The Devil's Fiddle
The Devil's Fiddle - Chicago, 1989.
Wood, metal, & skin. 73" x 12" x 8"
Built by Hal Rammel as a facsimile to similar instruments
found in central Europe in the 1700s to 1800s.
The string is bowed with a notched stick to create a
drumroll effect as the foot of the instrument is hit against the ground.
There are many, many variations on this in Europe and North America
- both commercially produced and homemade - from the English bladder and
string to the German Teufelsgeige, and Stumpf Fiddle (Wisconsin).
This particular instrument was constructed as part of research for an article
tracing the history of these instruments for the journal Experimental Musical
Instruments.
The Devil's Fiddle - Wisconsin, 1992.
Wood, metal, & skin. 61" x 18' x 12."
Second devil's fiddle built by Hal Rammel with the additon
of several other sounding elements -cymbals,
bird calls, bells, xylophone, cowbell, rattle and guiro.