that I always played in the traditional style; that is to say, melody on chanterelles and drones on the bourdons: I almost never used fingered chords, though Dutertre certainly did, to good effect.  A particularly nice effect may be obtained by bouncing a light stick on the strings, a little as you might do with a hammered dulcimer, instead of plucking.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Epineete anyone?
From: Ma-K
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 10:21 AM

Thanks Malcolm....Just the information I wanted....Mary