Doc Rossi wrote:
> Could anyone give me instructions and/or advice on making a quill
> plectrum? or perhaps direct me to the archive if this has come up
> already. I have a good selection of feathers now and don't want to
> waste them experimenting.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Doc Rossi
>
>
Here are a couple of things from the cittern list in the past:
...............
Hi,
I still stick to my bull horn plectrum, the same that ud players use
when they are not totally commited to plastic! More details on this in
my message entitled "cittern plectrum" somewhere below on the list.
Those horn plectra can be rather soft to very hard. I prefer something
rather soft for the renaissance cittern. I hold it between thumb and
index, hide it in my hand and let the other tip come out between my last
two fingers. These plectra tend to give a very bright sound, perfect for
renaissance music, not the kind of mellow tone you get with a plastic
saz plectrum. By the way all Turkish saz players use soft plastic now,
which is convenient and doesn't wear easily.
Now dealing with quills and Arab ud players, when they do use quill,
they tend to prefer eagle feather. This is how the tradition goes; and
the thin layer of wood that is glued on the belly to keep it from being
scratched by the plectrum represents a flying eagle. So there is a whole
network of symbolism there. Now eagles are protected birds and I don't
think any one of us wingless cittern players will ever get close enough
to one to pinch a feather out of its rump! The Iranians tended to use a
peacock feather. One ud player told me that in our countries, swan
feathers were the most convenient. Anyway it has to be a rather large
and strong quill. Ud players using gut string would certainly smoothen
the tip of the quill else it damages the string.
The feather must not be used as such. I don't exactly know how they
do this but it has to do with slitting the quill and bending it.
Arnaud Lachambre Aug 25 2005
.................
Dear all,
Quite a number of my customers are using real quill. It was after all the
standard ball-point of the time and everybody was used to handling it,
although I too suspect that the name became general like biro. Large,
probably preferably wild, goose feathers are good. Try a canada or brent
goose breeding ground at the right time of year. Alison Stephens, the
classical mandolin player uses raven. Ostrich also is being used by some
mediaeval gittern players. Feathers will require shaping and the tip will
probably end up shaped like the plastic saz plectra that seem ideal to very
amateur players like myself. I have also used cherry-tree bark as
recommended by at least one 18th c. mandolin source. You need to find a
reasonably thick piece and scrape both the inside and outside. It makes a
dark red-coloured plectrum which works well, but wears comparatively
quickly.
Peter (Forrester) Aug 25 2005
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