The Enchanted Melodies of the Musical Saw

Imagine a hand saw producing ethereal, otherworldly tones that are reminiscent of a theremin. This unique musical instrument is called a musical saw, or a singing saw, and it has captivated audiences with its hauntingly beautiful sound for centuries. Classified as a plaque friction idiophone with direct friction under the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification, the musical saw is a versatile and fascinating instrument that is played by bending the blade while bowing along the flat edge.

The origins of the musical saw can be traced back to folk music in Russia and rural America, where it was often used in vaudeville performances. Today, it is played by a dedicated community of musicians around the world, and even finds its way into orchestral music on occasion. In fact, the International Musical Saw Association (IMSA) organizes an annual International Musical Saw Festival, complete with a "Saw-Off" competition, in Santa Cruz and Felton, California every August. There are also musical saw festivals held in New York City, Japan, China, and Israel, showcasing the global appeal of this unique instrument.

So how exactly does one play a musical saw? Typically, the sawist sits down with the handle of the saw squeezed between their knees, and the far end held with one hand. Some sawists even play standing up, with the handle between their knees and the blade sticking out in front of them. The saw is usually played with the serrated edge, or "teeth", facing the body, although some players face them away. To produce a note, the sawist first bends the blade into an S-curve, with the curved parts damped from vibration to create the desired pitch. The "sweet spot" of the blade, which remains relatively flat in the center of the S-curve, is then bowed with a cello or violin bow, or struck with a mallet, to produce the sound.

One of the unique aspects of playing the musical saw is the ability to control the pitch by adjusting the S-curve of the blade. Moving the sweet spot towards the thinner end of the blade produces a higher pitch, while moving it towards the handle produces a lower pitch. Additionally, sawists can create harmonics by playing at varying distances on either side of the sweet spot, and add vibrato by shaking one of their legs or wobbling the hand that holds the tip of the blade. Once a note is produced, it can sustain for a surprisingly long time, allowing for expressive phrasing and musicality.

Musical saws come in various sizes, with different ranges and tones. A typical musical saw is about 5 inches wide at the handle end and 1 inch wide at the tip, and can produce about two octaves of range regardless of its length. Bass saws, which are larger and wider, can produce about two-and-a-half octaves of range, while some saws with special modifications can even achieve up to 5 octaves of range. There are also two-person saws, affectionately known as "misery whips", that can be played, although with less virtuosity, and produce only one octave or less of range.

Interestingly, most sawists use standard wood-cutting saws for playing the musical saw, although special musical saws are also available. Musical saw blades are typically wider and longer than wood-cutting saws, allowing for greater range and finer control. They do not have set or sharpened teeth, and may have grain running parallel to the back edge of the saw, rather than parallel to the teeth. Some musical saws are even made with thinner metal for increased flexibility, while others are made thicker for a richer tone, longer sustain, and stronger sounds.

The musical saw has been used in movie soundtracks, television commercials, and by orchestras worldwide. Although orchestral percussionists are seldom also sawists, the musical saw is sometimes called for in orchestral music. If a note outside of the saw's range is required, an electric guitar with a slide can be substituted. The largest musical saw ensemble was established on July 18, 2009, at the annual NYC Musical Saw Festival, with 53 musical saw players performing together.

German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich is perhaps the best-known musical saw player, but there are plenty of other musicians who specialize in the instrument or use it in their performances, such as David Coulter, Janeen Rae Heller, Mio Higashino, and Mara Carlyle, a London-based singer and songwriter who often performs using the musical saw.

We call this series “I don’t read music” since we are targeting beginners of all ages: children, teens, parents, grandparents. Folk music traditionally is not learned from sheet music or notes. Instead, it is learned by repetition and from being passed from generation to generation. We believe in this method of teaching, which is easier and more enjoyable.

This book includes 58 familiar and easy-to-play folk songs and melodies. Each song here is written with color circles and letter notes inside. All songs have been simplified and transposed for one octave.