Learn How To Play Ancient Lyres - Lesson #1 !
181Here is my 1st lesson in how to play a replica of the ancient Jewish "Kinnor", which features in most of the videos on my Youtube Channel.
The "Kinnor" was the 3000 year old lyre once played by King David, as he danced before the Ark of the Covenant, and which was then played by my very own ancient Levite ancestors, in the Temple of Jerusalem!!!
These replica "Kinnor" lyres are cheaply made in Pakistan, & are available from anywhere in the world - just do a Google image search for "Kinnor", & see wherer you can order one of these fantastic lyres! I got mine for just £140 fromm the Early Music Shop in Bradford, UK.
This 1st video is more or less just an introductory talk - for full details on how to set up the bridge etc when your lyre arrives, see lesson #12:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IwzXPdCVH7k
In future lessons, I will take you, note fro note, through how to learn a selection of traditional Shabbat melodies, as well the melodies of traditional Jewish Klezmer music.
NB!!! I've just realized that I made a few crucial slip ups in talking about one of the tunings for the lyre discussed here - it is the MELODIC minor scale..not the HARMONIC minor scale...oops! Also, for some reason, I thought I was in the key of D; the lyre is, in fact tuned, bottom string to top:
MELODIC MINOR SCALE:
D,E(tonic),F#,G,A,B,C,D,E(tonic),F#
AHAVA RABA SCALE:
D,E(tonic),F,G#,A,B,C,D,E(tonic),F
Apologies, also, in advance, for my virtually unintelligible, dodgy Liverpool accent -"Erm...like...erm...CALM DOWN! Ya know warra mean...like.." etc !!!;o)
All of my 9 albums of mystical, ancient lyre music are now available from iTunes...
1)"An Ancient Lyre": http://bit.ly/dhCozi
2)"King David's Lyre; Echoes of Ancient Israel":
http://bit.ly/9PCIua
3)"The Ancient Biblical Lyre": http://bit.ly/9hTDje
4)"Lyre of the Levites": http://bit.ly/9baWuM
5)"Apollo's Lyre": http://bit.ly/dhCozi
6)"Ancient Times -- Music of The Ancient World":
http://bit.ly/aRF5PD
7)"The Ancient Greek Modes": http://bit.ly/cZks0o
8)"The Ancient Greek Lyre": http://bit.ly/bxO7Ra
9)"Ancient Visions -- New Compositions for an Ancient Lyre": http://bit.ly/dCPmRN
Physical CDs are also available anywhere in the world from CD Baby, for 3 of my best selling albums:
"An Ancient Lyre": http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mlevy4
"King David's Lyre; Echoes of Ancient Israel":
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mlevy
"Lyre of the Levites": http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mlevy2
For full details about my albums of lyre music, and the fascinating ancient historical background, please visit my official website:
http://www.ancientlyre.com