The music shop down the road probably doesn't offer musical saw lessons, but the aspiring musician needn't worry; most saw virtuosos are self-taught.
The first step in playing the saw is to assemble 3 necessary ingredients: A saw, a bow, and rosin, as explained in Introduction to the Musical Saw, written by Sheila Gaquin and published on Suite101.Com on November 20, 2007.
The Critical-S
To produce the famous saw sound, whether using a specially made musical saw or an ordinary handsaw, the blade must be bent into an S-shape. Most saw players accomplish this by holding the handle of the saw between their knees, with the teeth facing their torso.
Then, using the non-dominant hand, the player places fingers over the top edge of the saw, with the palm facing the saw blade, and bends the saw blade down over-but not touching--the thigh, producing the first bend of the S-curve. Next, using the thumb, the player bends the top 5-inches or so of the saw blade up, in the opposite direction (see photos below.) Tap on the saw blade with a stick, mallet or small hammer to check the sound.
A Handle Helps
Holding the saw in the S-shape is very tiring, especially if the saw blade is stiff. Some saw players use a wooden handle that fits over the end of the saw. The handle produces the second bend with much less effort. These can usually be purchased from places like Lark in the Morning or Musical Saw website. However, a do-it-yourselfer can use the saw for its original purpose-cutting wood--and make a handle from a few scraps of wood.
Rosin the Bow
Sound is produced on a saw blade in the same way that it is produced on a violin string: by friction. Pulling a bow across the string causes it to vibrate and produce a sound. Since a saw blade is essentially a huge string, it takes a lot of friction to make it to vibrate and produce an audible sound. This is where rosin comes in.
Rosen makes the bow hairs stickier, creating more friction, and thus more sound. To rosin the bow for the first time, scratch the surface of the new cake of rosin and pull the bow hair across the rosin cake many times-30, 40 or more. Try the bow on the saw, and if the sound is weak, rosin some more.
Bowing
The best and purest sound is produced when the hair of the bow is held at right angles to the saw blade. Just like a violin, there are variations in sounds when the bow is pushed or pulled across the blade. Experiment with pushing and pulling the bow across the non-toothed edge of the saw.
The Vibrato
Perhaps the most well-know sound a saw produces is the wavering vibrato. Assuming the saw is bent to the left, the handle of the saw will be pressed pretty firmly against the right leg. By jigging the right leg up and down in what is called the nervous knee, a wonderful haunted-house sound is produced.
The Music
Since each saw is different-the length and thickness of the blades vary, and the quality and temper of the steel also varies-no one set of instructions will work for each saw. Bending the saw, and bowing up and down the blade produces the different notes.
The best way to learn where the notes are on any particular saw is through experimentation. Most saw players pick a simple tune such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and attempt to match the saw notes to their voice. A pitch pipe can also be used.
The most important quality for a saw player to possess is a light-hearted attitude. The musical saw is first and foremost, about having fun.
