Bowed Strings

Descended from the Northern European zithers, the Appalachian Dulcimer developed in the Appalachian mountains of the Eastern USA, where it was used in old time music. Its popularity has spread because of its delicate sound, and the ease with which it can be played. An ideal instrument for song accompaniment.

The Autoharp is associated with with American, particularly Appalachian, folk music. It is a development of the zither dating from the 1880s in Germany. The Autoharp is almost identical to a Chord Zither with the addition of a set of spring wooden bars with felt dampers which effectively fret and dampen the relevant strings for each chord. The Autoharp is currently easily the most popular instrument in the zither family,

The Autoharp is currently easily the most popular instrument in the zither family, while the cymbala sounds great and is a perfect way for children to learn to make music. We stock Autoharps, Cymbalas, Appalachian Dulcimers, Hammered Dulcimers and Psalteries...

Around the world there are many variations of bowed instrument beyond the well-known violin family. We have included all the wheel-driven instruments here too.

Blue Moon student violins are great fun, and very colourful. They have a high quality traditional construction using solid tonewoods. All models have a metal tailpiece with integral adjusters, and come complete with bow and case.

The Cymbala is a great way for children to learn music and pick out songs for the first time. Usually comes with song charts to go under the strings.

Rather than risk the setup on your acoustic violin by fitting a pickup, why not try a purpose built electric violin? It gives you freedom from the microphone, and a well balanced output from the specially designed pickup system.

The violin top and back are carved out from solid wood. The top is spruce and the back, sides and neck are generally from maple. The bassbar is an integral and tonally important part of the top. The soundpost is fitted about 1/4" behind the treble foot of the bridge and connects the front and back of the instrument acoustically in a way that shapes the sound considerably. The most popular type of maple used in violins has a curl in the grain which shows up as a flame effect.

Valentino violins - among the best sellers in the USA, are made in China. Always reliable and well presented, these are the perfect student outfit. All models come with bow, case and a metal tailpiece with integral adjusters

Bows for stringed instruments are generally made from hardwood sticks with a wooden 'frog' at one end where the player holds it. A small hank of horse hair is stretched from the frog to the tip. A sticky substance called rosin is used to make the hair grip the strings of the instrument and force the vibrations from it.

The Bow plays a vital part in the sound produced by a violin, viola, cello or bass. So it is important to select a bow compatible with the payer's style and with the instrument being used.

The weight of the stick affects the feel of the bow in the player's hand as well as the tone of the instrument. 60g is a common weight for a good full size violin bow.

The violin-like Erhu or Er Hu is the principal lead instrument in much of Chinese music and used both solo and in groups. It has two strings and is played with the bow moving between the strings, so both sides of the bow hair are used. There is a movable string nut to change the tuning. One finger is used to hold down both strings, with lots of vibrato.

The Gu Zheng is said to be the oldest instrument of China. It is a long plucked 21 string zither with movable bridges and is played seated with the instrument on a stand. D major pentatonic is a standard tuning. The melody is played at the top (right hand side) with the right hand using four finger picks. The left side of the string is also used to bend the note and for vibrato effects. In modern styles the left of the bridges can be played to produce harmony or counterpoint. The instrument is commonly played by women in China.

HistoryPig's snout psalteries were popular in mediaeval times, made in a kind of scalloped trapezium shape resembling the profile of a pig. The instrument was plucked.

Our Stringed Instrument section includes all the violin family and other bowed instruments, their wheel driven variants and all the harp and zither families of instruments.

Simple early version of Hurdy Gurdy with rectangular box body, 3 strings and usually 10 keys.

The Bowed Psaltery is a triangular instrument with tuning pins on the short end and strings running from there to posts at intervals along each side. The strings are played between the posts with a short arched bow. It is generally tuned in a chomatic 2 octave scale with black notes on the left and the white on the right as seen from the blunt end.

The Hammer or Hammered Dulcimer is larger instrument than the mountain dulcimer it is played by hitting the strings with wooden or cane hammers. It has large trapezium shaped solid wooden frame with a wooden soundboard and back plate. It has many strings in pairs, 3s or 4s stretched over long (sometimes individually moveable) bridges.
It is played in the British Isles and North America.

Birmingham & Leeds are our specialist violin shops with a much larger selection of new and used bowed instruments and repairers on site. In the other shops we stock new Cremona and Stentor instruments as well as some used violas, cellos and basses.

The Celtic Harp or Clarsach is almost unchanged since the 11th century. The famous Brian Boru harp has the same shape as the harps we sell today. Early celtic harps had bodies carved from solid wood, and brass strings, and only played in one key. Nowadays it is usual to use a softwood soundboard, and Nylon strings, and there are semitone levers for changing key. The concert harp developed from the Celtic Harp and features increased tension, more notes, and pedals.

The viola is tuned a fifth lower than the violin to CGDA. The cello is the same but one octave lower while the double bass is tuned in fourths to EADG the same as an electric bass guitar. We stock violins in all our shops, and Leeds also specialises ...