Here is a selection of some of our Medieval & Renaissance instruments that we perform on.  We are currently compiling a photo page for our Traditional American and European Heritage instruments as well.
Stay tuned...
Bells & Motley Instrumentarium
Two fiddles: 2 Medieval fiddles designed, built, & played by John Bromka. Design is based on Medieval iconographical prototypes.
Fiddle making: Next to this finished medieval fiddle, John has another in progress, along with a display of tools used in the building process.
4 tabor pipes: Three-holed pipes from England, low and high octaves; Provencal galoubet; Catalan flaviole. 
3-Holed Pipe & Tabor Drum: These historic tabor drums are skin headed, rope tensioned. Three of them are enhanced by gut snares. 
Historic Tabor Drums: These drums are skin headed, rope tensioned. Some are enhanced by gut snares. The recipe for making heads is the same as for parchment --- the material on which Medieval musical documents were written.
Ttun ttun & Flaviole: John built this Ttun ttun after considerable research of medieval iconography.  Each string passes through a metal wickett at the top, giving a gentle snare effect. Our tabor pipe was made by Pau Orriols of Barcelona. This instrument ensemble proves perfect for our Medieval dance instruction activities
Citterns: The top cittern is in modern Irish-style; bottom, English/Italian 16th c. style. Both made by John, citterns have undergone many forms over the centuries. At its most basic definition, the word describes a flat-backed, pear-shaped instrument of European origin.
Playing Hurdy Gurdy:The hurdy gurdy was invented in a monastery in France over 1000 years ago. John is playing on an instrument he built in 16th style (when the idea was already 500 years old!
Hurdy Gurdy opened: In the box is a row of tangents, acting like fingers to change the vibrating length of those 2 strings. The other strings each play 1 drone note. Rosin the wheel & protect with a guard - very important fingers don’t touch!
2 Lutes Crossed: In these two lutes played by John, notice that there are a different number strings (or "courses"). The gut frets are tied onto the neck. Lute on left made by James Bump 1976, lute on right by Peter FlaxCass, 1980.
Hammered Dulcimer: Hammered Dulcimers show up in several medieval paintings; curiously, all medieval european examples we have seen are played by women of high station. We hope to find an image of a man playing soon! Found in various configurations throughout Europe and Asia, this instrument made its way into the United States in the hands of German Immigrants, who called it a "Hackbrett." The instrument in this photograph was built by Russell Cook.
Saxon Lyre: This instrument was built by John, an interpretation of the 6th century Oberflacht Lyre. The bridge and tailpiece are made of bone. This instrument is at its happiest when used for the singing of epic ballads
Crumhorn Consort 1: This SATB consort of crumhorns is by different makers: soprano. alto, & tenor by Moeck/Steinkopf, bass by Gunther Körber, all in the 1970s.
Crumhorn Consort 2: Our favorite note about this curious buzzing double reed instrument is that King Henry VIII owned a set, & kept them in a case of green. (just one thing we have in common with this fun-loving ruler.)
Recorder Feet: Recorders are among our most beloved, versatile, & portable instruments. Here we depart from King Henry, who had some 56 recorders in his keep. We seem to count only about 14 playable wooden recorders in ours. ourshouse, by various makers
Recorder Consort: Consort of recorders by various makers: Soprano, alto, tenor, bass, sopranino, garklein (top to bottom)
3 Jawharps:This instrument can be found throughout Europe and Asia. We have enjoyed seeing Medieval jawharp iconography on the Uffizi Palance ceiling, & in the hands of Medieval French shepherds.
Rommelpot & Clacker: Instruments are not often heard - probably just as well - appearing in festivities by the beloved 16th c. Flemish painter Peter Bruegel. In the "Battle of Carnival & Lent" we witness these allowable instruments for Lent period. Our rommelpot was a collaborative effort: John's leftover parchment-making experiments, Sondra's ceramic bowl, testiment to her early days as an art teacher. We only bring these two instruments out when absolutely necessary.
French Bagpipes: We have settled into the playing of various French pipes, which are well suited to both our Medieval and our Traditional French repertoire. From top: Gascon Bouhe, Breton Veuze, Breton Biniou. 
Bouhe Bagpipe: The distinctive feature is the chanter & drone stock laying side by side in 2 parallel bores, allowing the melody to be joiined by a variable note drone. A soft, bleating bagpipe traditional to the Gascony region of France, a very close relative can be seen in the 14th c. Spanish Cantigas de Santa Maria. Sondra's bouhe made for her by B, Desblancs/Conservatoire Occitan. OccitanOccitan in Toulouse.
Bechonet French Bagpipe: One of many French bagpipes, common in central France, that uses a bellows to keep the bag tense with air. The name is used to indicate a specific length of the chanter, a certain number of thumbs length. Made by Joachim Von Ussler, Hamburg
Breton Winds: Traditional Breton instruments, biniou & veuze are usually accompanied by a bombard. Veuze is your basic medieval bagpipe; notice a distinct similarity to pipes in Medieval paintings from Flanders, Italy, & the rest of Europe Notice a distinct similarity to the pipes seen in the Medieval paintings from Flanders, Italy, and throughout Europe. B flat bombard, G bombard, B flat veuze, and G biniou are by Hervieux and Glet, Redon Brittany. C bombard is by Camac.
French Bellows Pipes: Also from Central France - Auvergne - comes cabrette, or "little goat." Like the bechonet,  drone & chanter are parallel; both take their air from a common stock. Our cabrette made by Claude Romero, Toulouse 1991.
Bagpipe Parts: Two reed-making technologies: Double reeds in chanter, Single in drone pipe. This is usually, but not always the case. (Our bouhe has a single reed in the chanter, which accounts for its softer, sweeter sound.) If you look closely at the drone pipe, you might see that there is a piece of hair tucked under the vibrating piece, to keep it free to move.
Pipa (Chinese Lute): A classical Chinese instrument that has been played there since the 6th century, it is heavily constructed, with the body cut out of a single piece of timber like the earliest Chinese zithers.
Guzheng (Chinese zither): As a longtime harp player, it's happy how much technique transfers between the two instruments. Guzheng has very special charms, including deeply resonant basses, & the treble's ability to imitate a delicate rainfall. Absolutely beguiling to play!
Return to www.bellsandmotley.comhttp://www.bellsandmotley.comhttp://www.bellsandmotley.comshapeimage_2_link_0