I've been checking out this new-to-me instrument called a Megatar. Having never held one myself, nor having seen on up close and personal, I'm still trying to decide what to think. Out here in Far Western Suburbia, where folks follow country music and think Megatar is some sort of monster truck, I'm not likely to encounter one by chance any time soon. We're cutting edge and hip that way.
Apparently - okay, obviously - this is a stringed instrument. Twelve strings. Six bass and six treble. Unlike other stringed instruments, the megatar requires no plucking, picking or bowing of the strings. It is played by tapping them. From what I can tell, the technique is akin to playing a piano in that the touch of the finger results in the sound.
Piano, by the way, is a stringed instrument. Someone actually had to tell me that. I'm slow that way.
Like a guitar or other instrument in which the finger comes into direct contact with the string, the strings are set parallel to each other on a neck and tuned to fourths, with tonal intervals adjacent to each other on its respective string. If that makes any sense at all, I'll be surprised.
Here's an enjoyable video that demonstrates the playing of a megatar. (That's one cool cat! The musician is good, too.)
The Mobias Megatar site has more videos and information. Definitely worth a look. The Megatar Megablog provides updates, specials, audio clips, posts about the making of megatars and more. And you can follow Megatar Man, Traktor Topaz on Twitter. (Who is just itching to get one of these things into my hands!)
