Rabel in Spain
Country of the crafting: Spain
Type of the crafting: Musical instruments
1. Characteristics
Name: Rabel.
Category: Musical instruments.
Country: Spain.
Provided by: UMA.
Source: Internet.
2. The technique
Its handmade construction consists of trimming the whole body, mast and box in one piece, and hollow out the part of the box, covering it later with the lid of the material we choose, but it can also be manufactured in two pieces, the box and the pegbox, joining them later with glue, there are cases of rabeles made with two covers, cutting inside and outside the soundboard.
3. Used materials
The main material used to do it is wood. Depending on the Area , other roofing materials are used, such as skins, tin or wood itself. For rabel strings, animal guts were used although today they are more often made of metal strings since they provide better sound and easier tuning. For the bow a rod that can be folded is required, and for the ropes, horse hair is used. Currently, the mane can be replaced by a very thin nylon that, once curved, produces good friction.
4. History
The rabel is a string instrument similar to the violin, with a variable number of strings, between 1 and 5. the sound is obtained by rubbing the strings with a bow while the instrument rests on the Area between the shoulder and the chest, in the side, on the thigh of one leg or between the two legs. It can be played standing or sitting. It was introduced in the Iberian Peninsula by the Arabs, extending and reaching its peak of popularity during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, being used by both troubadours and minstrels.
5. Youtube videos
