Meet The Instruments #8: Cittern

[@joyafi4913]

I came across the term "cittern" while playing Dungeons and Dragons and I'm so glad I investigated! What a fascinating instrument!

[@evelynleslie2633]

Omg this song was my childhood!! It’s in barbie in the 12 dancing princesses 😂 I had no idea it had a life outside of that movie- I always just knew it as “Derek’s tune!” He plays it on the penny whistle :)

[@tinawells-king4724]

That’s a jolly old instrument, to bad it’s dry January, I fancy a pint, what’s yours ? 😊

[@MrLuridan]

I totally support the use of mechanical pegs. Great video, and wonderful playing, really nice.

[@TheJimMackenzie]

I think I just fell in love with the Renaissance Cittern. I had only really heard modern

[@-jank-willson]

its like a mini version of the renaissance lute

[@chiron14pl]

I got a mandolin to play music for the cittern. it's the closest instrument that is not an expensive reproduction of early ones, and sounds somewhat similar

[@jonpeckmusic]

Lovely sound, lovely playing so reassuring and uplifting, thank you

[@clemmcguinness1087]

Brilliant

[@violatione]

Beautifully done!

[@samwhary5498]

Your dance music works. I want to dance to it hehe. :)

[@JtVeTo4523]

Miluju cittorn, má tak veselý zvuk a hned zvedne náladu! ☺

[@varisonik]

Sounds wonderful 🥰

[@exploremusic2182]

I love your videos! Great playing as well!!

[@bakunfase8672]

That was amazing

[@MountainHomeJerrel]

Most fascinating. Thank you.

[@-jank-willson]

almost has a bit of a banjo sound to it

[@rianjp48]

Wonderful playing, thanks for sharing. I see from other comments that I am not alone (thanks especially to this video!) in craving *this* particular instrument. The mechanical modification might offend purists, but to me it's tantalizing. I have a lute, but I rarely play it because it's such a pain to tune. I was hoping whoever made this cittern could be coaxed into making more, but alas, I see not (heart shattering in background). From what I gather, citterns were more plentiful than lutes. Ironic that they are far harder to come by now, and more expensive, than lutes!

[@celinavarchausky5333]

Lovely!!!

[@Nachtuil36]

Super !!!

[@peterkratoska3681]

Thanks for this video. I have a Rennaissance cittern which I got last year, as well as a modern 10 string cittern but I was wondering about the tuning you are using is that CGDG (and are the strings unison?) Presumably the melody is primarily on the top 3 courses? (I'm primarily a fiddle player)

[@GreenMatthews]

Yes - but the fourth course is re-entrant (like a ukulele) so the tuning is cc-GgG-dd-cc. You're right - I mostly use the top three courses for melody.

[@marcocannavo]

Sounds brilliant..where can I buy something like that. Who is the maker of yours. Thanks 😊

[@GreenMatthews]

My cittern was made for me by a friend who's not a full-time luthier. But Ugo Casalonga (FR) makes a really good one as does George Stevens (UK). www.casa-liutaiu.com/cistre www.gstevensluthier.co.uk/instruments/other

[@tshawnjohnson]

I would really like to understand this style of playing. It would be a big ask to see tabs for one of these tunes, but do you know of tabs in this same style for other english country dance tunes? I just want to get a handle on how the harmonies are produced... Whether the majority are from open strings adjacent to the melody or from easily placed fingers on strings adjacent to the melody... A tab of something would clear everything up. Thank you so much for the video btw. I have recently started playing a ren cittern and tuned it like yours cGdg

[@insulartomb]

Playford published an instructional book for the cittern, which is available on IMSLP - takes a bit of getting used to, as the tab uses letters for the frets instead of numbers! But you get the full 17th century experience :)

[@robinier]

Im not familiar with Renaissance instruments-does it have a pair of each string? So like its only four string types but they are doubled? Very cool video btw I had never thought about just leaving musical instruments around for entertainment.

[@GreenMatthews]

There are 9 strings on this instrument, but they are arranged in 'courses' - twos and one set of three. Most fretted string instruments from this periods have their strings in courses, but all with different numbers of courses.

[@vinnyandtheengineers5937]

Where could I get a cittern like this ?

[@GreenMatthews]

That's a very good question! Mine is modified from an Early Music Shop kit which is now discontinued. There's a list of cittern makers here but AFAIK none of them fit machine pegs as standard. www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/makers/index.html

[@vinnyandtheengineers5937]

@@GreenMatthews Thanks for the speedy reply. I've just been looking at the Earl music shop site. I guess Renaissance citterns aren't as popular as they use to be. I think they sound wonderful.

[@peterkratoska3681]

@@GreenMatthews I bought one from FolkFriends in Germany last year kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGecgJWbq9qKeK8

[@bobu5213]

Wait, I thought the cittern was a medieval isntrument? Wasn't the renaissance filled with 7+ course lutes rather than a 4 course instrument such as this? Or were cittern's just around a long time.

[@GreenMatthews]

The *gittern* was a medieval instrument - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gittern. The cittern was really a Renaissance instrument. :)

[@bobu5213]

@@GreenMatthews I didn't know that! Thanks (:

[@PeterEvans_music]

How long is the scale length? Also how tall are the sides?

[@GreenMatthews]

Scale length is 450mm. The sides are 50mm high.

[@piosimonsen1205]

How is the tuning

[@GreenMatthews]

I tune mine cc-GgG-D-dd-gg. Historically the most common tuning was bb-GgG-dd-ee

[@traviswhitescarver738]

@@GreenMatthewsI think you mean cc-GgG-dd-gg. you only have 9(4) strings. is that right?

[@GreenMatthews]

@@traviswhitescarver738 You’re right, sorry. A typo…

[@frankking781]

What's the tuning? .

[@frankking781]

Sorry bud, l got it, hanx .

[@zdenekseidl6592]

Nice tune and well played. But do you really think perforated parchement can work as a membrane in speaker? I doubt. For me it´s just an ornament.

[@joesiemoneit4145]

damn.. i just bought a renaissance guitar and now i want a renaissance cittern, too! ...next to all the other instruments i own.. im starting to think i might have an instrument problem! O_o

[@PhluXx1]

Renaissance guitar is a cittern. Guitars evolved from a six string cittern in the 19th century. Guitar didn't exist before that and the cittern evolved from the citole.

[@justaweeb9086]

Where did you get the guitar from?

[@joesiemoneit4145]

@@justaweeb9086 from a local guitar builder. it was the first renaissance guitar he built and is rather simple, compared to most what you see on youtube, so it wasnt as costly.

[@joesiemoneit4145]

@@PhluXx1 hot take, objectivly wrong.

[@lpsaugat]

2:20 Hahaha.

[@MsGrimstock]

Now I'm sad I sold mine.

[@antonioivanis2765]

Try Bosnian Šargija😊

[@shmackydoodRon]

It’s a ukulele kazoo mandolin.

[@slein1055]

fat chance people stopped doing that because people began playing it that were shit.

[@friedfish69]

The sound hole does not "let the sound out". That's a complete misunderstanding of how a resonance chamber works. Sound comes from vibrating surfaces. A hole is not a surface. The sound hole prevents muffling of vibration by trapped air. Can't believe some guy who presents himself as knowledgeable gets this simple fact wrong.

[@justaweeb9086]

So let me get this straight... you say that the sound hole doesn't let the sound out but also say that it prevents the sound from being muffled because it would be otherwise trapped in the guitar? In the same comment? The Temerity...

[@sameash3153]

@@justaweeb9086 based

[@alittlebitgone]

" The sound hole prevents muffling of vibration by trapped air." So... it lets sound out then?

[@bluesteel5688]

Very nice (playing and presentation) what is the tuning you are using AND what are the other regular timings on this lovely sounding instrument

[@GreenMatthews]

I tune mine cc-GgG-D-dd-gg. Historically the most common tuning was bb-GgG-dd-ee

[@carlianarojas1437]

I recognize this piece from Barbie and the 12 dancing princesses 😂

[@evelynleslie2633]

Omg yes I just commented that too 😂