725:). For all its technical limitations, the crwth has great charm, and is much more than a historical curiosity. Research over about the last thirty-five years, and particularly experimentation with tunings, have shown it to have been much more versatile and facile than was once assumed, although it definitely was not a prototype of modern orchestral bowed string instruments, which emerged from an altogether different branch of the complex string family tree. Historically, it represents the logical end of a line of development, not an early stage of another.
457:
520:...The rotta represents the first step in the evolution of the cithara, when arms and cross-bar were replaced by a frame joined to the body, the strings being usually restricted to eight or less...The next step was the addition of a finger-board and the consequent reduction of the strings to three or four, since each string was now capable of producing several notes...As soon as the neck was added to the guitar-shaped body, the instrument ceased to be a rotta and became a
673:, or circular openings about an inch to an inch and a quarter in diameter, were cut into the soundboard to allow pulsating air from the soundbox to escape and strengthen the tone. The two G strings (to use Jones's terminology – see above) ran parallel to the fingerboard, but not over it, so those strings were used as fixed-pitch drones which could be plucked by the player's left thumb. The remaining strings, which were tightened and loosened with metal
296:
739:
543:
27:
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131:
705:, the six-stringed crwth was one of the three main string instruments of the Welsh according to the medieval Triads, and an instrument of the aristocracy with its own native repertoire and a strict examination system though which a master crwth player had to pass. A three-stringed version also existed which required less skill and was played by minstrels.
634:; London: 1800), features the drones tuned in octaves, with the strings over the fingerboard tuned in paired fifths rather than seconds. However this tuning is almost certainly derived from later violin playing and is impractical given that the crwth is equipped with a flat bridge and therefore designed to play all six strings simultaneously.
614:; London: 1784), from which most subsequent others appear to draw their information, uses arbitrary pitch designations for illustrative purposes. Jones also states that the tuning procedure began by tightening the highest string as much as possible without breaking it, subsequently tuning the others to it
830:
A number of modern reconstructions of the crwth have been made; makers include Guy
Flockhart, Nial Cain, Michael J. King, Hank Taylor and Gerard Kilbride. A handful of folk musicians are reviving the tradition of playing this instrument, among them Cass Meurig, who is the best-known modern player and
805:
or "The Black (Haired) Crwth Player", the most notable of which is "Y Crythor Du a'r
Bleiddiaid" or "The Black (Haired) Crwth Player and the Wolves", where the main character escapes attack from a pack of hungry wolves by playing in turn forcefully, melodiously and gently. Another legend has a player
700:
All surviving pictures of crwth players show a playing position with the lower end of the crwth braced against the chest, supported with a strap around the player's neck (see picture). The sound of the crwth was described by medieval poet
Gruffydd ap Dafydd ap Hywel as 'in the hand a hundred voices'
625:
While Jones's report was widely read and used as the basis of a number of subsequent accounts, and therefore today is often considered to be evidence of a standard tuning, it is more likely that a variety of tunings were experimented with and in some cases employed, as was and still is the case with
957:
Owain Tudur's crwth, Dolgellau (19th century); Francis W. Galpin (1858–1945), Hatfield Regis, England; 1916, sold by
Francis W. Galpin to William Lindsey (1858–1922), Boston, Massachusetts; 1916, gift of William Lindsey, in memory of his daughter, Leslie Lindsey Mason, to the MFA. (Accession Date:
483:
The crwth is quite a peculiar, very old instrument, which
Aenantius Fortunatus, as early as about 609 A.D, specifies as British (chrotta Britanna canit). The chrotta was originally strung with three, later with six, strings, and was played with a bow. It is quite possible that the chrotta is the
697:, something the instrument lacks, it is equally likely that it is designed to take some of the downward pressure of the tightened strings off the soundboard. Since that piece is flat, unbraced, and usually made of soft wood, it is much weaker than the belly of a violin.
503:) class date from the 11th century. Medieval instruments somewhat resembling the crwth appear in pictures (first in Continental Europe) as far back as the 11th century, shortly after bowing was first known in the West. In Wales, the crwth long took second place to the
708:
The tone of the crwth is softer and rougher than the modern violin, and has a comfortable melody range of an octave by the use of third position, although it is possible to reach an octave and a half by the use of higher positions. It's sound that goes well with the
851:), and Sedayne. The repertoire of surviving crwth tunes is very small, although many other traditional tunes can be adapted for the instrument and new tunes are being written for it. It is also used by several early music groups, including
332:("round object") which refers to a swelling or bulging out, a pregnant appearance or a protuberance, and it is speculated that it came to be used for the instrument because of its bulging shape. Other
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goes through a soundhole (see picture of player) and rests on the back of the instrument (the bottom of the soundbox). Although it has been conjectured that this is a primitive attempt at a
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354:. Like several other English loanwords from Welsh, the name is among the few words in the English language in which the letter W alone is used to indicate a
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641:, or resonator, and a surmounting yoke in the shape of an inverted U (see picture of player), were carved as a single unit from a block of
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701:(yn y llaw yn gan llais'), referring to the rich sound of six strings sounded simultaneously in harmony. Along with the harp and
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mentioned the crwth in an article about transition of instruments from the lyre to plucked and bowed instruments:
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48:
835:, the world's second CD of crwth music, in 2004 on the Fflach:tradd label. (Meurig also plays with the groups
263:, now archaic but once widely played in Europe. Four historical examples have survived and are to be found in
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and six gut strings, purportedly tuned gg´c´c´´d´d´´. The original report of that tuning (Edward Jones,
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A variety of string instruments so designated are thought to have been played in Wales since at least
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885:"A new discovery within an old instrument: was the Welsh crwth unique in possessing two soundboxes?"
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Baines, Former
Curator of the Bate Collection of Historical Instruments Anthony (21 April 1992).
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984:"An etymological lexicon of Proto-Celtic (in progress) [Matasovic] : Query result"
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467:. Strings have been narrowed, and adding fingerboard would create the crwth and plucked
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1042:. University of Connecticut Libraries. London, Augener & co., printed in Germany.
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Article about last remaining crwths and their sound chamber beneath the fingerboard.
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Crewther, Crowder, Crother and
Crowther denote a player of the crowd, as do the
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and wood bow. One characteristic feature of the crwth is that one leg of the
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also have meanings referring to rounded appearance. In Gaelic, for example, "
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and was, in fact, mentioned in other manuals on string instrument playing.
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denotes the modern, or most recent, form of the instrument (see picture).
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1103:. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 765.
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1025:. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 513.
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The crwth consists of a fairly simple box construction with a flat,
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Website AuraInstruments of
Medieval Instruments makers (Slovakia)
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Bibliography and scholarly literature by J. Marshall Bevil
818:, which is said to have been the inspiration for the tune
814:. There is also the "Cave of the black crwth player" near
484:
oldest bowed instrument and the antecessor to the violin.
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many other string instruments, particularly those within
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618:. Such was not an uncommon practice in the days before
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
799:There are a number of legends in Wales related to
1539:
630:. A second tuning, reported by William Bingley (
1200:Website of Crwth maker Michael J King (England)
612:Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards
479:A crwth in the Horniman Museum, London, England
1236:
1573:String instruments with sympathetic strings
1086:
1056:The Oxford Companion to Musical Instruments
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767:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
571:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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889:St Fagans: National History Museum website
533:Physical description and playing technique
491:. Continuous, clear records of the use of
787:Learn how and when to remove this message
591:Learn how and when to remove this message
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
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346:" can mean "hump" or "hunch" as well as
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843:.) Other musicians include Bob Evans (
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765:adding citations to reliable sources
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569:adding citations to reliable sources
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421:means a performer on the crwth. The
265:St Fagans National Museum of History
49:adding citations to reliable sources
20:
1190:Pictures of the crwth down the ages
927:Warrington Museum & Art Gallery
923:Bought in 1843 by Dr James Kendrick
281:Warrington Museum & Art Gallery
13:
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806:and his servant dying of cold in
661:or some other soft wood, and the
441:names MacWhirter and MacWhorter.
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528:(q.v.) if played with the bow."
202:
129:
25:
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831:who in 2004 released the album
677:wrest-pins and a tuning key or
495:to denote an instrument of the
259:, associated particularly with
36:needs additional citations for
1456:which exist in various meters.
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1087:Schlesinger, Kathleen (1911).
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1009:Schlesinger, Kathleen (1911).
1002:
986:. 18 June 2009. Archived from
976:
929:. 2 April 2012. Archived from
895:. 2 April 2012. Archived from
822:or 'Farewell Dick the Piper'.
1:
1166:Website of Bob Evans (Bragod)
870:
810:, noted by Welsh antiquarian
669:or some other fruitwood. Two
444:For this article's purposes,
1039:Catechism of musical history
681:, were usually bowed with a
513:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
299:Watercolour of a crwth from
7:
1558:English musical instruments
1059:. Oxford University Press.
962:Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
858:
285:Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
10:
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1568:Celtic musical instruments
507:in the musical hierarchy.
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397:are little-used today. In
1563:Welsh musical instruments
1553:Early musical instruments
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1076:– via Google Books.
318:is Welsh, derived from a
273:National Library of Wales
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1183:13 December 2009 at the
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632:A Tour Round North Wales
16:Welsh musical instrument
1100:Encyclopædia Britannica
1022:Encyclopædia Britannica
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144:Bowed string instrument
1527:Folk music of Scotland
1380:Dance & Tune Types
1178:Website of Cass Meurig
1171:9 October 2004 at the
1143:. Fiddlingaround.co.uk
1036:Riemann, Hugo (1892).
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1517:Folk music of England
893:National Museum Wales
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1512:Cape Breton fiddling
1481:Harmonic minor scale
761:improve this section
665:was usually made of
565:improve this section
501:Byzantine bowed lyre
373:), and the variants
45:improve this article
1578:Welsh music history
1195:Fflach record label
1121:on 25 February 2012
899:on 30 December 2013
510:Schlesinger in the
257:stringed instrument
151:Related instruments
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1406:2/2 and 4/4 Dances
637:Traditionally the
620:standardized pitch
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291:Origin of the name
123:
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1066:978-0-19-311334-3
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463:from a 1700 B.C.
413:. The Welsh word
401:it is called the
239:), also called a
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1496:Pentatonic scale
1252:Welsh folk music
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1446:Non-dance Tunes
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1185:Wayback Machine
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1141:"Welsh Fiddle"
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56:Find sources:
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34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
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1471:Aeolian mode
1363:
1351:
1335:
1334:
1319:Men's chorus
1311:
1306:Cymanfa Ganu
1304:
1297:
1279:
1272:
1265:
1145:. Retrieved
1135:
1123:. Retrieved
1119:the original
1109:
1098:
1082:
1070:. Retrieved
1055:
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1038:
1031:
1020:
1004:
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988:the original
978:
966:. Retrieved
956:
947:
935:. Retrieved
931:the original
922:
913:
901:. Retrieved
897:the original
888:
879:
832:
829:
819:
812:Edward Lhuyd
800:
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783:
774:
759:Please help
747:
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563:Please help
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255:, a type of
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1548:Bowed lyres
1486:Ionian mode
1476:Dorian mode
1359:Triple harp
1328:Instruments
1274:Noson Lawen
1210:Crwth pages
1125:11 February
841:Pigyn Clust
608:fingerboard
489:Roman times
277:Aberystwyth
261:Welsh music
1542:Categories
1436:6/8 Dances
1426:3/4 Dances
1410:Barn dance
1313:Cynghanedd
1299:Cerdd Dant
1267:Eisteddfod
1147:1 February
871:References
853:Cancionero
808:Beddgelert
802:Crythor Du
777:April 2020
691:sound post
671:soundholes
651:soundboard
581:April 2020
336:words for
283:; and the
101:April 2020
71:newspapers
1505:Relations
1396:2/4 Dance
1291:Folk song
816:Criccieth
748:does not
683:horsehair
552:does not
310:The name
301:Pennant's
1415:Hornpipe
1390:Clogging
1181:Archived
1169:Archived
1072:21 April
994:21 April
859:See also
837:Fernhill
723:hornpipe
647:sycamore
639:soundbox
605:fretless
499:(or the
439:Scottish
435:surnames
425:word is
365:name is
186:Talharpa
176:Jouhikko
1450:Marches
1386:General
1365:Tabwrdd
1353:Pibgorn
1281:Twmpath
1259:General
1115:"Crwth"
1097:(ed.).
1019:(ed.).
849:Cilmeri
769:removed
754:sources
719:pibgorn
713:of the
711:timbres
573:removed
558:sources
452:History
417:crythor
363:English
269:Cardiff
161:Cithara
85:scholar
60:"Crwth"
1464:Scales
1342:Fiddle
1063:
968:19 May
937:19 May
903:19 May
845:Bragod
703:timpan
687:bridge
679:wrench
667:cherry
663:bridge
649:. The
522:guitar
465:fresco
409:crotta
403:chorus
393:crouth
352:violin
338:violin
334:Celtic
327:krutto
306:, 1781
287:(US).
249:crotta
232:Welsh:
226:KROOTH
87:
80:
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66:
58:
1430:Waltz
1400:Polka
1347:Flute
1336:Crwth
1093:. In
1015:. In
833:Crwth
826:Today
695:anima
693:, or
655:belly
653:, or
643:maple
493:crwth
461:Rotta
446:crwth
431:harps
427:cruit
423:Irish
385:crout
367:crowd
356:vowel
343:cruit
322:noun
314:crwth
241:crowd
198:crwth
181:Rotta
124:Crwth
92:JSTOR
78:books
1454:Airs
1452:and
1420:Reel
1149:2016
1127:2006
1074:2021
1061:ISBN
996:2021
970:2013
939:2013
905:2013
839:and
752:any
750:cite
717:and
715:harp
675:harp
659:deal
556:any
554:cite
505:harp
497:lyre
389:and
377:crwd
371:rote
369:(or
348:harp
253:lyre
245:rote
196:The
166:Lyre
64:news
1440:Jig
763:by
645:or
567:by
405:or
350:or
279:);
271:);
247:or
243:or
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216:θ
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