Kantele #002

I have learned a tremendous amount from the kanteles that I have built, and continue to learn with each one. My second kantele, #002, was started around the same time as my first, and finished shortly after (you can click on the thumbnail images for a larger more detailed view). Like my first kantele, I used leftover wood from previous projects for the frame of the instrument. Having already built a 5 string model, I wanted to play around with a slightly larger stringed instrument. Having only one string size though and a limited budget, I opted to build a small 8 string model. This kantele is also 24" long, a bit wider at 5.75" wide, and tuned to the diatonic scale in the key of C. I wanted to add some contrast in the sides, so the frame consisted of mahogany with a thin strip of soft maple accent at the top, which would be mirrored on the bottom by a curly hard maple backboard. Not having enough mahogany for the tuning peg shelf, I bought a turning blank made of African mahogany to use.

As a side note, I got this turning blank from Westpenn Hardwoods, an absolutely awesome source of exotic turning blanks. This place is also on my top wood supplier list. Their selection is incredible, and is a great source for exotic woods for the frame, as well as bowl turning blanks for exotic wood ponsis. For their turning blanks to be used as woods for the sides, I normally buy 24" long to 36" long 1.5"x1.5" turning blanks, and rip them in half length-wise for a matching set of .75" thick x 1.5" wide pieces. Future kanteles I will be building with woods from them including cocobolo, bocote, bubinga (now complete) and east indian rosewood. A very economical method for getting beautiful exotic hardwoods for kantele making for only a fraction of the price you would spend ordering one custom built from a luthier. I will post more details and info on exotic wood selection and simple shortcuts to beautiful and affordable woods in posts to come.

I chose to stick with cypress for the soundboard, as I had excellent results with Kantele #001, and did not want to vary too much yet with soundboards. The ponsi uses leopardwood, a beautiful exotic hardwood that finishes excellently. I also used a thin strip of padauk on the bottom of the ponsi as well. The decorative headplate also uses leopardwood, with another inlaid rosette from Folkcraft Instruments. I opted for the soundhole to be located on the backboard again, this time using a larger diameter of about 2.5". Stay tuned for sound clips and playing description of this kantele in upcoming posts!


Extra Sources and Info:

1.) Westpenn Hardwoods: https://www.westpennhardwoods.com/default.aspx

2.) Kantele #001 Info:  http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2014/10/kantele-001.html

The Kantele - Strings of Magic and Lore

A short improvisation on my latest 5 string kantele, #004. Made with very dense exotic woods such as bubinga and wenge, with padauk and maple accents and a cypress soundboard. Very resonant with rich overtones, enjoy!

The kantele is a very unique instrument. Simple, elegant, and relatively easy to learn and improvise on - often times I liken it to the "Native American flute" of the stringed instrument world. This little known instrument hails from Finland, with a history and tradition wrapped in the roots of legend and folklore. It was said, in the great Finnish epic The Kalevala, that old Vainamoinen, powerful, ancient, and magical bard and minstrel, created this instrument, first from the jawbone of a pike strung with the mythic hairs of a stallion, and later from a birch tree (birch being the national tree of Finland and given great significance in the Kalevala) strung with the hairs of a maiden.

Right: Painting of Vainamoinen playing the kantele. Picture source and credit: Robert Wilhelm Ekman (1808-1873), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ekman_Vainamoinen.jpg

The kantele itself is classified as a zither, and belongs to the baltic psaltery family of instruments. Traditional style instruments can range from 5 strings up to 15 (or even sometimes 18 depending if extra drone strings are added), with 5, 10, and 11 being the most common. Modern concert designs are radically different from the traditional style, ranging up to 40 strings and having completely different construction methods. There are a vast variety of sizes, styles, and features for kanteles available, though the vast majority of makers tend to stay towards a common shape and wood selection. Over time I will add discussions and thoughts on the various parameters of kanteles, such as wood choice, size, sound-holes, backboards, etc.

 
Left: Example of a Koistinen made 38 string modern concert kantele. Picture source and credit: Jorunn, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantele Below: Example of traditional style Melodia Soitin made 10 string kantele (upper) and 5 string kantele (lower). Picture source and credit: TheYellowFellow, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:5and10stringkantele.jpg


One thing the kantele is very well known for amongst those who know of it is its very distinctive and unique tone, often described as "bell like." There are many factors that contribute to its unique tone, and as I have discovered as a hobbyist maker, can be radically altered depending how an instrument is built: I have instruments ranging from relatively flat sounding, to rich and mellow, to exceptionally bright and resonant with amplified overtones. Such is one of the fascinations of building and experimenting with your own instruments, in exploring the sonic manipulation of tones to create a unique sounding instrument of your own. Interestingly enough, in the olden days of the instrument, almost every man of old Karelian tradition built and played their own kantele from simple found materials. Below is a link to an excellent read regarding kantele tradition and roots of its music and playing. The site the article is from and the article itself is by Arja Kastinen, one of the most well recognized and leading players of the kantele today. I highly recommend reading some of her other available articles, as well as checking out her youtube clips for some awesome kantele playing!

Karelian Kantele Tradition: http://www.temps.fi/en/research/

This is but a very small and brief overview and introduction to this fascinating instrument. There are many excellent sites that go into much more depth and have already covered the overview of the kantele quite well. I will be adding a resource page soon to include these excellent sources of additional information. At the top of the page is a short improv on my kantele #004, perhaps my favorite kantele to date. I will be posting an overview of this unique little kantele and others soon. For now, enjoy the rich soundscapes of kantele!