A medieval lute I built

And here's a couple of sound and video samples.
This is me:

and this is a customer:

Hi Jo. Its always interesting to see the huge range of instruments that you make and to hear how they sound. I've posted a reply on this one because I would try to make a lute or an oud if I had any chance of playing it. It sounds beautiful to me but alas it would just be an ornament in my hands!

Thank for sharing your work and the playing samples. Tell us more about the object in the players hand. What is the style of the "pick"?

You are my most respected luthier because of the variety and intricacies of what you build. I have seen these instruments in paintings in my European travels over the last 40 years and thought they may be fantasy, but now know they are all real. Bravo!!

Absolutely beautiful!

Thanks everyone for your kind words!

mjh42 said:

Thank for sharing your work and the playing samples. Tell us more about the object in the players hand. What is the style of the "pick"?

Click to expand...

In the video of me (the first one) I am using a Risha (in Arabic) or Mezrab (in Persian/Farsi), which is a long thin plectrum used to play Ouds. Historical evidence suggests a similar technique was used on medieval lutes, and later in the renaissance period, players switched to using fingers to play the more polyphonic of the renaissance. Medieval rishas/mezrabs would probably have been made of feathers, but may have also been of bone, horn, wood or something else.

In the second video (made by the customer in Italy), he is I think using either the same, or a feather for a more authentic one. It's difficult to tell from the video, but I will ask him and report back!

Hi again. The customer has confirmed to me they were using an oud risha/mezrab in their video too.