I agree, the sinphone style (early HG without - usually - chien) is great for being part of an ensemble, an accompaniment to strings and woods, as it is a mellower sounding instrument that blends easier (due to the absence of the buzz). It is not ideal for faster folk dance stuff, but it can be used to advantage in higher personna, more formal dance music, as well as ballad singing.
And just because it doesn't have a chien doesn't mean you cannot get a certain amount of rhythm out of it by using the same techniqes - it is just much more subtle, but it can be done. My sinphone, my own design and construction, is chromatic, currently G/D, and is quite mellow for the most part (choice of strings has a lot to do with this, it has been trial and error). I know the chromatic part is kind of anachronistic, as this is an early sinphone box and would have had diatonic keys like an organistrum, but it also has 2 chantrelles for balance. And I am thinking about, if I can make space in my design, reworking it so I can add a chien for when I need one (this Sinphone of mine is a piece of furniture, not a lightweight instrument - solid and heavy which adds to it's mellowness but also makes it an extremely good instrument for travelling - it is bulletproof. I jokingly refer to it as the HG built by the Timber Framer's guild. If there is a tornado, put your valuables inside it and they will be safe. Thus the desire to add a few more features to my regular road axe - it goes everywhere with me, offten even without a case. Besides, a sinphone box is a little less jarring to the audience than a full-blown luteback with sympathetic strings and all. I find I get more listening and less gawking when I am playing my sinphone than when I am playing my buddy's luteback. And you can answer questions over the sound while you are playing... Just my 2 cents worth Chris Nogy *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 1/8/2007 at 6:38 AM Dennis Sherman wrote: >I've got a Kelischek Minnesinger that I built from a kit. (He doesn't >offer the kit any longer. Despite the fact that I consider the design of >the kit to be a miracle of nearly foolproof construction, "nearly" >foolproof isn't the same as foolproof, and he apparently got too many >questions coming in, so he discontinued the kit.) > > It is designed as a diatonic instrument, as differentiated from >chromatic. In piano keyboard terms, it only plays the white keys. More >accurately, it can play in any of the classical church modes by arranging >the tangents for correct tuning, but it does not play accidentals. That's >why it only has the one row of keys. Instruments with two rows can play >sharps and flats. > > The question about style of music you want to play is critical here -- >the Minnesinger does not have a chien, the thing that produces the >rhythmic buzzing sound. If you're interested in playing dance music of >any type, the Minnesinger is not for you. On the other hand, if you want >to accompany yourself while singing troubador songs unamplified, it may be >ideal. Instruments with a chien are likely to be too loud for an >unamplified voice to be heard clearly. > > Hope this helps. > > -- > Dennis Sherman > Chicago, IL, USA > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: "Solberg, Bennett J LCDR NMIMC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Monday, January 8, 2007 7:31:31 AM > Subject: [HG] the new guy > > Hello everyone. > > Please excuse my ignorance but I am getting confused regarding all the > different styles of HG and configurations. I am looking to start and >found > one that is "reasonably" priced for a beginner. It is a Minnesigner model > made by George Kelischek in North Carolina. My confusion lies in that it > has only a single row of keys. I understood that HGs have two rows >similar > to that of a piano keyboard. I have also been asked what kind of music I > wish to play as it makes a difference to which style of HG to purchase. >Any > suggestions would be very much appreciated. > > Warmest regards to >perations Analyst > Naval Medical Information Management Center > 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, BLDG 27 > Bethesda, MD 20895 > Work: 301-319-1121 > Cell: 301-908-0051
