The Traumscheit

The much profaned Tromba Marina was originally a single monochord played with a bow used for both sacred and profane music. Classical paintings show a wide range of sizes being played with the bow on top with finger stopping the string from below. Sometimes outfitted with a "floating bridge" meant to create special effects, one or two drone strings, and later internal sympathetic strings were installed to increase resonance. In the late 1700's a version called the Trumscheit was developed by German folk musicians with a fretted neck played like a Cello/Viol. Please google Dwight Newton's article "The Tromba Marina-A Study In Organology". On You Tube channel Arcifano see a video of Bogenhauser Kunstler Kappelle"s performance of "Tyrolienne" featuring Thilo Hirsch playing Traumscheit. Ensemble Arcimbolo's website under "Projects" see "Music of Swiss Monasteries with Trumpet Marine" has further history supplied by Dr. Silke Berux, Conservator of Musical Instruments, German Museum of Munich, and performance notes on playing and construction by Thilo Hirsch.