The Musical Saw- A Different Kind of Instrument

First of all, have you ever actually seen someone play a musical saw? Wait... let me take one step back. Have you ever heard of a musical saw? I have seen one played on three different occasions, and after the third time I decided that it was something that I really wanted to play myself. I did some searching on the internet and found that they are actually quite inexpensive. You can get a whole kit, the saw, bow, case, and accessories, for around $100. So I put it on my Christmas wish list and to my delight I received it on December 25th.

About the Musical Saw

So how do you play a musical saw you might ask. It's actually quite simple. Unusual, but simple. I've been told that the guitar is one of the easiest instruments to play, but I think the musical saw might rank up there pretty close to being one of the easiest also. In fact, about three hours after I unwrapped it I was already playing simple melodies on my saw.

Before explaining how to play it, let me give you a quick description of the saw. It looks just like a regular saw except that it is more flexible. It has a serrated edge, but it is not nearly as sharp as a normal saw. My saw is a 30-inch baritone saw with a two-octave range of playable notes.

To play a musical saw, you have to sit down in a chair and position your knees about three inches apart from each other. The wooden handle of the saw is placed between your knees and the left hand is used to bend the saw down (obviously to your left). Then comes the tricky part; your left hand must hold the tip of the saw and bend the saw into an S-shape. Sound will not be produced unless this S-shape is present. The different tones are produced by bending the saw up and down.

Two different methods are used to make the sounds. The right hand can either hit the saw with some sort of mallet, or a cello bow can be used to stroke the top edge (non-serrated edge) of the saw. I prefer to use the bow because it produces a sweeter, clearer sound. Oh, I almost forgot. For each individual note, it is also necessary to bow (or tap) at a certain spot, called the "sweet spot", on the saw. If you do not play where the sweet spot is located, little or no sound will come out of the saw. Both the S-shape and sweet spot concepts sound complicated, but they really aren't as difficult to master as it might sound. Like I said earlier, it is a very easy instrument to learn!

As would be expected, musical saw has its own unique sound. It has a ghostly sound, something like a lady with a high, very airy voice. It can make beautiful music though if the performer can control it well. Vibrato, which can be created by shaking the left leg up and down quickly, greatly enhances the sound as well.

Maintaining a Musical Saw

If you know anything about stringed instruments, you know how important it is to rosin a bow before playing in order to created friction on the strings. The same is true for the musical saw. However, a saw uses a LOT of rosin. Sometimes it is necessary to rosin the bow between every single song. As a result of the saw requiring so much rosin, it is also wise to wipe off the saw after each song so that the rosin doesn't build up and make the saw all sticky.

Not only is it important to keep a musical saw clean of rosin, careful attention must be payed to its storage. If the saw is not used for a week or more, a fine coat of WD-40 should be sprayed on it just to keep it looking nice.

One last word about Musical Saws

Musical saws are perfect for playing hymns and other slower songs. It is not possible to play fast songs on a saw because it is difficult to bend the saw up and down and get the right tones at high speeds. I'm sure the more you practice though, the faster you can eventually play.

Theoretically, you can pull a tune out of any saw. If you wanted to, you could go to your garage, pull out your saw and a small hammer, and begin playing some lullabies or something. However, no regular saw can match the sound quality and playability of a real musical saw. If you would like to pick up a fun instrument that will quickly catch other people's attention (it's not everyday you see someone playing "Amazing Grace" on a saw) you should consider getting a musical saw. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I am so glad that I was able to get one for myself. If you have any other questions, please let me know, and I would be glad to give you an answer as soon as possible.