I have a lot of experience working with instrument builders: "Patience" is my motto! I don't know that there is anything grander than the anticipation of a fine instrument. Besides, I'm not sure that pestering the builder does anything other than either annoy him, at best, or tempt him to cut corners, at worst.However, my zither should be approaching its final stages. Soon, I hope, Andi and I will have a conversation about shipping it to the U.S. I am working at exercising patience.
I realize that this is a kind of addiction, and I know that I'm not alone. Perhaps someone should start a twelve-step program for those addicted to buying instruments. However, I wouldn't attend: I'm happy in my addiction.
Instant gratification may seem appealing, but there are so many things to prepare for, to dream about, in acquiring a new instrument. Although my other musical interests remain intact, there has been the continuous glow of my Zitherträume: recordings to listen to, web sites to explore, and – of course! – music to buy. Indeed, the very first thing I did was order a broad selection of music from Psalteria in Innsbruck. Some of this is music I might aspire to play, but some of it is music I simply wanted to see on paper, such as Harald Oberlechner's Fantasia and Isolde Jordan's DREIve; I do aspire to play Isolde's Mikroludien, and maybe ultimately her fascinating Unlimited Strings. I remain enthralled at the eclectic musical chemistry emanating from Innsbruck.
Of course, I need a rational course of study. I still have my Method for Zither by A. Darr: faded and beat up. It is, I believe, the only method with an English translation. It also progresses too rapidly in its 58 pages and 99 exercises. So, I ordered Adalbert Albrecht's Volkstümliche Zitherschule. Darr's method was introduced in 1888, whereas Albrecht's more "modern" method was published in 1915: it appears more comprehensive, but I will have to start working much harder on my German.
I probably should mention that I also bought Günter Andrich's Von Anfang an, a contemporary method aimed at beginners, primarily children. I guess I should start there!
Earlier, I made somewhat unkind observations about the traditional alpine folk music associated with the zither, suggesting that only one recording was all I would ever need. It happens that Zithermusig has become a family favorite. After all, what is more intoxicating than a perfectly symmetrical melody, perfectly played? I have assured my wife that I be playing such music on my new zither. How could I not?
