homeschooling
Auris 'My Little Lyre' Children's Pentatonic 7-string (special order)
MER 55210075
Regular price $458.00 Sale price $385.00 Save 16%Auris produces their products in Järna, Sweden based on anthroposophical knowledge of musical education.
The children's lyre is a stringed instrument with a wooden open resonating body. It is diatonically tuned and was developed for kindergarten and pre-school. This children's lyre allows particularly young children to practice free, basic music which is not bound to a base tone.
Solid maple wood.
Approximate dimensions: 22 x 30 cm, 7 strings.
Range of notes: d' - e''
Made in Sweden.
Seven tone Pentatonic lyre d’-e’-g’-a’-h’-d’’-e’’ LBP
A basic pentatonic lyre for introduction of music to the child. For use at home, in the kindergarten by musical games and storytelling and much more.
THE 7-STRINGED LYRE – is tuned in a pentatonic scale which allow the fingers to move freely over the strings always producing a harmonic tune.
Special feature:
Due to its short string length the LBP has a unique possibility; it can be tuned extremely high. This has been successfully used to play for un-borne or prematurely born children. This lyre can be tuned as high as g’ – a’- c’’ – d’’- e ’’- g‘’-a’’-. This high tuning corresponds better with the hearing frequencies of very little inner ear to the foetus or prematurely borne child. Music for these categories has been scientifically proven to stimulate and vivify both the intellectual and emotional development later on.
The perfect gift and together with LGP model our most frequent sold lyre
Includes a tuning wrench and an instruction sheet that contains more tips and tricks regarding how to use your instrument.
The Pentatonical Scale
'My little lyre' is a seven stringed instrument tuned in a pentatonic scale.
This scale spans over five whole tone steps and is built up by an open fifth tuning.
d’ e’ g’ a’ b’ d’’ e’’
The special thing about the pentatonic scale is that whatever you do with it, it will always sound good. You can let the fingers stroll up and down the strings in any combination of tones and it gives you little sweet melodies all the time.
A light almost heavenly scale that allows you to create music freely without the frustrating struggle with wrong notes or inharmonious sound.
The experience of the five tone scale is one of the fundament in all music. You can find it in new and ancient folk music, classical pieces as well as in popular music.
The Lyre
This instrument is meant to be a simple but powerful tool, with which, through games, playing together and listening, the child can learn music in its fullest meaning. The aim has been to create a lyre with a clear and light-filled sound, carried by the material's own tone quality. To achieve this the strings are brought into balance with the static resistance of the shaped wood, which is needed so that the whole body of the lyre will be penetrated and resound with the tone's movement. In this living process the "voice" of the instrument has its origin. ‘My little lyre’ is made out of maple wood.
How To Play And To Hold
The instrument is made to be held in the left hand (pict.1); the recess on the back guides the hand and thumb to a good hold. The left hand grip gives the player freedom to dance and to move the lyre to the music. It also makes it possible to practise finger and chord playing. For two handed playing the lyre can be laid across the knees (pict. 3). If you want to have some rhythmical fun with the instrument, let a paper strip be woven through the strings, hold it in both hands and play it like an African thumb piano (pict. 4).
Striking The Tone
In order to obtain warm and full sound, a support-string technique is recommended. Hold the hands so that the fingers lay almost parallel to the strings ( pict. 1 ). Place the finger on the string to be played as shown in picture 2 and feel the "weight" of the warm and relaxed hand on the string. Make a light press-pull movement and then release the string, let the finger land on the next higher "support-string" – do not pull it away from the lyre, it makes the tone harder. One can imagine oneself shooting with a miniature bow and arrow. Just as the archer waits until he has his target clearly in sight before releasing the string; so must the player of the lyre become "one" with the coming tone, inwardly preparing the let go of the string and then follow the rising and subsiding tone.
A free and dynamic playing style can be attained through a careful practise of this basic technique. Quick runs and arpeggios will be possible to perform with the same warmth and fullness as single tones. Also chords can be played by using this same technique with several fingers at the same time.
The string set of " my little lyre" are especially designed for small children fingers and sounds at their best gently played. If you want to play harder and get a more sonorous sound, the lyre can be tuned up to a higher pitch, for example: e’- g’- a’- b’- d’’- e’’- g’’ or f’- g’- bb’- c’’- d’’- f’’- g’’ In spite of its simplicity, the instrument gives many possibilities in melody and chord playing, accompaniment to solo and choir singing and improvisation to an open chord. With many lyres in a group you can create chord melodies by letting the children pass different drone chords on to one another. All can play in unison, in different key or in canon. The musical games can be varied as long as your fantasy lasts.
Different Tunings
A pure pentatonic scale is most easily obtained in the following way: the middle string is tuned to a' with the help of a tuning fork or an instrument with a stable pitch. Then the lowest string is tuned to d', which is the interval of a fifth below a' and the highest string is tuned to e'' a fifth above a'. The octaves d'' and e' are then given. The two tones left g' and b' are tuned in fourths d' – g' and b' – e''. The tuning can be checked by playing the triads e'' – b' – g' (e minor), d'' – a' – e' (e sus 7) and b' – g'- d' (g major). When these harmonise, the lyre is well tuned.
If it is difficult for you to hear the intervals, the lyre can of course be tuned tone by tone with the help of another instrument, for example a piano or a flute. In time one comes to know the right tuning by ear.
Each string can be tuned one and a half tone higher than its normal pitch. This gives a great freedom to experiment with different scales. Here are some examples in which we get acquainted with the music of various cultures. All these scales are not 100% genuine but are meant as an inspiration for your own attempts.
Basic pentatone – Europe – China
Africa – America (The Blues) d’ e’ g’ a’ b’ d’’ e’’
India d’ e’ g#' a’ b’ d’’ e’’
Japan d’ e’ f' a’ b’ d’’ e’’
Balkan d’ d#’ f#' g' a' c’’/(bb)’ d’’/(c’’)
Drone scales
major character d’ d' f#' f#’ f#’ d’’ d''
minor character d’ d' f' f' f' d’’ d''
free character d’ d' a’ a’ a’ d’’ d''
The First Tuning
In order for the lyre to hold its pitch as long as possible after tuning, it is important that the very first tuning is done in the following manner:
First tune all of the strings to their right pitch. Then press down relatively hard with your finger in the middle of each string. It should flex 1/4 inch(7-8mm). The tones will now have become lower because the strings stretch and the lyre body bends slightly under the string tension. Now, repeat the procedure until the strings withstands the pressure of your finger without losing their pitch.
Changing The Strings
The strings are changed either when they no longer hold a clear tone or when they are broken. When you change a broken string you must not forget to unscrew the tuning pin as many turns as it has been tightened. This will be about three or three and a half turns. The tuning pins have left hand threads which means that they screw out clockwise, and in counter-clockwise. When the new string is placed on the lyre, it is attached to the pin as shown in pict.4 and wound up as in pict.5.
We wish you a lot of fun in playing 'My little lyre'
Auris Musikinstrument AB
Auris Children's Lyre, pentatonic, 7 strings (special order)
AURIS LGP 55210010
Regular price $500.00 Sale price $365.00 Save 27%The Auris Children's Lyre arose out of the striving to harmonise movement and melody with the child's sense of sound. When holding it in the left hand, the lower strings are closer to the body. Deep tones and descending melodies are created by the inward movement of the hand towards the body. Ascending melodies are created by the outward movement of the hand.
Pitch pine, range: d - e
Made with great care in Sweden.
Auris stir drum, classic stirring xylophone
AURIS 55210041
Regular price $50.00 Sale price $45.00 Save 10%With this instrument you can create harmonious melodies by simply moving your hand in circular movements with the mallet. This movement stimulates hand-ear coordination in a natural way. Stir Drums with and without thumb holes and 3 different tunes: classic wave and melody.
6 pieces, wood, with mallet, dimensions: 11 x 14 cm
Made in Sweden.
Auris Xylophone XRV-083 - Pentatonic/Diatonic 8 tones + 3
AURIS 55210283
Regular price $260.00Xylophone combines the two words “xylos” meaning “wood” and “phonos” meaning “sound”.
It covers a whole family of instruments with wooden bars played with a mallet. The basic pentatonic xylophone can be used as an introduction of music with a child. For use at home or in an early childhood environment for musical games, storytelling and much more.
This set is unique in that it offers the option to be played as either a pentatonic or diatonic instrument.
Made in Sweden by Auris.
Diatonic chimes
Diatonic is what "everyone" knows: c, d, e, f, g, a, h, c.
With the diatonic glockenspiels all songs can be played which are written in C major. So you don't need semitones (the black keys on the piano).
Pentatonic chimes
The pentatonic glockenspiel is particularly suitable for free playing and improvisation - each tone sequence results in a melody that sounds good.
The pentatonic tone series with 5 tones in one octave has no semitone steps.
The harmonious open sound of the pentatonic tone sequence is particularly suitable for young children up to school age.
In the pentatonic carillon, two tones are simply left out: the C and the F.
Auris chromatic 20 note glockenspiel (special order)
AURIS KKH 55210055
Regular price $635.00 Sale price $450.00 Save 29%A twenty tone chromatic glockenspiel.
The Auris Glockenspiels are very finely tuned and have a clear, pure overtone. With their crystal clear and spherical tones they create a particularly lovely sound experience.
With the tones c’’’- g’’’’ including all semitones. The most exquisite of all the Auris glockenspiels. An instrument that you just want to own, it is very attractive to as well ear as eye. With its complete set of tones you can play any music with it, it has often been used by professional musicians for both recordings and live concerts.
Due to its delicate design and sound it is one of the finest gifts you can give to someone who has developed a sense for luxury as well as for supreme form and function.
Comes with six mallets, two soft rubber, two wooden and two hard mallets. The hard mallets enables you to use the chromatic glockenspiel together with a large orchestra, so strong will the tone be.
Made with great care in Sweden.
Auris Xylophone XRD-012, Diatonic 12 tones
MER 55210201
Regular price $310.00 Sale price $295.00 Save 5%Xylophone combines the two words “xylos” meaning “wood” and “phonos” meaning “sound”.
It covers a whole family of instruments with wooden bars played with a mallet.
Diatonic, 12 tones, 12 wooden plates, with 2 rubber mallets.
Range: a’ b’ c’’ d’’ e’’ f’’ g’’ a’’ b’’ c’’’ d’’’ e’’’
Made in Sweden by Auris.
Diatonic chimes
Diatonic is what "everyone" knows: c, d, e, f, g, a, h, c. (Please note h = b)
With the diatonic glockenspiels all songs can be played which are written in C major. So you don't need semitones (the black keys on the piano).
Auris Marimba Amadinda
MER 55210660
Regular price $960.00 Sale price $750.00 Save 22%The Auris version of the Amadinda with its extra long tone bars of maple wood was designed to create a special sound rich in overtones with a warm deep bottom. This sound is almost metallic and invites to a playful melodic and rhythmic music.
Maple wood plates, pine wood frame, 7 tones, diatonic, 2 mallets, range: d-e-g-a-h-d’-e’
Made in Sweden by Auris.
In the words of Kjell Anderson from Auris:
"AMADINDA – the African word is an onomatopoetic which means that it imitates the sound of what it describes : "AMA" means "wood" and "DINDA" is an imitation of how the instrument sounds, it is an African word. Africa is the origin of the Amadinda and it is played by an extreme small grown Pygmy people and is in its African form quite a bit larger than the Swedish Auris relative
The Auris Amadinda with its extra long tone bars (56-80 cm) in maple wood, designed to create a special sound rich in overtones with a warm deep bottom. This sound is almost metallic and invites to a playful melodic and rhythmic music. We deliver the Amadinda with seven keys (d-e-g-a-h-d’-e’) if yo add optional keys c and f you can compose differens scales with nine bars of which seven can be played at a time. Which gives you the opportunity to create more than 20 variations of the scale. Semitones for even more scales can be ordered separately. With each Amadinda goes a pair of rubber mallets. The Amadinda is also my personal favourite among the Auris Xylophones.
The instruments can be used in the most different situations, from musical fun playing with children up to professional orchestral use. The different types are fully compatible and are with their sound characters complimentary to each other. You can for instance play an underlying rhythmical bass figure on the big Amadinda and on top of that an improvised melody on the little pentatonic Xylophone XRP-007 or with the Marimba XPL-008.
The shape of the Amadinda and Marimba boxes has a strong connection to old Swedish furniture craftsmanship. The collapsible box made out of Swedish pine with its wedges are inspired by old rustic tables, traditionally built and used by the farmers on the Swedish countryside. On the Auris instruments, this system has been optimised. By putting a piece of rubber inside the box edge, the construction becomes much more flexible and can be moved around without the wedges falling out. The box is easy to build up and take apart, which makes it very practical by transportation.
The story about the travelling Amadinda
There is a wonderful story about one of our Amadindas. In the middle of the eighties I was making music together with a black man from Namibia. He had fled his country many years ago for political reasons. He was one of the founder of the liberation movement SWAPO, who wanted to liberate their country from the racist regime. His name is Taona Ngongo. So after many years as refuge in Sweden he decided that he wanted to go back to Namibia and the Kalahari dessert were he was born.
During the time in Sweden his major occupation had been to play, sing and explain about African music to Swedish people. He held hundreds of concerts and workshops, in schools, kindergartens and museums were he often used the Auris Amadinda. When he left for Africa he asked me if I could give him an Amadinda to play the music for his own people. I gave him one to bring along on the trip. Once there he sadly found that his own tribal folks did not play the old music any more. So he took the Auris Amadinda and started to play again and everybody became very happy. Old people started to remember and the young learned anew.
When it was time for him to leave and go back to Sweden again he was asked to leave something behind so that they would not forget nor him or the music he gave back to them. Taona then decided to leave the Auris Amadinda in his home village and there I suppose it still is this very day.
Functionality
The shape of the Amadinda box has a strong connection to old Swedish craftsmanship. The collapsible box made out of Swedish fur tree with its wedges are inspired by old Scandinavian joint methods for fast assembly of things used in the ancient rural society. On the Auris instruments, this system has been optimised. By putting a piece of rubber inside the box edge, the construction becomes much more flexible and can be moved around without the wedges falling out. The box is easy to build up and take apart, which makes it very practical to transport.
The Auris Xylophones has been sold in around 20 different countries since we started making them back in 1986.
The Amadinda is also my personal favourite among the Auris Xylophones.
We wish you a lot of fun in playing the Amadinda.
Auris Musikinstrument
Kjell Andersson"
Auris 3-note glockenspiel
MER 55210301
Regular price $68.00 Sale price $62.00 Save 9%A little glockenspiel, for awakening the senses, a call to transition, some calm or focus....
The Auris 3 note glockenspiel is suited to a daycare or classroom environment to signal a transition time.
Auris Glockenspiels are very finely tuned and have a clear, pure overtone. With their crystal clear and spherical tones they create a particularly lovely sound experience.
With the tones a-h-d. 'H' being the German note for 'b'. Hence, one can notice that the notes are in order, but skipping the 'c' note. It is thus a short pentatonic scale.
Please note that the 3 note glockenspiel from Auris comes in two other options with 'higher' scales, available by special request. We selected the lowest scale to stock regularly, as we find the Auris notes quite strong, with a small amount of reverberation, and we found the higher notes can be more intense with this reverberation.
Solid maple body. A lovely size and shape to hold in the palm of one hand while you strike it with the mallet. Tones made of brass alloy, coated with a fine layer of beeswax.
Comes with two mallets: 1 soft rubber and 1 wooden mallet.
Made with great care in Sweden.