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S53E16: Now Hear This – “The Iceland Sound” | Clip

An Icelandic Musical Instrument Made from Driftwood

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Scott Yoo learns from Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson and Jófríður Ákadóttir about how driftwood can be made into the iconic Icelandic instrument langspil.

TRANSCRIPT

So, Eyvi, here's your driftwood.

Yes.

This is what we've been looking for.

This one has nails in it.

Yeah.

Makes it all more interesting, isn't it?

Wood with history.

Where is it from, you think?

Well, typically, driftwood comes from Siberia.

Really?

All the way from there.

Yeah.

But why were they making the instruments of driftwood?

Why weren't they making them out of just native wood?

Most of settled history, we didn't have any forests.

I mean, when the Vikings came, the accounts say that 40% of the country apparently was Birch trees, but they soon disappeared.

Their used it for houses, firewood, etc.. So driftwood has been a very important source of material.

Should we bring it up there?

Yeah, Let's do it.

Yeah.

So this is a langspil?

Yes, this is it.

Langspil is the traditional instrument of Iceland.

This is what I like about the langspil, because not so much is known about how exactly it looked.

So you were quite free to interpret it.

Exactly.

It's very much in tune with folk traditions, but still, it's a part of a big family of drone zithers.

I would say the the American equivalent is the dulcimer, Appalachian dulcimer, and therefore the most famous langspil player in the world is Dolly Parton.

And she plays the dulcimer very well.

Yeah.

So you have the bows out.

How do you play one of those?

Yes, in Iceland we played with bow traditionally.

So you, you, you might just like play the the drone strings.

First, and then you pick up the melody string ♪♪ But you can also pluck it which is, which is quite nice.

♪♪ And also if you would drone with me, okay, you have these.

♪♪ Exactly.

Yeah.

Very nice.

And then you can also hammer it like this.

♪♪ But traditionally, they would be used for accompaniment.

Accompaniment of... Singing.

Nice.

- Yeah.

So can you play something on the langspil?

A four piece?

Yeah.

Would you mind playing with me as the drone?

♪♪