#rebec

[hunkyone]

A hand crafted one-piece body type of medieval violin. It works quite okay but I lack the playing skills to get it sounding at its best. The body is will, willow and the fingerboard is mulga, the sound deck is recycled spruce from an old piano. The only concession to this century is the use of guitar tuning heads rather than tapered pegs. It cost me about $90 to make and 2 weeks of work. The finishing off with the French polish takes up a lot of time because I have to leave it to harden each day before the next coat goes on.

[lutes-of-the-world]

The Turkish kemençe and tanbur

Note the plectrum grip - same as the North African kwitra and oud arbi and the medieval European lute. And the classical kemençe is a surviving instrument akin to the medieval European rebec, though I doubt medieval Europeans played it without a nut, without finger pressure, and with melismas.

N.b. My academic training and knowledge base is Eurocentric: I study European music history and historical performance. So, when I find Middle Eastern and North African connections to historical European practices, it is usually the case that the Middle Eastern and North African traditions are the parents and the European ones are the children. This research is my way of branching out into a more global and ancient conversation, and this blog is my means of documenting it. I do not want to give the misleading impression of European trends as being central to the musical traditions of the lute and its cousins, as that is very much not the case.

[thescryingeye]

Earworm Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a bard) 

This powerful instrument once belonged to a legendary bard. They were single handedly responsible for saving the world from the forces of darkness. However, at the climax of the final battle, the bard’s body was consumed in a magical explosion that scattered the darkness. The only thing left behind was his beautifully carved rebec.

While you are attuned to Earworm, you gain a +3 bonus to your spell attack and spell save DC. In addition, if you miss with a spell that requires an attack roll, roll a d100. On a 91 or higher, you immediately regain the spell slot.

Earworm: The rebec also has a unique feature, when it is used against a creature that is concentrating on a spell. When the creature is successfully hit with a spell attack, their mind fills with the most annoying song. The creature must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or fall prey to the earworm. On a failure, the creature has disadvantage on all concentration checks for the next minute.

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[quasi-normalcy]

Can we have a movie set in the middle ages where they have period-appropriate and it music actually just goes really hard?

[cleowho]

“...nothing can stop them!”

Planet of the Daleks - season 10 - 1973

[wonkyaim]

Rebec.

[kurpitie]

Inktober Day 7 - Ballade

[benobsidian]

Louisa Jane Reece carving a rebec in Nonsuch Park - site of Henry VIII’s Nonsuch Palace