New Kantele Sheet Music! Melody #3

Just another kantele sheet music update for a newly added kantele sheet music composition. Titled Melody #3, this song is a simple composition for the five string kantele in D major. Like my other posted sheet music pieces, it includes staff notation and tabs for the strings, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. The song is available as PDF for download either in the link below or in the Kantele Sheet Music page at the top.

This particular piece is one that I wrote last year on my Kantele #001. It is a simpler melody, but one of my favorites to play. When I wrote it in sheet music form I wanted to simplify it with a repeat bar, but the timing and note placement did not work out cleanly for it to be implemented. It has a nice, upbeat and calming feel to it, and is a piece I play often, whether practicing or just plucking the strings. Have fun and enjoy, and check back for more sheet music and updates!

Melody #3
 

New Kantele Sheet Music! Melody #2

Just a quick update for a new available kantele sheet music! This composition, titled Melody #2, can be found on the Kantele Sheet Music page or in the provided link below. This melody is a composition for the five string kantele in D major. Like my previously uploaded sheet music pieces, the sheet music includes both staff notation and tabs, and is available as a PDF file for download. This is a fun but slightly challenging song which has overtones inserted into the phrasing of the melody, and requires smooth change in alternation between the overtones and the normal plucking technique. I will definitely need to upload a video for this song at some point for reference for the technique to make it easier to visualize and learn. In addition with the normal notes and overtone tabs as discussed in previous sheet music updates, this song includes a simple 2 note chord, which in the staff notation, consists of the stacked notes, and right underneath in the tabs are the two rows corresponding numbers representing the plucked string for the chord - in this case, the chord used consists of a "3" (marking the middle string on a 5 string kantele, or the F# note when tuned to the D major scale), and a "1" right under it (marking the lowest string, or the D note). All this means is to pluck both strings simultaneously when playing. Have fun and enjoy, and remember, practice makes perfect!

Melody #2

New Kantele Sheet Music! Melody #1 - Overtone Ending

Just an update for a new piece of kantele sheet music. This sheet music can be found in the Kantele Sheet Music Page tab located at the top, or in the link provided. This sheet music, as mentioned in my prior post, is the full version of Melody #1, with the overtone ending. I have just posted them separately since the overtone ending can be difficult to do quickly, but again, the music can be interpreted as fast or as slow as you want. Just as a reference, the octave overtone notes in the sheet music are marked with the string number followed by an "o", which is the format I will stick with for now for the tabs in the sheet music. So the octave overtone for string 1 (the longest string on the kantele) is marked as "1o" on the sheet music under the staff notation. I will try to post some videos at some point, both fast and slow versions of the song for reference and tutorial material. The music is in PDF form and is available for download. Check back for more sheet music to come, and enjoy!

Melody #1 - Overtone Ending

New Kantele Sheet Music! Melody #1

I have finally gotten around to preparing and uploading sheet music for the kantele that I have written, and is the first of many sheet music pieces I will be uploading for the kantele. I have never been good at naming things, and since it was the first piece I composed, named it as Melody #1. The piece is available in a link as a pdf at the bottom of this post.

This particular piece is a simple repetitive melody I wrote last year after completing my first kantele. At the time I was just starting to play around with the kantele, and this little melody arose, like most melodies, from improvising on the kantele. The song stuck, and serves as a simple practice piece. These kind of numbered melody pieces, as you will find, will generally share the same structure of a repeated first section intro, followed by a repeated second section, and third section ending which is a repeat of the first section. The sheet music is good reference, but the song can be proportionally played faster or slower depending on playing style. For myself, I tend to play rather rapidly, so the repeated sections go by fast for me when I play.

The melody is written for the 5 string kantele in D major, though any kantele can play it in the correct tuning. Since I use slightly thicker strings, I originally composed my songs in the key of C, since I tuned my kantele a whole step lower, but because just about all 5 string kantele are tuned to either a standard of D major or minor, I decided to transpose the final released piece in D for ease for the majority of kantele players. However, under each note is also a kind of "tab" notation for the kantele, so it can be played in any major scale regardless of tuning. The numbers go from 1-5, and correspond to the strings, with 1 being the longest and lowest string and 5 being the shortest and highest pitch string. The original melody was written with a short overtone section at the end that repeats the first and third parts, but for simplicity I left it out of this version. I will however release the full version in the next coming posts in about a week.

I wrote the song using MuseScore, which is an excellent and very powerful free music composition and notation program. When I write pieces for the kantele I choose the harp instrument setting and just delete the bass staff. MuseScore allows you to not only compose a multitude of instruments, but has many useful features such as playback which is very handy. I will probably post a basic tutorial for MuseScore at some point in the future.

In addition, I will also be adding a Kantele Sheet Music page dedicated to listing all of the sheet music I post, as further reference and resources to make it easier to find these pieces. From my posting schedule, which I have decided to keep at a post every four days, I will be posting this page with Melody #1 listed, this coming Wednesday for my next post. I definitely encourage you to check back for more material, and have fun playing! Many more songs and information to come, so happy plucking!

Melody #1

New Page Added! Completed Kanteles!

Just a quick update on a new kantele page for the blog! The Completed Kanteles page, located at the top above or in the bolded link provided, is a page dedicated to my ever growing list of kanteles that I have completed. This page should make it easier to navigate to information regarding each of the completed kantele builds. As I build more kanteles in the future, I will continue to add and update the page. I definitely have some unique kanteles on the way I will be working on in the next coming months, with complete information and build logs, so stay tuned for updates! And if you haven't already viewed the completed kanteles, I encourage you to take a look! Enjoy!

New Page Added! Kantele Resources!

I have just recently added a new page dedicated to kantele related resources. This page, either accessed at the top with the other pages or in the link below, includes links to many sites and sources, from groups, to general information, to kantele makers, to playing guides, sheet music and other kantele related blogs and research. There is definitely a lot of information available, and having it all in one place makes it easier (since it can be a bit difficult to find information on the kantele sometimes.) I encourage you to explore these additional sources, whether new or old, as much can be learned by many kantele enthusiasts, players, and makers out there. I will add more as I find more sources, but it should provide for a very good start for anyone interested in finding out more about many aspects of this instrument. And if anyone has suggestions for other sources that I may have missed then please send me a message or comment and I will add the suggested site!

Kantele Resources

Suggested Wood Sources for DIY Kantele (or Other Woodworking Projects) in the U.S.

In my previous post I described some future woods and combinations I have lined up for my next set of kanteles. One of the difficult parts of instrument building is sourcing quality woods, and for a DIYer, quality exotic woods can cost a lot if you do not know where to look. Below are some places that I have ordered from, either regularly or a few times for some specialty pieces, and are some of the best sources I have found for my projects. There are always other places I have checked, and I will post a page sometime in the future dedicated to materials sources.

1.) D&D Hardwoods
 http://www.dndhardwoodsonline.com/
- exotic/regular thin cut woods for soundboards, backboards, ponsi, accents, frames, and general projects

This place has to be one of my all time favorite sources for wood, period. D&D Hardwoods has an excellent selection of woods. And what makes them unique and stand out from other places is that they carry a huge variety of thin cut woods. Anywhere from 3/4" all the way down to 1/16" thick, which are perfect for many parts of my kantele, and other projects in general. The great thing too is they also carry these woods from 4" wide all the way up to 9" wide for some of more common woods. And can be ordered in increments from 1' to 4' long. This is my default go-to place for foods for soundboards, backboards, side accents, ponsi, and decorative headplates for my smaller sized kantele. And the other great thing is that there is no minimum order, which I have found very difficult to find elsewhere for such a great stock of small sized thin-cut lumber. I have ordered from them many times and I have never had a problem. Their service is phenomenal, and their shipping is very fast. And the woods are always excellent quality. The only thing, which isn't a problem at all for me, and that they state on their website, is that the edges along the long sides of the wood are rough cut. But the top, bottom, and ends are sanded flat and very well. All of my completed kantele so far have woods from here, with kanteles #001-#004 having the majority of woods from this source, which includes the soundboard, backboard, decorative headplate, and ponsi.

2.) Westpenn Hardwoods
 https://www.westpennhardwoods.com/default.aspx
- exotic turning blanks for sides, frame, ponsi, and general projects

Also another one of my all-time favorite sources for woods. Westpenn hardwoods has an incredible array and supply of many, many exotic woods. Here you will find turning blanks for any project you can think of. Another place with excellent products, service, quality, prices, and shipping. I have ordered from here as well countless of times and have never been disappointed. The kanteles that use woods from here (or will use woods from here) include:

- kantele #002 and #003 for the tuning peg shelf - african mahogany
- kantele #004 for the frame - bubinga
- kantele #005 for the frame - cocobolo (previous post)
- kantele #006 for the frame - bocote (previous post)
- kantele #008 for the frame - east indian rosewood (previous post)

Now this place is excellent for exotic woods for kantele frames, but a little creativity and patience is needed. First off, these woods are sold as turning blanks. Sometimes they are offered kiln dried and ready to go, but most often are air dried or in the process of drying. I have never had a problem, but care should be taken sometimes. To use these woods for the sides, I buy a 1.5"x1.5" by either 24" long for my smaller kanteles or above 24" long for my larger kanteles, and get these ripped in half with a table saw to get two matching sets of 1.5" wide x 0.75" thick x whatever length I have chosen. This way you can use exceptionally beautiful, rare, and exotic woods for the frames. For the tuning peg shelf I buy a 1.5"x1.5"x12" or 18" long turning blank, and for the front part of the frame I usually get a 2"x2"x3" turning blank and cut to shape for my smaller kantele, or a wider piece for larger kanteles. If you do rip the pieces for the sides, there will probably be a little bit of warping later due to the natural processes of the wood. This again has not been too much of a problem for me, but can sometimes be tricky to deal with. However, if you are careful, you will end up with some beautiful and unique pieces of wood for the frame that would cost a fraction of the price anywhere else.

3.) The Walnut Place
http://www.thewalnutplace.com/
- specialty pieces of curly and figured walnut and other woods

I have only ordered from here once before, but the service and prices for what I got was excellent. If you want cheaper woods from here though you will need to check the discount lumber section, which is always the place I go when browsing for woods from here. This place can be a but more pricey than others on the list depending on what you are looking for, but has a beautiful selection of curly walnut for very good prices that is hard to find elsewhere. All of the other sources do not carry curly walnut, and I still think it is the best source for exceptional pieces of walnut that I have been able to find yet. The other really great thing about here was that I was able to get the woods cut to size for a very small fee. I ordered the curly claro walnut strips and the paradox walnut blocks for my kantele #007 (see previous post for details). I got a great deal on these pieces, and was even able to get the original board for the sides ripped and cut to size, which was a tremendous help. I definitely plan on ordering more wood here for future projects, as sources for curly walnut at these prices is hard to find. The owner, Robert Beauchamp, is extremely friendly and helpful, and was a pleasure to work with.

4.) Kettle Moraine Hardwoods
 http://www.kmhardwoods.com/
- general and exotic pieces for small and large kantele

I have also only ordered from here once, but like The Walnut Place, I was provided with excellent service, great prices, and some beautiful boards. I got my two butternut boards, (which I haven't posted pictures of yet but will sometime in the future), from here. Butternut, as mentioned earlier, is becoming more scarce, especially for larger boards. One of the plus sides to KM Hardwoods is the custom cutting services for woods. While talking with them, they even sent me pictures of the pieces they had that fit my description of what I was looking for before I went ahead and purchased anything, which was a real plus, as not many places do this. The boards were in perfect condition and exactly what I was looking for. I will definitely be ordering from here again for larger width boards for larger kanteles and other projects.

5.) Kencraft Company
http://www.kencraftcompany.com/index.htm
- general and exotic pieces for small and large kantele

I have ordered from here a couple of times, and have been very happy with the results. This is yet another great source of custom cut lumber and thin boards of both domestic and exotic species of woods at great prices. Shipping and services are very good, and the several very large custom pieces I ordered from them were of excellent quality. Shipping might be a little bit slower from here due to how they schedule custom cutting and shipping, but I have not had problems with it. Like KM Hardwoods, this is a great source for larger custom pieces of wood at very good prices which is often quite difficult to find.

Extra Sources and Info:

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

2.) Kantele #002 Info: http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2014/11/kantele-002.html

3.) Kantele #003 Info: http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2014/11/kantele-003.html

4.) Kantele #004 Info: http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2015/01/kantele-004.html

5.) Future Wood Choices: http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2015/01/some-future-kantele-wood-choices.html

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!