Different forms of Hackbrett.

[Dick Glasgow]

Different forms of Hackbrett

Browsing through Wikipedia's page on the Hackbrett I was interested to read that various regions actually have their own form of this instrument!:

Steiri Hackbrett:
diatonisch been correct, with quinten and Bass-Steg.
An important role plays in the dance music particularly as rhythm and harmony instrument. The Qintensteg divides the strings strained over it in the relationship 2 to 3.
On the same string thus the Hackbrett of Virdung, illustrated above, rings out shows already 1511 this structure on the right of for instance a C, on the left of a G. Similarly developed also the Walliser is Hackbrett (Switzerland)

Slovenian Hackbrett: similarly the Steiri Hackbrett developed.
Osttiroler Hackbrett: diatonisch been correct, however higher and larger Korpus, heavier Stahlsaiten than the Steiri Hackbrett.
Equipped with small, additional bars („fast “, „pedals “or guidance clay/tone hinges mentioned), one can tune a string choir rapidly with the hand by Verkürzung around a half clay/tone more highly.

Appenzeller Hackbrett (Switzerland):
With the Appenzeller Hackbrett the strings are partly partly divided and altogether chromatically arranged to the half by a bar in Quinten and in sixths.

Salzburger Hackbrett:
chromatically been correct.
For the alpine people music of the Salzburger (seen after report Reiser approx. 1920 with a steirischen wood worker) and 1927 develop people musi edges Tobi Reiser and instrument farmer the Heinrich Bandzauner again after the model of a Osttiroler of Hackbretts (38 kilograms heavily, which strengthens Korpus with steel-pipes) converted: instead of diatonischer chromatic tendency, instead of which Holzschlegel with felt blank occupied.
It finds use as the quieter instrument particularly in the so-called „room music “.

Wikipedia - Hackbrett

Now I know that the Co Antrim Dulcimer appears very different, both in design & string pattern, so I wonder is there any evidence for regional variations of the Hammered Dulcimer in England or Scotland?

Here's one of the standard Co Antrim Hammered Dulcimers.
This one is owned & still played, by William Rea, a Glens of Antrim man & relative of the late, great John Rea!:

[Dick Glasgow]

Nikita made this reply to this thread before I moved it from the European Dulcimer board.

Nikita said:

Hi there,
actually, in switzerland, we have different types of hackbrett. there is of course the appenzeller Hackbrett, the most known : different models, from 3 octaves to four, fully chromatic, with different tuning systems, but always with a middle bridge, dividing the courses in fifths and sixths. I play such an instrument, four octaves from G to A, made by Johannes Fuchs (see http://www.hackbrett.ch).
then there is the Hackbrett from Oberwallis : it's diatonic basically, but has repeated notes on either side of the middle bridge, with small tuning forks (a bit like the celtic harp), to raise note a semitone. with some acrobatic moevments, you can play chromatically...
For a few years now there's been researches to improve the instrument. Marc Ramser (www.saitenart.ch)created a "Konzert Hackbrett" with a very effective damping system, and you can play the bass on either side of the instrument. Barbara Schirmer plays one of his, and she plays with four hammers, like a vibraphone...
But most of the researches now go in tunings that makes the playing more "logical", bass instruments, etc...
Personnaly I stick to the traditional appenzeller tuning... got used to it, and I can play what I want with it, even if sometimes it's quite acrobatic ! but then I love my instrument, it's got such a beautiful sound ! If you want to see it, go to www.tympanon.ch

[Dick Glasgow]

Hello Nikita,

Wow! There is clearly a lot more to the Hackbrett, than meets the eye!

Thanks for posting that fascinating info.

I must admit too, that if I lived over there I would certainly prefer to work with one of the more traditional instruments.

Cheers
Dick

[carmensan]

Hi,

there is one Hackbrett left, if you try to list also the ones in Switzerland.

Walliser Hackbrett
it's tuned in Bass brigde and tremble (fifth) birdge, like the Appenzeller or the Dulcimer. and is mostly played in the region of the country Wallis.

Most of the Switzerland players play in Folk groups and do chords or improvised harmony.

And for the Tobi Reiser part and the chrom./Salzburger Hackbrett which is the most played Hackbrett in Germany, He (Tobi Reiser) and Heinrich Bandzauner produced the Hackbrett new in 1935, after Tobi Reiser had seen the Hackbrett been played by a young man on a sottage in the mountains.
Most musicians play Folk on the chromatical Hackbrett, but we also play old Music (Middleage, Baroque, aso.) international Folk or New Music.

Okay, that's it for now
Carmen

[jack]

Hi,

Nikita said of the Hackbrett from Oberwallis : it's diatonic basically, but has repeated notes on either side of the middle bridge, with small tuning forks (a bit like the celtic harp), to raise note a semitone. I just wondered if anybody had photographs of these semitone levers.
Apparently there are some examples in a museum in Nuremberg. I've been to Nuremberg twice but didn't find out about the collection of Hackbretts till after the second visit.

Jack

[Nikita]

If I get the occasion, I'll get a photo of an "Oberwallis Hackbrett", with a close view of the little tuning key that allow one to raise one note a semitone... and I'll try to get the string layout
the thing is, even if Switzerland IS a small country, Oberwallis is a quite remote place, and the hackbrett players are few ... like everywhere
Cheers

[Dick Glasgow]

Hi Nikita,

We met a lovely couple, Martin & Christa, from Austria at the Smuggler's Inn Session last Saturday night.

They were actually amazed to see me walk in with a Hammered Dulcimer under my arm!
They honestly thought that Austria was the only country which had them & they knew the name Hackbrett of course but had never heard the name Dulcimer before!
Although they don't play Folk music, they were fascinated to hear about your Irish Music weekend in the Mountains.

They were from Telfs (Tirol) & said the Hackbrett was quite common where they lived.

That reminds me of the Italian we met at our Portrush session recently, who honestly thought that the Jews Harp was only played in his own little village in Italy & nowhere else!

On another subject, I've just discovered an American Hammered Dulcimer player, Peggy, who is living in Sweden & plays her H-D with an Old Time band up there.
I have written to her today, so hopefully we will soon hear about the Dulcimer scene in Sweden!

Cheers
Dick

[jack]

Found this site rro.ch/cms/home.php?site=detEnt&set=44&subset=0&sentid=21567

One of the the photographs shows the semitone levers.
I made something like this for my old dulcimer that I used before I got my Oakwood (which is actually a "Banks and Hewson", before they became Oakwood). This gave me high G#. I made one for the B&H but it was only lightly glued to the soundboard. It fell off and before I got round to putting it back on my "other half" decided it was a bit of junk and threw it out. I've never got round to making another one but I always wondered why they weren't more popular, as they are with harps.

[jack]

Dick, I've just seen the old thread on this very subject on ED.
One reason I liked the G# lever was I could play tunes in A without disrupting the hammer pattern to get to a G# in a different place the way I do now. Looking at some of the modern harp levers I'm sure it must be possible to do something similar on the dulcimer.

[Nikita]

Jack, thanks for the link with that photo showing the semilevers. I've been trying for some time to get one, but most peoploe here play the Appenzeller Hackbrett, and oberwallis IS a remote place ! ;D
Oh, and last friday I was in Appenzell, visiting the Trad. music center there, in a place called Gonten : The Director, Joe manser is a wonderful chap, and I was able to see my avatar in real : it's a tiny instrument, maybe 50 cm by 30... ;D ;D

[Dick Glasgow]

So your saying your Avatar is actually life size! Ha Ha ;D ;D

Cheers
Dick