“Kumbaya,” also spelled “Kum Ba Ya,” is a well-known campfire song. I know I spent many happy Saturday nights around a campfire singing it as a child. Even those who couldn’t sing managed to catch on and make an effort.
No one really knows the song’s origin; in fact, there’s been some controversy surrounding it, as this article
points out. To me it was, and still is, a common song that I, personally, have used to bring people together.
This is number seven in my double strung experiments.
You will hear the melody played on zither, which has steel strings, and harmony on the lyre with softer, nylon strings. Notes of the melody and harmony echo each other at times. This is one of the many fascinating effects available on a double strung harp. As usual, it’s easier heard than explained, so I ask that you have a listen, and enjoy this peaceful arrangement!
Also known as “All the Pretty Little Horses,” the origin of this American folk song is unknown. This arrangement is based on one by Aaron Copland.
This is the sixth in my series of double strung experiments,
playing lyre and zither at the same time. You will hear the accompaniment weaving around the melody, without stopping it. Having two separate sets of strings, one for each hand, makes this possible.
You’re probably familiar with the beautiful traditional tune, “Shenandoah.” Though its exact origin is unknown, it may have originated with French Canadian fur traders. Some versions are also linked to cavalry men, mountain men, riverboat men, and soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. Whatever its origins, “Shenandoah” is one of the most recognizable American folk songs.
In this arrangement, I play the melody on my 22-string zither (also called a lap harp or plucked psaltery) and harmony on my 22-string lyre. One instrument for each hand allows free access to all 22 strings.
I’ve heard some beautiful harp arrangements of this song. However, unless it is a large floor harp with 34 strings or more, the hands may run into each other while playing. This is eliminated when each hand has its own full set of strings.
“Shenandoah” is the fifth in my series of double strung experiments,
preparing for a double strung harp. The harp is the same idea, except it is designed and built with two rows of strings on a single instrument. This means that eventually, I won’t need to hold two instruments on my lap, not to mention trying to tune them in perfect unison!
I hope you enjoy this arrangement, and that you’re having a safe and happy Labor Day!
Here is the traditional English ballad, “Scarborough Fair,” played with melody on lyre, and harmony on zither. This is the fourth but not the final of my attempts to play lyre and zither at the same time, in preparation for playing a double strung harp.
As I mentioned last week,
tuning these instruments in exact unison is very difficult, mostly due to the difference in string materials. If you have a very sensitive ear for music, I apologize for the tuning discrepancies. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy hearing the possibilities offered by having two sets of strings!
Although “Come, Thou Almighty King” is often attributed to Charles Wesley, the text is actually anonymous. The melody is an Italian hymn, composed by Felice Giardini. The earliest known publication of text and melody together was in 1757. It remains a popular traditional Christian hymn today, more than 250 years later.
This is a traditional Welsh lullaby, often used in harp therapy, whether for children or to calm someone of any age.
You will hear the melody played on lyre and left hand accompaniment played on zither. The second time through, both hands move up an octave.
This is the third of my double strung experiments.
I’m testing my ability to arrange for, and play on two rows of identically tuned strings, in preparation for a double strung harp.
I’ve learned that if I can successfully play two separate instruments at the same time, then I’ll surely be able to play one instrument that just happens to have two rows of strings!
I have logistical problems now, that I won’t have with a double strung harp. Namely, holding two instruments is difficult, since both are designed to be held on your lap. Uh, my lap is taken up by just holding the zither, let alone adding the lyre, which is larger and wider.
Also, I currently have to twist my left hand into an unnatural position to reach the second instrument. This won’t be necessary on a double strung harp, where both rows of strings are stationary and on a vertical plane.
Finally, the harp will have a lap bar, and if that’s not enough, there is a shoulder strap as well. This eliminates any trouble holding or balancing the instrument on your lap.
Tuning is a cumbersome task now. It’s easy to tune the lyre, which has nylon strings like a harp, and I always do that first. However, tuning the zither’s wire strings to match the lyre is frustrating.
The real double strung harp will have all nylon strings, and that fact, along with the natural resonance of the instrument, will make tuning both rows of strings in unison much easier.
Recording is another frustration. You can probably hear that the lyre and zither aren’t at the same volume level in these experiments. That’s because one instrument is closer to the microphone than the other. This won’t be an issue with a double strung harp. The rows of strings are very close together, and the microphone will be in front of the harp, rather than to the side as it physically needs to be now. So, the harp will record with better balanced audio.
I’m also doing these experiments because of what to me is a very large financial investment in a double strung harp! I wanted to find out if the benefits it brings to my work are worth the cost. My conclusion is that, yes, they are, and the harp will be a welcome and valuable addition to the instruments I use in songwriting, accompaniment, meditation, poetry, improvisation, and other calming and inspirational music!
Once again, I thank you for reading! If you have any questions, comments, or feedback on these two-instrument experiments or double strung harps, please do share! Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy listening to these arrangements!
Lowell Mason composed the tune “Bethany” in 1856. In many parts of the world, it is the musical setting for the hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” I first heard this hymn in a documentary about the sinking of the Titanic. It is said the ship’s musicians played “Nearer, My God, to Thee” as the ship took on water.
I hope this zither arrangement brings you reflection, comfort, and peace in the midst of whatever you may be experiencing right now!
“Suo Gan” is a traditional Welsh lullaby, first published in print around 1800.
This is the second of my double strung experiments,
playing lyre and zither at the same time, getting ready for a double strung harp.
You can hear many places in this arrangement where both sets of strings (or instruments, in this case) play in unison. First, I play the piece with melody on lyre, and then on zither.
Mystical Strings 
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