A Brief History

The plucked psaltery is a form of zither, meaning it has strings that stretch across the length of the sound box and not beyond. The instrument probably dates back about three thousand years and is mentioned in some versions of the Bible (Daniel 3:10 and the Psalms). Originating in the Middle East, the plucked psaltery could be easily carried by traders through out the Holy Lands. Several other instruments are believed to have been derived from the plucked psaltery including the Persian santir. It may have been taken to Europe during the Crusades where it eventually evolved into the harpsichord and hammered dulcimer. The first piano was created by combining features of the harpsichord and hammered dulcimer. Somewhere along the line someone figured out that marks could be made on a sheet of paper and placed under the strings of the plucked psaltery so that the musician would not have to remember all the songs. It has also been claimed that this later led to the musical notations used on sheet music for other instruments. Originally the strings were most likely animal gut since metal strings for instruments were not available until the 1800s.

Plucked psalteries have been crafted in many shapes but are basically trapezoidal. A sound box is covered with a sound board and any number of strings are stretched across the top. Each string is tuned to a different note and then plucked with a pick or the finger to achieve that particular note. Playing a plucked psaltery is a lot like connect the dot drawing or follow the bouncing ball singing. Sheet music for the psaltery is lined up under the strings, making sure the lines on the sheet music align with the strings of the psaltery. Then following the notes and lines between the notes from left to right a tune can be played.

Plucked Psalteries Handcrafted by Steven Stapleton are professional quality instruments that can be made of a variety of solid woods including cherry, curly maple, walnut, mahogany and various exotic woods such as bloodwood, purpleheart and sassafras. The sound box is large and deep and the bridge is made of rosewood, which is a very hard wood used to transfer the vibration of the strings to the sound box. Metal tuning pins are used because they will last for the life of the instrument and hold the strings in tune longer than plastic tuning pins. The instrument is sanded to 7000 grit inside and out. Two coats of lemon oil are applied to the inside and twelve coats of tung oil are applied to the outside of the psaltery, with a light sanding between coats, for a smooth finish that allows the instrument to vibrate better, providing a fuller and richer sound. A pick, tuning key and ten free song sheets are included with each instrument.