My name is Kate Shields, and I am a Brighton, UK-based musical saw player!
Frequently asked questions: Why on earth play the saw? Why not? ;) Its a fascinating instrument, which makes a beautiful, eerie and other-worldly sound. I’ve always been fascinated by unusual instruments, as well as the Weimar Berlin era- where I first heard of people playing the saw onstage as an unusual cabaret performance. My saw has taken me all over the country and helped me meet some amazing people and be part of exciting experiences. Where did you buy your saw? After much internet trawling, I bought my saw from this website. Good prices, friendly business and quick delivery :) Highly recommended! The saws I own are Parkstone Melody- specifically designed musical saws. Can you play any saw, or does it have to be a musical one?: You should be able to get a note out of any saw. Musical saws are just designed to look nicer, and be a little longer than your average saw, to allow for more notes. (The longer the saw, the more notes one can get from it.) Did you play the violin/cello before you started the saw?: My first instrument will always be the guitar (I played in a band called Gin Panic, and also Hate Camel, if you’re interested) and I played the violin when I was VERY young but was eventually wooed by the guitar as it didnt rely on SCALES and LESSONS and boring things like that. More recently I dabbled in the cello, albeit in an experimental/self-taught way, and the Erhu (Chinese Violin- bloody hard!) before I discovered the saw. How long did it take you to learn to play it? I started playing in around 2010, and it took me around 6 months to fully get to grips with it. Once I had worked out how to get it to ‘sing’ with a bow, the rest was just practice! How do you play it? The key to getting a note from a saw relies on the shape you bend it into. With the handle placed between the knees, you must bend it into an ‘S’ shape, and find a resonant spot along the edge. Once this spot is found, bending the blade changes the note. Shaking your knee creates vibrato (and also excites some onlookers!) Some saw players use something known as a 'cheat'- a device which makes the saw easier to play, but personally, I prefer to play without one. Did you take lessons? As I am already a self-taught musician, (and a stubborn one at that!) I more or less taught myself how to play. I watched online videos to get a vague idea and the rest was practice. I also learnt a HUGE amount from other saw players- whenever I meet a saw player, I ask them for a tip or advice that could improve my playing! Talking to other players is always helpful, but if you want to take lessons, just have a search online for your nearest teacher. There’s more of us than you think! :) What else do you do? By day, I am an artist and I also manage social media for charities. I also DJ! Should you be in Brighton/London, UK and fancy a saw lesson from me, do get in touch and email me: [email protected] Always happy to answer any questions not already answered here! |