Cretan Lyrawpntr2018-12-19T18:03:55+00:00It is a tradition to play Lyra in Greece, especially in the Crete island. When the traditional structure of the Lyre is compared with the modern type of Lyre coming from Greece there are some modifications. While the tuning in the traditional and slightly smaller Lyra is 4-1-5, the tuning of the modern Lyra is like that of the Violin. The middle string in the traditional Lyra had the function of a bourdon and one of the other two strings was always played together with this string. The range was a sixth. In the modern lyra the distance between the strings is increased and now it is possible to play all the strings. The board in the old version with pegs on the back part has been substituded with a scroll and a tuner mechanism. In the modern version the three strings pass over a bridge and there is now a fingerboard. The instrument is played with a modern Violin bow. The bow in the front belongs to a kind of lyre coming from Rhodes. 