“I have a saw-cy personality.”
~ancient carpenter joke
How DOES Ryder play the saw? Until The Dust Bowl Faeries, I’d heard about, but never actually seen, anyone who did a saw-based performance. Come on by their discussion/demonstration to learn more about this fascinating folk instrument and how Ryder uses it as part of their sonic landscape.
The saw is a musical instrument that produces a haunting, ethereal sound by bowing a flexible metal blade. It is used in folk music traditions of various countries, such as Russia, America, and France. The saw is often played as a solo instrument, or accompanied by a piano, guitar, or accordion. Some famous musical saw players include Marlene Dietrich, Tom Waits, and Natalia Paruz. The saw can create a range of pitches by bending the blade into different shapes, and can also produce harmonics and vibrato. The saw is considered a friction idiophone, meaning it produces sound by rubbing a non-sounding object (the bow) on a vibrating surface (the blade).