Forum Activity for @eileen

Yes, it does indeed.  Have you read Layne Redmond's book When Drummers were Women (or is it When Women were Drummers)?.  How about you?  Have you been playing?  So far we're starting to learn the middle eastern rhythms (Ayoub, Baladi, Chiftiteli etc) and some of Marla Leigh's and others' tutorials.  As you said, lots of material available. What have you been learning/doing with yours? (Always looking for ideas!)

Hi again after quite the long absence.  Wondering how you've done with your frame drum?  This summer, 3 women and I have formed a little "learn-frame-drumming" group and we're all loving it.  Youtube is our teacher!  So far we all have smallish basic remo tars/frame drums.  I'm going to check out a darbuka today (kijiji).  Another big learning curve for sure.  There is so much more to this than one would have expected - after the first Doum-Tek_Ka lessons!

I started out checking out the medieval and renaissance music forum on here, and somehow got segued into this double ocarina.  Oh dear!  They look beautifully made and this one is in F and C with similar fingering to the C and F recorders, with which I'm familiar.  Ah temptation yet again!  http://hindocarina.com/ocarinas/index.php?l=product_detail&p=84  and

Hi Still haven't gotten a drum, but am planning a little "expedition" to visit this drum maker over the summer - either or both at his workshop and/or a local music and crafts festival nearby in August. I know it's not in your neighbourhood, Lisa, but who knows, there might be other "northerners" on this thread, and anyway, thought it might be interesting. This is his website: http://www.sylvantemple.ca/products/TarBendir.html and this is a little video of his workshop, farm and drums.

Thanks for your update, and yes I saw your Cretan Lyra - very nice! I'm going to learn the rebec the "baby cello" way too as it feels a little easier on the fingering and reach for me. Musical instruments and books - never enough of them and never enough time to learn and read. And now it's back to the veggie garden and its 101 tasks and projects! Not complaining though - it's all wonderful and what would we do without multiple learning curves??

Hi again after a long while! I was just going to check to see how you were doing on the rebec, and had to laugh when I saw the Frame Drums subject line and this post from you. I've been googling frame drums for the past several weeks, since I saw a local used ad for a north american flute and a bodhran. Then I started researching and discovered the tar, riq, bendir, daff, etc and - of course - started to get tempted! And here you are, one step ahead of me again, but on the same slightly eccentric wavelength! . I've narrowed it down to either a tar or bodhran for a drum. Have you seen the Layne Redmond websites and youtube on frame drums? They seem to be really good. My other "research" has been the 10-string lyre (like this one: The Old World Lyre by Musicmaker,) but it's quite pricey, so will go on just "researching" that for a while - Researching is so much cheaper than ordering! And, (yes one thing leads to another in this musical instrument obsession!) A shruti box in also in the research stage. I'm still playing with my recorder group and loving it, and even taking some lessons, playing a little on the dulcimer but not as much as I'd like, and I got the pegs fixed on my rebec by a local luthier and have made some very small starting steps. More time! Need more time. Anyway, greetings and thanks for posting a photo of your lovely tar. More temptation!

Hi Just found this thread, but it looks like it's a bit dated. Good to see some discussion of recorders with MDs and other instruments. I play soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and sometimes even the sopranino with a little group of us who get together most weeks, and even occasionally "in public". I am really interested in playing my new and as yet unpracticed-enough-to-play dulcimer (and maybe a rebec when I get one) with our recorder ensemble. Would like to hear from others what musical arrangements they've found that work with these instruments together, especially medieval, renaissance, and folk/world music. Good luck finding practice time - always the trick!

The home page is http://home.comcast.net/~meisterdru/trouvere/index_trouvere.htm

Hi I thought you might be interested in this website that I just happened to find - fuel for your/our medieval strings interests. Although we probably don't "need" any more fuel!

http://home.comcast.net/~meisterdru/trouvere/bowed%20instruments.htm

Thanks for those latest rebec-bits!

Hi

It arrived! Just as described. It's smaller than I expected! I have no rosin yet, so haven't' done more than plucked it. I'll pick some up next time I'm in "the big city". And I'll probably get the spare strings you recommend. No hurry - our garden planting is behind as are a bunch of other projects, but on the other hand, so looking forward to trying it out!! And sounding instantly medieval! haha. And THEN to find some music scores! I really haven't figured out the "secret" to finding time for everything. I'm never going to be a morning person, so that one's out! THANKS again for all the advice and ideas so far ... and those to come!

Well, I did it!

I ordered the blemished one,(that you mentioned in your last reply) after Middle-East Mnfg sent me two photos of the blemishes: one a scratch where the bridge had scaped the top a little, and the other - a slight dent on the outside of the bottom bowl. They classify the blemish as -2 which means it doesn't affect the sound quality of the instrument, so here's hoping!

Thanks again for all your advice!

On to the next learning curve while I'm still on several others at the same time. Fun though.

Yes, that's the one. It adds up to $580 (Cdn) ! and the EMS from the UK is $405 + $100 shipping, which adds to $505 (Cdn). And yes, I converted from B. pounds.

So I'll try contacting AAA and see what they say. Often ebay and amazon businesses just give over the shipping to another company and it's "out of their control". But, as you say, worth a try. Unfortunately, I'm close as the crow flies, but I'm on an island off an island, and so the distance by ferries in $$ is hefty. Lucky crows!

Strange that shipping is less (although still pretty darn expensive) from the UK than the from US or even within Canada. It cost way more to ship a recorder across Canada than to the UK. Grrrr!

And yes, still interested in where you got gut strings.

THANKS again

I think I'm convinced to get the soprano.

I found 2 on amazon (from AAA). They had a nice price reduction, but the shipping and handling, even though advertised as free (within the USA) is $200 !! to Canada. Wow - and just a short distance beyond the border too, not that it matters apparently! This may prove quite the challenge to find one!

I just came across this maker when looking for ebay and amazon rebecs that weren't in the uk. (I also saw one made by Paul Butler, but it had sold already!) Have you heard of this maker> http://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/102658591/custom-built-rebec-with-bow?ref=shop_home_active_2&ga_search_query=rebec

Thanks and look forward to the next reply. I'm amazed that you take the time to reply so quickly and greatly appreciate it.

By the way, I didn't mean tune down to the key of C; it was just shorthand to tune down so the lowest open string is C.

This is so helpful. Thanks!

I did suspect that the EMS was the same one but wasn't' sure. It sure looked the same.

So you have basically tuned the soprano rebec to what the alto normally is?

So, if I went with the alto rebec, it would be tuned Cgd and it would be basically the same range as the C recorders (give or take an octave) i.e. lowest note C. So with either the soprano or alto rebec I could follow any of the ensemble lines (soprano, alt, or tenor - I guess not the bass) without having to jump around playing up or down too much. (?)

But it doesn't the matter what key the group is playing in, does it? as long as one learns all the notes, including sharps and flats on the rebec? I THINK I'm beginning to get it!

I hadn't realized that one could tune them to something other than what Paul Butler had explained: i.e. the soprano to the top 3 violin strings, the alto to the bottom 3, etc.

I too love that medieval sound, and I've learned to LOVE my pear-wood (Huber) soprano recorder ( I never thought I would like the soprano), so maybe you've convinced me to just go with the soprano and tune it down to C.

And yes, let me know where to get the better gut strings. I shall re-start my looking on ebay and amazon. Do you recommend any particular amazon seller or source or are they all the same?

Thank so much again!

Here are two clips I really like:

Plus this one by the same musician (and this is the soprano, but tuned lower I now discovered, reading all the comments!)

Thanks for the reply! I was thinking of EMS (England) but the shipping is quite high too. I saw the Pakistan-made ones on ebay, and like you were, am a little wary of the quality. And yes I know about the tenor size, but that one is the same as the top strings of a viola, and viola music is written in alto clef - which I'm not up to learning. Keeping in mind treble and bass clef plus fingerings for C and F recorders AND learning tab for dulcimer is keeping my brain "exercised" enough these days. I'm not really good enough playing by ear to play along with the recorders. I'm pretty attached to written scores, unfortunately. So I think I would like to stick with either soprano or alto for now if I can find somewhere to buy a decent one for a reasonable price AND can find music that will work. Are you happy with the tone of your soprano - not too "squeaky" high?

Hi I've been considering getting a rebec for a number of months now, so really glad to have found this thread. Could anyone tell me which (the soprano or the alto) would likely be easier to learn &

accompany a recorder ensemble for medieval and renaissance music? I like the lower tone of an alto, but looking at the range, I'm wondering if it would be easier to just go with a soprano? By "easier to learn" I'm thinking partly of being able to read from recorder SATB scores, as I sure have not found any written scores for rebec! I do know that the soprano is the top 3 strings of a violin, and the alto is the bottom 3. I haven't played any string instrument before (other than starting my dulcimer), so I'm starting from scratch. If we found violin music to accompany our recorders, would having just the 3 strings of the rebec make it too difficult to work with? Anyway, any and all ideas and advice would be wonderfully appreciated!