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Bowed guitar sound demonstration in neo-classical style
Founder of “Arpeggione Today” Pavel Goldberg about arpeggione and more.
In this video you will learn:
✅ About the legendary Viennese maker to whom we are grateful for the modern acoustic guitar.
✅ About his apprentice, who founded Martin & Co.
✅ About the history of the musical instrument arpeggione. Why this amazing instrument is necessary for modern musicians experimentalists.
✅ What is the project “Arpeggione Today”? Interview about arpeggione. Its history and usage in modern music. The interviewer with Pavel Goldberg by Anastasia Titko, guitar teacher, blogger, musician. Filming – March 2021.
🎶 Sound samples of Arpeggione – Bowed Guitar
00:05 Sound-1. 01:00 Sound-2. 02:35 Sound-3.
05:22 Sound-4 08:05 Sound-5. 13:19 Sound-6.
14:35 Sound-7. 15:37 Sound-8. 16:20 Sound-9.
18:17 Sound-10. 22:34 Sound-11.
Text of the interview
Pavel, how is it that you, a guitar maker who has been repairing and building guitars for 20 years, became interested in such an extraordinary instrument?
I always really wanted to play the cello.
Ever since I was a kid.
But it didn’t work out.
When I was a kid I was taught the piano.
Then I studied guitar on my own.
But I didn’t have enough time to study the cello.
The guitar is an instrument that can be taught on the street.
Which is exactly what happened.
And with academic instruments, it’s more complicated.
You have to go a long way to become a classical musician.
They give you a small one first, then a bigger one.
You grow and torture your neighbors in proportion to the size of your instrument.
It happens, you have some idea in your head, and you’re slowly looking for a solution for it.
So of course I surfed the Internet and explored,
what ever it is.
I found out about the viola da gamba.
I see, oh, what an interesting thing.
Six or seven strings, almost classic guitar scale.
The instrument existed and was the prototype
of a group of all orchestral stringed instruments.
And somehow I found on the arpeggione.
Surprised. I think, oh, what a cool thing.
When did the idea of building this instrument begin approximately?
Ouch. I’ll tell you right now.
It must have been ’14 or ’15.
I basically invented this instrument for myself
a second time.
I made it and then only some time later I got hold of the drawings of the historical instrument,
which is in a museum in Berlin.
So you were intuitively close?
Actually, a musical instrument has a certain architecture.
It has a certain logic.
We understand that we have a certain length of string.
We understand where the bridge is located in relation to the body.
It gives us certain proportions
of the instrument in general.
Pavel, is it possible to play this instrument only with a bow? Or can you play it with your fingers, too?
Either way.
This tool is universal. It is at the intersection of the bowed instrument family and the plucked instrument family.
We have the frets.
We have an equal temperament.
We have chords.
It’s just like a guitar.
You can play all the guitar music that exists.
Anything you can play on the guitar with your fingers, you can play here. We also have all the bowing techniques available to us.
This instrument is two in one.
And most importantly, any guitarist can take a step toward the cello sound.
The left hand technique is familiar. We just need to learn the technique of the right hand.
The history of this instrument is very interesting.
It could be that in today’s world
everyone would know this instrument.
But?
But it didn’t.
There was a guitar and violin maker in Vienna.
Johann Stauffer.
He was a legendary person.
In the violin world, Stradivarius, Amati
and other pioneers of the modern violin.
There was a man like that in guitars.
And it was Stauffer.
He was the creator.
And the modern idea of the guitar belongs to him.
This is the kind of guitar that created the modern guitar
But the master himself was too creative.
He had an apprentice.
And the apprentice’s name was Christian Frederick Martin.
Does that sound familiar?
That’s right. .
Martin was a guitar master
of German descent.
And he was Stauffer’s apprentice.
When he went to the United States, he opened his own workshop.
And that eventually grew into guitar factory.
You see?
Identical.
It’s exactly the same thing.
Martin was more interested in making guitars.
But if he was more interested in making arpeggione,
there’d be a world-famous Martin & Co that would make
arpeggione.
Now, that’s a bit of irony.
And they were playing arpeggione in the yards today.
Three names are inextricably linked with the name of this instrument.
Johann Stauffer,
Franz Schubert and Vincent Schuster.
Franz Schubert. It is a name that everyone knows.
Few people know that Schubert was a great guitarist.
He loved the guitar very much.
There’s even a quote,
that the guitar is a beautiful instrument that very few people understand.
Vincent Schuster is a guitar virtuoso, a guitar teacher of the time. An experimenter, an innovator.
Apparently the first experimental instrument was made for him.
Schubert wrote a sonata for this instrument
Where did the name Arpeggione come from?
From the fact that you can play arpeggios on this instrument. Very easily. All kinds of chords.
Actually, arpeggione.
it’s attached to this instrument
because of Schubert.
Because the sonata is called
“Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano.”
That’s what he called it.
The man the instrument was made for
just called it “cello-guitar,”
And the manual that Schuster put out
is called “the cello-guitar handbook”.
In simple terms.
And Stauffer himself
called the instrument “guitar de amour” —
the guitar of love.
It’s very lyrical.
The instrument was popular for a while.
It was interesting.
Then the popularity of the instrument gradually waned.
For many reasons.
Schubert didn’t live long after that.
Five years after this event, he was gone.
The maker began to have financial problems.
He ended his life in a poorhouse.
They took the studio away from him just for debts.
Not enough instruments and not enough composers
who would write something else for the instrument.
Maybe something simple to play.
Now the interest in such instruments is growing every day.
The violin sound of the instrument is all rock music. It’s an attempt to play the guitar with the sound of the violin.
I believe this instrument is necessary.
Composers need it.
Film composers, for example.
Experimental musicians need it.
Who are also in search of a sound.
You can practically have an entire string quartet on this instrument.
And if a person plays neither violin nor cello.
If he plays the guitar.
He can record a string part, understanding how the string part is arranged.
Not with samples, but with a live instrument.
That’s precious. You hear it when a live instrument is recorded.
Pavel, do you think that a person who has been playing guitar for a long time, but has never played the cello, would I be able to play something on the arpeggionе right now?
That’s what we’re going to check now.
Let’s try it.
First I need to understand how to get it right.
No tension. It needs to find a place between her legs.
That’s great!
Shall we try it with a bow?
Yeah, let’s make it harder.
Four fingers from the bottom and the thumb in the middle between the middle finger and the ring finger.
I’ll try to play the children’s song “the little Christmas tree is cold in winter”.
That’s a good one.
Difficult!
You know what? I’ll tell you, you’re doing a lot better than I did the first time.
There’s finality now.
You know what strings to use, what bow, what rosin.
It wasn’t the same for me at the time.
And I couldn’t figure out if my hands were all wrong or something else.
You’re doing so much better.
Wow!
And there’s a sound and a melody I recognize.
The rest is a matter of practice.
You know what I realized when I started playing this instrument?
You can’t do that with this instrument. If you’re not in the mood, you can’t play anything.
There’s no sound.
Yes. There is definitely a connection with the emotional state of the player.
It’s pretty sensitive.
I’ve been looking for my instrument for 20 years.
Making different guitars. Acoustic guitars, electric guitars.
And after twenty years, I’m close to having found my instrument.
But not yet the ideal?
To move from that to the ideal.
The instruments that we are starting to make now have a chance to become perfect.
We will be the only company in the world that manufactures these instruments.
Are you planning to produce them in series?
Yes, of course.
Now the first series of instruments that will be based on historical drawings is already in development and manufacturing. But at the same time to be as if these instruments had evolved for 200 years.
After all, the guitar has undergone quite a few changes from what it was 200 years ago.
In the same way, I look at this instrument and wonder what it could be.
Comfortable, well-tuned, good-sounding. So that it would be possible to record the sound.
The most important thing is this. We are not locked into violin conservatism. No violin maker will experiment with shape or materials. No one will change the construction. Make the body thinner or thicker.
They need to achieve a perfect sound in a design that exists. I don’t have that kind of mission. My goal is just to be more experimental.
So it will be different materials. And some design changes in shape.
The “double top”, for example. The frame, inside the body. And so on.
Any other innovations that I think will give the sound an added advantage.
Maybe we’ll even do something helpful for the violin world. Maybe some of the things we find here will appeal to the listener.
We’ll work on that.
I wish you luck from the bottom of my heart and have faith in you!
Thank you! I believe in myself!
This is very important!
First grant for “Arpeggione Today” project

A short story about how the Arpeggione Today project won its 1st grant from the state. It’s a great day.
As an introduction.
It’s always difficult for a creative person. Whether it’s an artist, a musician, a poet. All of these people create a product that is often difficult to monetize. Fancy word but what to do. And any creative person is always in a choice between conjuncture and pure art.
We live in a world of commodity-money relations. And we all know very well Maslow’s pyramid in which creativity is always on a higher step after the closure of basic human needs. So how does a creative person live? To create frankly for the needs of the day? Or to be that starving artist who died in poverty and 200 years later his works became masterpieces. Most often it is this scenario.
Although occasionally there is a third case. When patrons, sponsors, and patrons come to help.
What have I been doing for several years now?
I am reviving life like the Phoenix bird of a beautiful 19th century instrument – the arpeggione, the cello guitar, the bowed guitar.
Thanks to Franz Schubert there is a classical work for this musical instrument. One of the masterpieces of classical music is the “sonata for arpeggione and piano.” I’ve already told you a lot about this instrument and the very interesting history of its origin. You can read it on my website or watch it on my channel.
Now I want to tell you how the project received the highest praise and a development grant from the government of the State of Israel. I could not apply as a master builder of musical instruments. Only as a performer.
This is an injustice, but more about that another time.
The hardest part was to get rid of my inner complexes and my Soviet upbringing about how asking for money is not humble. You should not be proud and beggarly. So, I want to point out to all creative people that this is fundamentally the wrong position. Any creator deserves a quality life. I assure you there are resources in the world for that to be the case.
I found out about the opportunity to apply for a grant as a creative person and as a new citizen of the State of Israel. After that I had to write a resume and prepare a portfolio.
A week after I sent the application I got a call and an appointment for an audition.
The grant committee was in Jerusalem. I decided that I had to demonstrate an excerpt of Schubert’s “Arpeggione” sonata played on the arpeggione.
You could say that this was the first concert in my life in which I played the classics. At least something that wasn’t of my own composition. And on an instrument that I’ve only been mastering for two years. And with a bow. Yes, in front of strict jury of famous musicians and composers. And I have to tell about myself and my instrument in a different language. And at 10 in the morning. And taking into account the road I had to get up at 4 in the morning.
I had been preparing for the contest for 2 weeks, putting aside everything that could somehow distract me.
So the day “X” came.
So that I wouldn’t worry so much, I told myself that it was just an adventure. This is my new experience. I am not going for an exam, but to show people an instrument they have probably never seen. On a charitable mission. Fortunately it went better than I expected. There were a few musicians on the committee who were originally from the Soviet Union. I told them about my project and the instrument in Russian. Everyone was very surprised and interested. And even though I didn’t play perfectly, they gave me the highest score.
And with this award came a financial reward for the purchase of the necessary musical equipment.
This is a great day for me and my project. It was today that I realized that I was doing the right thing and the right thing. And I will find people to work with me. And I will work on getting new sponsors and grants.
Next year is an anniversary year – 225 years since the birth of the great composer Franz Schubert. I want to play his great sonata in that honor.
And also in honor of the master who created the arpeggione, Johann Stauffer.
Yes, in honor of all the masters who make musical instruments. After all, they are always in the shadow of the performers.
Короткая история про то как, проект «Arpeggione Today» получил свой 1-й грант от государства. Это великий день.
Вместо вступление.
Творческому человеку всегда сложно. Будь то художник, музыкант, поэт. Все эти люди создают продукт который зачастую сложно монетизировать. Модное слово но что делать. И любой творческий человек всегда находится в выборе между конъюнктурой и чистым искусством.
Мы живем в мире товарно-денежных отношений. И мы все прекрасно знаем пирамиду Маслоу в который творчество всегда находится на более высокой ступени после закрытия базовых потребностей человека. Так как же жить творческому человеку? Творить откровенно на потребу дня? Или быть тем самым голодным художником, который умер в нищете а через 200 лет его произведения стали шедеврами. Чаще всего именно этот сценарий.
Хотя изредка бывает и третий случай. Когда приходят на помощь меценаты, спонсоры, патроны.
Что я делаю уже несколько лет?
Я возрождаю жизни как птицу Феникс прекрасный инструмент 19 века – арпеджионе, гитару-виолончель, смычковую гитару.
Благодаря Францу Шуберту для это музыкального инструмента есть классическое произведение. Один из шедевров классической музыки – «соната для арпеджионе и фортепиано». Я уже много рассказывал про этот инструмент и интереснейшую историю его происхождения. Вы это можете почитать у меня на сайте или посмотреть на канале.
Сейчас я хочу рассказать о том как проект получил высочайшую оценку и грант на развитие от правительства государства Израиль. Я не мог подать заявку, как мастер – изготовитель музыкальных инструментов. А только как исполнитель.
Это несправедливость, но об этом в другой раз подробно.
Самое сложное это было распрощаться со своими внутренними комплексами и советский воспитанием о том что просить деньги не скромно. Не надо быть гордым и нищим. Так вот, заострю внимание всех людей творчества на том что это в корне неправильная позиция. Любой творец достоин качественной жизни. Уверяю вас в мире есть ресурсы для того чтобы это было именно так.
Я узнал о возможности подать заявку на грант как творческий человек и как новый гражданин государства Израиль. После этого мне нужно было написать резюме и подготовить портфолио.
Буквально через неделю после отправки заявки мне позвонили и назначили день прослушивания.
Комиссия занимающаяся выдачей грантов находится в Иерусалиме. Я решил, что должен продемонстрировать отрывок сонаты Шуберта «Арпеджионе» в исполнении на арпеджионе.
Можно сказать что это был 1-й концерт в моей жизни на котором я играл классику. Вообще хоть что-то не своего собственного сочинения. Да еще на инструменте, который я осваиваю всего 2 года. Да еще смычком. Да еще перед строгим жюри состоящим из известных музыкантов и композиторов. Да еще нужно рассказать про себя и инструмент на другом языке. Да еще в 10 утра. А с учетом дороги встать надо в 4 утра.
Подготовкой к конкурсу я занимался 2 недели, отложив в сторону все что могло бы хоть как-то меня отвлечь.
И так настал день «икс».
Чтобы не так сильно волноваться я сказал себе, что это всего лишь приключение. Это мой новый опыт. Я еду не на экзамен, а показать людям инструмент который они наверняка ни разу не видели. С благотворительной миссией. К счастью все прошло лучше, чем я ожидал. В комиссии оказалось несколько музыкантов, выходцев из Советского Союза. Я рассказал им про свой проект и по инструмент на русском Все были очень удивлены и заинтересованы. И хоть я играл не идеально, мне присудили высший бал.
А к этому решению прилагается и материальное вознаграждение на приобретение необходимо музыкального оборудования.
Это великий день для меня и моего проекта. Именно сегодня я осознал, что я делаю правильное и нужное дело. И я найду соратников. И я буду работать над тем, чтобы появились новые спонсоры и гранты.
Следующий год юбилейный – 225 лет со дня рождения великого композитора Франца Шуберта. Я хочу сыграть его великую сонату в эту честь.
А еще в честь мастера, который создал арпеджионе – Иоганна Штауффера.
Да в честь всех мастеров, которые создают музыкальные инструменты. Ведь они всегда находятся в тени исполнителей.
Une courte histoire sur la façon dont le projet Arpeggione Today a obtenu sa première subvention de l’État. C’est un grand jour.
En guise d’introduction.
C’est toujours difficile pour une personne créative. Qu’il s’agisse d’un artiste, d’un musicien, d’un poète. Toutes ces personnes créent un produit qui est souvent difficile à monétiser. Un mot compliqué, mais que faire. Et toute personne créative est toujours dans un choix entre la conjoncture et l’art pur.
Nous vivons dans un monde de relations marchandise-argent. Et nous connaissons tous très bien la pyramide de Maslow, dans laquelle la créativité se trouve toujours à une étape supérieure après la satisfaction des besoins humains fondamentaux. Alors, comment vit une personne créative ? Pour créer franchement pour les besoins du jour ? Ou être cet artiste affamé qui meurt dans la pauvreté et dont les œuvres deviennent des chefs-d’œuvre 200 ans plus tard ? Le plus souvent, c’est ce scénario qui se produit.
Bien qu’il existe parfois un troisième cas de figure. Lorsque des mécènes, des sponsors et des mécènes viennent aider.
Que fais-je depuis plusieurs années maintenant ?
Je fais revivre, tel l’oiseau Phénix, un bel instrument du XIXe siècle – l’arpeggione, la guitare violoncelle, la guitare à archet.
Grâce à Franz Schubert, il existe une œuvre classique pour cet instrument de musique. L’un des chefs-d’œuvre de la musique classique est la “sonate pour arpeggione et piano”. Je vous ai déjà beaucoup parlé de cet instrument et de l’histoire très intéressante de son origine. Vous pouvez la lire sur mon site web ou la regarder sur ma chaîne.
Je veux maintenant vous raconter comment le projet a reçu les plus grands éloges et une subvention de développement du gouvernement de l’État d’Israël. Je ne pouvais pas postuler en tant que maître constructeur d’instruments de musique. Seulement en tant qu’interprète.
C’est une injustice, mais nous y reviendrons une autre fois.
Le plus difficile a été de me débarrasser de mes complexes intérieurs et de mon éducation soviétique, selon laquelle demander de l’argent n’est pas humble. Il ne faut pas être fier et mendiant. Je veux donc faire remarquer à toutes les personnes créatives que c’est fondamentalement une mauvaise position. Tout créateur mérite une vie de qualité. Je vous assure qu’il existe des ressources dans le monde pour que ce soit le cas.
J’ai appris qu’il était possible de demander une subvention en tant que personne créative et en tant que nouveau citoyen de l’État d’Israël. J’ai ensuite dû rédiger un CV et préparer un portfolio.
Une semaine après avoir envoyé la demande, j’ai reçu un appel et un rendez-vous pour une audition.
Le comité de subvention se trouvait à Jérusalem. J’ai décidé que je devais faire la démonstration d’un extrait de la sonate “Arpeggione” de Schubert joué à l’arpeggione.
On peut dire que c’était le premier concert de ma vie où je jouais des classiques. Du moins, quelque chose qui n’était pas de ma propre composition. Et sur un instrument que je ne maîtrise que depuis deux ans. Et avec un archet. Oui, devant un jury strict de musiciens et de compositeurs célèbres. Et je dois parler de moi et de mon instrument dans une autre langue. Et à 10 heures du matin. Et compte tenu de la route, je devais me lever à 4 heures du matin.
Je me préparais pour le concours depuis 2 semaines, en mettant de côté tout ce qui pouvait me distraire d’une manière ou d’une autre.
Alors le jour “X” est arrivé.
Pour ne pas trop m’inquiéter, je me suis dit que ce n’était qu’une aventure. C’est ma nouvelle expérience. Je ne vais pas passer un examen, mais montrer aux gens un instrument qu’ils n’ont probablement jamais vu. C’est une mission caritative. Heureusement, ça s’est mieux passé que je ne le pensais. Le comité comptait quelques musiciens originaires d’Union soviétique. Je leur ai parlé de mon projet et de l’instrument en russe. Tout le monde a été très surpris et intéressé. Et même si je n’ai pas joué parfaitement, ils m’ont donné la meilleure note.
Et avec ce prix est venue une récompense financière pour l’achat de l’équipement musical nécessaire.
C’est un grand jour pour moi et pour mon projet. C’est aujourd’hui que je me suis rendu compte que je faisais ce qu’il fallait et ce qu’il fallait. Et je vais trouver des gens pour travailler avec moi. Et je vais m’efforcer d’obtenir de nouveaux sponsors et des subventions.
L’année prochaine est une année anniversaire – 225 ans depuis la naissance du grand compositeur Franz Schubert. Je veux jouer sa grande sonate en son honneur.
Et aussi en l’honneur du maître qui a créé l’arpège, Johann Stauffer.
Oui, en l’honneur de tous les maîtres qui fabriquent des instruments de musique. Après tout, ils sont toujours dans l’ombre des interprètes.
Una breve storia su come il progetto Arpeggione Today ha vinto il suo 1° sussidio dallo stato. È un grande giorno.
Come introduzione.
È sempre difficile per una persona creativa. Che sia un artista, un musicista, un poeta. Tutte queste persone creano un prodotto che spesso è difficile da monetizzare. Parola fantasiosa, ma cosa fare. E ogni persona creativa è sempre in una scelta tra la congiuntura e l’arte pura.
Viviamo in un mondo di relazioni merce-denaro. E conosciamo tutti molto bene la piramide di Maslow in cui la creatività è sempre su un gradino più alto dopo la chiusura dei bisogni umani fondamentali. Quindi come vive una persona creativa? Creare francamente per i bisogni del giorno? O essere quell’artista affamato che è morto in povertà e 200 anni dopo le sue opere sono diventate dei capolavori. Il più delle volte è questo scenario.
Anche se occasionalmente c’è un terzo caso. Quando mecenati, sponsor e patrocinatori vengono ad aiutare.
Cosa sto facendo da diversi anni a questa parte?
Sto facendo rinascere la vita come l’uccello fenice di un bellissimo strumento del XIX secolo – l’arpeggione, il violoncello, la chitarra ad arco.
Grazie a Franz Schubert esiste un’opera classica per questo strumento musicale. Uno dei capolavori della musica classica è la “sonata per arpeggione e pianoforte”. Ti ho già parlato molto di questo strumento e della storia molto interessante della sua origine. Puoi leggerla sul mio sito o guardarla sul mio canale.
Ora voglio raccontarvi come il progetto ha ricevuto i più alti elogi e una sovvenzione di sviluppo dal governo dello Stato di Israele. Non ho potuto fare domanda come costruttore di strumenti musicali. Solo come esecutore.
Questa è un’ingiustizia, ma ne riparleremo un’altra volta.
La parte più difficile è stata liberarmi dei miei complessi interiori e della mia educazione sovietica su come chiedere soldi non sia umile. Non si dovrebbe essere orgogliosi e mendicanti. Quindi, voglio far notare a tutte le persone creative che questa è fondamentalmente una posizione sbagliata. Qualsiasi creatore merita una vita di qualità. Vi assicuro che ci sono risorse nel mondo perché ciò avvenga.
Ho scoperto l’opportunità di fare domanda per una borsa di studio come persona creativa e come nuovo cittadino dello Stato di Israele. Poi ho dovuto scrivere un curriculum e preparare un portfolio.
Una settimana dopo aver inviato la domanda ho ricevuto una chiamata e un appuntamento per un’audizione.
La commissione per le sovvenzioni era a Gerusalemme. Decisi che dovevo dimostrare un estratto della sonata “Arpeggione” di Schubert suonata con l’arpeggione.
Si può dire che questo è stato il primo concerto della mia vita in cui ho suonato i classici. Almeno qualcosa che non fosse di mia composizione. E su uno strumento che padroneggiavo solo da due anni. E con un arco. Sì, davanti a una severa giuria di musicisti e compositori famosi. E devo raccontare di me e del mio strumento in una lingua diversa. E alle 10 del mattino. E tenendo conto della strada ho dovuto alzarmi alle 4 del mattino.
Avevo preparato il concorso per 2 settimane, mettendo da parte tutto ciò che poteva in qualche modo distrarmi.
Così è arrivato il giorno “X”.
Per non preoccuparmi troppo, mi sono detto che era solo un’avventura. Questa è la mia nuova esperienza. Non vado per un esame, ma per mostrare alla gente uno strumento che probabilmente non ha mai visto. In una missione caritatevole. Fortunatamente è andata meglio di quanto mi aspettassi. Nella commissione c’erano alcuni musicisti originari dell’Unione Sovietica. Ho parlato loro del mio progetto e dello strumento in russo. Erano tutti molto sorpresi e interessati. E anche se non ho suonato perfettamente, mi hanno dato il punteggio più alto.
E con questo premio è arrivata una ricompensa finanziaria per l’acquisto dell’attrezzatura musicale necessaria.
Questo è un grande giorno per me e per il mio progetto. È stato oggi che ho capito che stavo facendo la cosa giusta e la cosa più giusta. E troverò persone che lavoreranno con me. E lavorerò per ottenere nuovi sponsor e sovvenzioni.
Il prossimo anno è un anno di anniversario – 225 anni dalla nascita del grande compositore Franz Schubert. Voglio suonare la sua grande sonata in questo onore.
E anche in onore del maestro che ha creato l’arpeggione, Johann Stauffer.
Sì, in onore di tutti i maestri che fanno strumenti musicali. Dopo tutto, sono sempre all’ombra degli esecutori.
Una breve historia sobre cómo el proyecto Arpeggione Today obtuvo su primera subvención del Estado. Es un gran día.
Como introducción.
Siempre es difícil para una persona creativa. Ya sea un artista, un músico, un poeta. Todas estas personas crean un producto que a menudo es difícil de monetizar. Palabra elegante pero que hacer. Y cualquier persona creativa está siempre en una elección entre la coyuntura y el arte puro.
Vivimos en un mundo de relaciones mercancía-dinero. Y todos conocemos muy bien la pirámide de Maslow en la que la creatividad está siempre en un escalón superior tras el cierre de las necesidades humanas básicas. Entonces, ¿cómo vive una persona creativa? ¿De crear francamente para las necesidades del día? O ser ese artista hambriento que murió en la pobreza y 200 años después sus obras se convirtieron en obras maestras. La mayoría de las veces es este escenario.
Aunque de vez en cuando hay un tercer caso. Cuando los mecenas, los patrocinadores y los mecenas vienen a ayudar.
¿Qué estoy haciendo desde hace varios años?
Estoy reviviendo la vida, como el ave Fénix, de un hermoso instrumento del siglo XIX: el arpegio, el violonchelo, la guitarra de arco.
Gracias a Franz Schubert existe una obra clásica para este instrumento musical. Una de las obras maestras de la música clásica es la “sonata para arpeggione y piano”. Ya te he hablado mucho de este instrumento y de la interesantísima historia de su origen. Puedes leerla en mi página web o verla en mi canal.
Ahora quiero contarte cómo el proyecto recibió los mayores elogios y una subvención de desarrollo del gobierno del Estado de Israel. No pude presentarme como maestro constructor de instrumentos musicales. Sólo como intérprete.
Esto es una injusticia, pero hablaremos de ello en otra ocasión.
Lo más difícil fue deshacerme de mis complejos internos y de mi educación soviética sobre que pedir dinero no es humilde. No hay que ser orgulloso y mendigo. Así que quiero señalar a todas las personas creativas que esta es una postura fundamentalmente equivocada. Cualquier creador merece una vida de calidad. Les aseguro que hay recursos en el mundo para que así sea.
Me enteré de la oportunidad de solicitar una beca como persona creativa y como nuevo ciudadano del Estado de Israel. Después tuve que escribir un currículum y preparar un portafolio.
Una semana después de enviar la solicitud recibí una llamada y una cita para una audición.
El comité de becas estaba en Jerusalén. Decidí que tenía que hacer una demostración de un fragmento de la sonata “Arpeggione” de Schubert tocada con el arpegio.
Se puede decir que fue el primer concierto de mi vida en el que toqué los clásicos. Al menos algo que no era de mi propia composición. Y en un instrumento que sólo domino desde hace dos años. Y con un arco. Sí, ante un estricto jurado de músicos y compositores famosos. Y tengo que hablar de mí y de mi instrumento en un idioma diferente. Y a las 10 de la mañana. Y teniendo en cuenta el camino tuve que levantarme a las 4 de la mañana.
Llevaba 2 semanas preparando el concurso, dejando de lado todo lo que pudiera distraerme de alguna manera.
Así que llegó el día “X”.
Para no preocuparme tanto, me dije a mí mismo que sólo era una aventura. Esta es mi nueva experiencia. No voy a hacer un examen, sino a mostrar a la gente un instrumento que probablemente nunca han visto. En una misión benéfica. Afortunadamente, todo fue mejor de lo que esperaba. Había algunos músicos en el comité que eran originarios de la Unión Soviética. Les hablé de mi proyecto y del instrumento en ruso. Todos se mostraron muy sorprendidos e interesados. Y aunque no toqué perfectamente, me dieron la máxima puntuación.
Y con este premio llegó una recompensa económica para la compra del equipo musical necesario.
Este es un gran día para mí y para mi proyecto. Hoy me he dado cuenta de que estaba haciendo lo correcto y lo adecuado. Y encontraré gente que trabaje conmigo. Y trabajaré para conseguir nuevos patrocinadores y subvenciones.
El año que viene es un año de aniversario: 225 años del nacimiento del gran compositor Franz Schubert. Quiero tocar su gran sonata en ese honor.
Y también en honor del maestro que creó el arpegio, Johann Stauffer.
Sí, en honor a todos los maestros que fabrican instrumentos musicales. Después de todo, siempre están a la sombra de los intérpretes.
Eine kurze Geschichte darüber, wie das Projekt “Arpeggione Today” seinen ersten Zuschuss vom Staat erhielt. Es ist ein großer Tag.
Zur Einführung.
Es ist immer schwierig für einen kreativen Menschen. Egal ob es sich um einen Künstler, einen Musiker oder einen Dichter handelt. All diese Menschen schaffen ein Produkt, das oft schwer zu vermarkten ist. Ein schickes Wort, aber was soll man tun? Und jeder kreative Mensch hat immer die Wahl zwischen Konjunktur und reiner Kunst.
Wir leben in einer Welt der Ware-Geld-Beziehungen. Und wir alle kennen die Maslowsche Pyramide sehr gut, in der die Kreativität immer auf einer höheren Stufe steht als die Befriedigung der menschlichen Grundbedürfnisse. Wie lebt also ein kreativer Mensch? Um offen für die Bedürfnisse des Tages zu schaffen? Oder der hungernde Künstler zu sein, der in Armut starb und 200 Jahre später ein Meisterwerk schuf? Meistens ist es dieses Szenario.
Gelegentlich gibt es aber auch einen dritten Fall. Wenn Mäzene, Sponsoren und Gönner kommen, um zu helfen.
Was mache ich nun schon seit einigen Jahren?
Ich erwecke wie der Phönix ein wunderschönes Instrument des 19. Jahrhunderts zum Leben – das Arpeggione, die Cellogitarre, die Streichgitarre.
Dank Franz Schubert gibt es ein klassisches Werk für dieses Musikinstrument. Eines der Meisterwerke der klassischen Musik ist die “Sonate für Arpeggione und Klavier”. Ich habe Ihnen schon viel über dieses Instrument und die sehr interessante Geschichte seiner Entstehung erzählt. Ihr könnt sie auf meiner Website nachlesen oder auf meinem Kanal ansehen.
Jetzt möchte ich Ihnen erzählen, wie das Projekt höchstes Lob und einen Entwicklungszuschuss von der Regierung des Staates Israel erhalten hat. Ich konnte mich nicht als Musikinstrumentenbaumeister bewerben. Nur als Interpret.
Das ist eine Ungerechtigkeit, aber dazu ein andermal mehr.
Am schwierigsten war es, meine inneren Komplexe und meine sowjetische Erziehung loszuwerden, dass es nicht demütig ist, um Geld zu bitten. Man sollte nicht stolz und bettelarm sein. Ich möchte also alle kreativen Menschen darauf hinweisen, dass dies eine grundsätzlich falsche Haltung ist. Jeder Kreative hat ein gutes Leben verdient. Ich versichere Ihnen, dass es auf der Welt Ressourcen gibt, die das ermöglichen.
Ich erfuhr von der Möglichkeit, mich als kreativer Mensch und als neuer Bürger des Staates Israel um ein Stipendium zu bewerben. Danach musste ich einen Lebenslauf schreiben und eine Mappe vorbereiten.
Eine Woche nachdem ich die Bewerbung abgeschickt hatte, erhielt ich einen Anruf und einen Termin für ein Vorsprechen.
Der Stipendienausschuss war in Jerusalem. Ich entschied, dass ich einen Auszug aus Schuberts “Arpeggione”-Sonate auf dem Arpeggione vorspielen sollte.
Man könnte sagen, dass dies das erste Konzert in meinem Leben war, bei dem ich Klassiker gespielt habe. Zumindest etwas, das nicht aus meiner eigenen Feder stammte. Und auf einem Instrument, das ich erst seit zwei Jahren beherrsche. Und mit einem Bogen. Ja, vor einer strengen Jury aus berühmten Musikern und Komponisten. Und ich muss in einer anderen Sprache über mich und mein Instrument erzählen. Und das um 10 Uhr morgens. Und wenn man den Weg berücksichtigt, musste ich um 4 Uhr morgens aufstehen.
Ich hatte mich zwei Wochen lang auf den Wettbewerb vorbereitet und alles beiseite geschoben, was mich irgendwie ablenken könnte.
Dann kam der Tag “X”.
Damit ich mir nicht so viele Sorgen mache, sagte ich mir, dass es nur ein Abenteuer ist. Dies ist meine neue Erfahrung. Ich gehe nicht für eine Prüfung, sondern um den Leuten ein Instrument zu zeigen, das sie wahrscheinlich noch nie gesehen haben. Ich bin in wohltätiger Mission unterwegs. Zum Glück lief es besser, als ich erwartet hatte. Im Komitee saßen einige Musiker, die ursprünglich aus der Sowjetunion stammten. Ich erzählte ihnen auf Russisch von meinem Projekt und dem Instrument. Alle waren sehr überrascht und interessiert. Und obwohl ich nicht perfekt gespielt habe, haben sie mir die höchste Punktzahl gegeben.
Und mit dieser Auszeichnung kam eine finanzielle Belohnung für den Kauf der notwendigen Musikausrüstung.
Das ist ein großer Tag für mich und mein Projekt. Heute habe ich gemerkt, dass ich das Richtige tue, und zwar das Richtige. Und ich werde Leute finden, die mit mir zusammenarbeiten. Und ich werde daran arbeiten, neue Sponsoren und Zuschüsse zu bekommen.
Nächstes Jahr ist ein Jubiläumsjahr – 225 Jahre seit der Geburt des großen Komponisten Franz Schubert. Zu diesem Anlass möchte ich seine große Sonate spielen.
Und auch zu Ehren des Meisters, der das Arpeggione erfunden hat, Johann Stauffer.
Ja, zu Ehren aller Meister, die Musikinstrumente bauen. Schließlich stehen sie immer im Schatten der Interpreten.
Arpeggione Todayプロジェクトが州からの1回目の助成金を獲得したことについてのショートストーリーです。素晴らしい一日です。
序章として。
創造的な人にとってはいつも難しいことです。それが芸術家であれ、音楽家であれ、詩人であれ。これらの人々は皆、マネタイズが難しい製品を作っています。派手な言葉だけど、どうしたらいいのか。そして、どんなクリエイティブな人でも、常にコンジャンクションか純粋なアートかの選択を迫られます。
私たちは、商品とお金の関係の世界に生きています。そして、私たちは皆、マズローのピラミッドをよく知っています。創造性は、人間の基本的な欲求を満たした後、常に上位のステップにあります。では、クリエイティブな人はどのように生きているのでしょうか?その日のニーズのために率直に創造するのか?それとも、貧しさの中で死んでいき、200年後に作品が傑作になるような、飢えた芸術家になるのでしょうか。ほとんどの場合、このようなシナリオになります。
しかし、たまに3つ目のケースがあります。パトロン、スポンサー、後援者が助けに来てくれる場合です。
私はここ数年、何をしているか。
アルペジオーネ、チェロ・ギター、ボウ・ギターなど、19世紀の美しい楽器の不死鳥のような命を蘇らせているのです。
フランツ・シューベルトのおかげで、この楽器のための古典的な作品があります。クラシック音楽の傑作のひとつに “アルペジオーネとピアノのためのソナタ “があります。この楽器と、その起源についての非常に興味深い歴史については、すでに多くのことをお話しました。私のウェブサイトで読むことができますし、私のチャンネルで見ることもできます。
ここからは、このプロジェクトがいかにして最高の評価を受け、イスラエル政府から開発助成金を受けたかをお話ししたいと思います。私は楽器作りの名人としては応募できませんでした。演奏家としてしか応募できなかったのです。
これは不公平なことだが、それについてはまた別の機会に。
一番大変だったのは、自分の中のコンプレックスや、お金を求めることは謙虚ではないというソ連での教育を捨てることでした。誇りを持って物乞いをしてはいけないのです。ですから、私はすべてのクリエイティブな人々に、これは根本的に間違った立場だと指摘したいのです。どんなクリエイターでも、質の高い生活を送るべきです。そのためのリソースは世界にあると断言します。
私は、クリエイティブな人間として、またイスラエル国家の新しい市民として、助成金を申請する機会を知りました。その後、履歴書を書き、ポートフォリオを用意しなければなりませんでした。
申請書を送ってから1週間後、電話がかかってきて、オーディションの予約をしました。
助成委員会はエルサレムにありました。私は、シューベルトのソナタ「アルペジオーネ」の抜粋をアルペジオーネで演奏してみせることにしました。
これは、私の人生で初めてクラシックを演奏したコンサートだったと言えるでしょう。少なくとも、自分で作曲したものではありませんでした。しかも、まだ2年間しか習得していない楽器で。しかも、弓を使って。そう、有名な音楽家や作曲家からなる厳しい審査員の前で。そして、私自身と私の楽器について、異なる言語で語らなければなりません。しかも、朝の10時から。道のりを考えれば、朝4時には起きなければなりません。
私は2週間前からコンテストの準備をしていましたが、気が散るようなものはすべて捨てていました。
そして迎えた「X」の日。
心配しすぎないように、「これは冒険だ」と自分に言い聞かせた。これは私の新しい経験です。私は試験のために行くのではなく、おそらく見たことのない楽器を人々に見せるために行くのです。慈善的な使命感を持って。幸いなことに、予想以上にうまくいきました。委員会には、もともとソ連出身の音楽家が何人かいました。彼らにロシア語で私のプロジェクトと楽器のことを話しました。皆、とても驚き、興味を持ってくれた。そして、完璧な演奏ではなかったにもかかわらず、最高得点を与えてくれたのです。
そしてこの賞には、必要な音楽機器を購入するための金銭的な報酬も含まれていました。
これは、私と私のプロジェクトにとって素晴らしい日です。私は今日、自分が正しいことをしていると実感しましたし、正しいことをしていると思いました。そして、私と一緒に仕事をしてくれる人を探します。そして、新しいスポンサーや助成金を得るために努力します。
来年は、偉大な作曲家フランツ・シューベルトの生誕から225年という記念すべき年です。その栄誉を称えて、彼の偉大なソナタを演奏したいと思います。
また、アルペジオーネを生み出した巨匠、ヨハン・シュタウファーにも敬意を表して。
そう、楽器を作ったすべての巨匠に敬意を表して。結局のところ、彼らは常に演奏者の影にいるのです。

Arpeggione Sonata played on the musical instrument arpeggione
Hi!
You may have been perplexed when you started watching this video.
Let me tell you more about it.
Franz Schubert wrote his sonata “Arpeggione” specifically for this musical instrument. And it was originally just called “Guitar Cello”.
I have several videos on my channel devoted to the history of this instrument.
My name is Pavel Goldberg. I’m a guitar master from Russia. I am also a musician, composer and performer. I was fascinated by the arpeggione.
I made this instrument for myself and started a project to revive and popularize this musical instrument – “ARPEGGIONE TODAY”.
My goal is to draw attention to this once underappreciated musical instrument. Now we have even begun production of the arpeggione.
And soon everyone will be able to own such an instrument.
And of course I have the excitement of playing Franz Schubert’s legendary sonata for arpeggione and piano.
I’m still on my way to perfection. I’ve only been practicing for two more years.
Here is the second movement of the Arpeggione Sonata.
Next year is the 225th birthday of the great composer.
At the end of the video is a bit of cuteness. My puppy loves music very much. She listened intently as I played and then expressed her attitude as best she could.
Привет!
Возможно, начав просмотр этого видео ты в недоумении.
Позволь рассказать тебе подробнее.
Франц Шуберт написал свою сонату “Арпеджионе” именно для этого музыкального инструмента. И назывался он изначально просто “гитара-виолончель”.
У меня на канале есть несколько видео посвященных истории этого инструмента.
Меня зовут Павел Гольдберг. Я гитарный мастер из России. А еще я музыкант, композитор, исполнитель. Когда -то меня пленил арпеджионе.
Я изготовил для себя этот инструмент и начал проект возрождения и популяризации этого музыкального инструмента – “ARPEGGIONE TODAY”.
Моя цель привлечь внимание к этому, когда-то недооцененному музыкальному инструменту. Сейчас мы даже начали производство арпеджионе. И скоро каждый желающий сможет обладать таким инструментом.
И конечно мне азартно исполнять легендарную сонату для аrpeggione и фортепиано Франца Шуберта.
Я еще на пути к совершенству. Я тренируюсь еще только два года.
Вашему вниманию вторая часть сонаты “Arpeggione”
В следующем году исполняется 225 лет со Дня Рождения великого композитора.
Соната арпеджионе в исполнении на музыкальном инструменте арпеджионе
В конце видео немного милоты. Моя щенок очень любит музыку. Она внимательно слушала, как я играл а потом выразила свое отношение как могла.
Arpeggione music instrument
Here is a fragment from the Russian TV programme “Kultura” about the history of the musical instrument Arpeggione and the fate of the master who invented it.
My video and audio was used for this programme.
Do not forget to include subtitles and translation.

Calculation of the alternative apreggione (guitar) fret position.
Calculation of an alternative fret position, taking into account the additional tension appearing in the string when it is pressed to the fret.
This calculation is considered in this work, for the musical instrument “arpeggione”.
The data obtained in this work can be adapted to any musical instrument with the equal temperament scale.
When the string is at rest, a tension force acts on the string.
Depending on the diameter of the string, its material, and the tension of the string, it will vibrate at a certain frequency when a finger, pick, or bow is acting on it.
More accurately, it will be the sum of the spectral components – harmonics, known to musicians as – natural flageolets.
In this study, we are interested only in the basic tone. It is the initial parameter for calculating the arrangement of the frets.
Modern musical instruments use an equal temperament scale. It is peculiarity is that the octave is divided into 12 equal semitones.
Increasing the sound of a note by an octave means increasing the frequency twofold. For example: “a1” is 440 Hz, “a2” of the second octave is 880 Hz. The difference in frequency of neighboring semitones is the twelfth root of two.

Formula 1
The modern practice of making guitars and other musical instruments with a equal temperament scale uses this principle in calculating the position of the frets. This does not take into account the rigidity of the string. This results in an inaccurate tuning. And, as you move from the first fret to the last fret, this inaccuracy increases.
This work is intended to provide a mathematical way to calculate the position of each fret, taking into account the rigidity of the strings.
Figure 1 shows the geometry of the string.
AB is the distance from the nut to saddle (or bridge).
AC is the actual length of the string.
12 and 24 are the fret numbers.

Figure 1. String geometry.
As you can see, the height of the string on the 24th fret is more than on the 12th fret.
When we press a string to a fret, we are acting on the string with some force. This additional force is added to the resting tension force and results in an increase in the vibration frequency of the string. And this force increases as the fret number increases, because the distance from the string to the fret at each successive fret is slightly greater than at the previous one.
In normal guitar fine tuning practice, this extra tension is compensated for once by increasing the length of the string. For electric guitars, it’s tuning with the saddles of each string. For acoustic and classical guitars, it is the displacement of the bridge with the saddle by a certain distance. For guitars with a movable bridge – it is moved all together. Usually this value for the first string is about 2 mm – for the 6th string – about 5 mm.
The thicker and therefore more rigid the string, the greater this additional force.
Consequently, the distance by which you have to move the saddle increases.
Usually for this kind of tuning, you compare the natural harmonic at the 12th fret to the frequency of the string vibrating at the 12th fret. The natural harmonic is free of additional tension. The string pressed at the 12th fret has some additional tension. The saddle is moved to such a length that the oscillation frequency of the natural harmonic and the pressed string are the same.
However, as I said earlier, string height is a value that grows from the first to the last fret.
And we compare it once on the 12th fret.
So the guitar has the exact tuning only on the 12th fret.
It is important to note that this calculation must be done for different types of strings, material and gauge.
However, even with the averaged values, this fret location scheme will be more accurate than the geometrical one that manufacturers use now.
Some tuning error can then be compensated by adjusting the saddle position.

Table 1. String height above each fret.
Figure 2: Diameter and tension data provided by the manufacturer.
For a standard scale length – 650 mm
(b1) diameter 0.41 mm, tension – 10.53 kg.
The note “E” of the one-line octave.
The frequency is 246.94 Hz
(E) diameter 1.35 mm, tension – 11.05 kg.
The note “E” of the great octave.
Frequency – 82.41 Hz
Input data for the calculation.
Scale length (l) – 650 мм – 0,65 м
Tension (N)- 10,53 kg- 103,19 Н
Diameter (d) – 0,41 мм = 0,00041 м
Density (ρ) – 7800 kg/м3
The frequency of the string is calculated using the formula.

Formula 2
f = 239,7676912 Hz

Table 2
We obtained a value slightly different from the tabulated frequency value. The reason for this is that we took the average density value for steel. . A specific string material may have a slightly different density.
The density of the string material should be determined using the inverse formula.

Formula 3

Table 3
We got a value of 7500.6 kg/m3
Now I need to calculate the tension for my note and string length.

Formula 4

Table 4
The calculation will be made by the theory of flexible thread, taking into account the elasticity of the material.
The formulas are taken from the work of:
https://vestnik.sibadi.org/jour/article/viewFile/352/350
To simplify the calculations, let’s assume that when the string is pressed to the fret, the elongation of the string from nut to fret and from fret to saddle is the same.
In this case we can use the following scheme

Figure 3. Calculation scheme of the flexible thread.
Elongation of each part of the string with elastic modulus (E), the cross-sectional area (А), the initial tension (N0) and additional tension (N)
The shape that the string takes when it is pressed against the fret is described by a quadratic equation and is shaped like a parabola.

Formula 5

Figure 4
Because of the small movements of the string when it is pressed to the fret, we will make another assumption.
Let’s assume that the string is bent only at the point where it is pressed to the fret and that the parts of the string to the left and right of the fret are a straight line.

Figure 5

Table 5
Thus, knowing the height of the string above each fret, we can determine the additional elongation of the string when it is pressed against the fret. And knowing the cross-sectional area of the string (A), the initial tension (N0) and the rigidity of the material to calculate the additional tension.

Formula 6

Table 6
Now we can calculate the total tension of the string on each fret.

Table 7. Total string tension, taking into account the tension of the string against the fret.
From this tension, we can calculate the length of string needed to sound at the frequency we want.

Table 8. Estimated length to obtain the tone of the desired frequency.
The results we obtained refer to the real length of the string. This is the hypotenuse of the triangle. (AC). To obtain the values of the fret positions, we need to know the value in the plane of the fingerboard. (АВ).
The table below gives comparative values of the standard fret position calculation of the values obtained in this study. It also indicates the absolute value of the offset of each fret towards the nut.

Table 9. Standard fret placement, estimated fret placement and absolute difference for each fret.

Figure 6
Conclusions:
The calculations show the correctness of the assumption that it is necessary to compensate for the additional tension that occurs in the string when it is pressed against the fret. The results obtained for the 12 and 24 fret shifts correspond to the values obtained in practice for fine guitar tuning.
The calculation is made for 1 arpeggione string – 2 guitar string.
For thicker and more rigid bass strings, the offset will be much larger.
The calculations have an inaccuracy due to assumptions.
1. The modulus of elasticity of the string material is taken as standard for steel. It may vary slightly for a particular string wire material.
2. It is accepted that the bending of the string occurs only at the point of pressure on the fret. Although the string is shaped like a parabola.
3. When the string is pressed against the fret, the string lengthens evenly along its entire length.
4. The distance from the nut to the tuner is not taken into account.
Using this calculation will return the saddle to the calculated scale length.
Some slight inaccuracy of the tuning – due to the physical characteristics of the particular strings used can be compensated for by a slight shift of the saddle or bridge as a whole.
The inaccuracy of the bass strings will be about half as much as with the standard fret position.
This inaccuracy can be corrected by fanning the frets.

Arpeggione music instrument sound
Pavel Goldberg performs author's cover versions of famous works on a rare musical instrument of the 19th century - the arpeggione.
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Seline Dion - "My heart will go on"
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Besame mucho
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Franz Schubert - "Ave Maria"
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Leonard Cohen - "Hallelujah"
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Beatles - "Let it be"