Estonian Kannel 9 Strings – a World-Renowned Instrument with the Soul of a Small Nation

The kannel’s secret? Instant calm. The soothing scent of natural resin centers your mind, while its bright, shimmering tones melt away tension. Your daily retreat to harmony is just a note away.

Scope of delivery:

Estonian Kannel 9 Strings

Soft suitcase

Tuning key

Spare strings set

Hooks for attaching a strap

 

3 years warranty

Shipping included (within Europe / For delivery to third countries excl. Shipping; please contact by e-mail)

 

Technical Part

Specs:

Body: alder

Soundboard: spruce

Other details: maple

Pegs: metal

 

Body dimensions:

Length: 710 mm

Width: 190 mm

Thickness: 85 mm

Weight: 1 kg

 

Tuning:

B3 C#4 D#4 E4 F#4 G#4 A4 B4 C#5 (B-Lydian)

 

String Diameter:

B3 – 45 mm

C#4 – 40 mm

D#4 – 40 mm

E4 – 40 mm

F#4 – 35 mm

G#4 – 35 mm

A4 – 30 mm

B4 – 30 mm

C#5 – 30 mm

Spare sets you can choose here

Tips & Tricks

The Estonian kannel 9 strings is an instrument that will play even in the hands of a person who has never played any musical instrument before. All you need to perform beautiful music is a kannel, a tuning key, and a tuner.

How to tune a kannel?

To tune a kannel you need the instrument itself, a tuning key, and a tuner. A tuner is a device for tuning musical instruments. You can either purchase it in a music store, or download the app to your phone. We use the CarlTune app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store.

The kannel is tuned as follows: the lowest string is the note B3. Turn on the tuner, pluck the bottom string and see if the tuner arrow is on the B3 note. If the arrow does not reach the note, i.e. it sounds lower, then the string needs to be tightened. We need to take the tuning key and use it to smoothly turn the peg of the first string clockwise. As the peg turns, the sound will become higher, and the arrow will get closer to the desired designation. As soon as the arrow hits the note and turns blue, it will mean that the first string of the kannel is tuned. Accordingly, if the string is overtightened, i.e. it sounds higher than the desired note, the peg must be turned counterclockwise to loosen the string tension and lower the sound.

The process of tuning the other strings is the same as tuning the B3 string. Tune the second string to C#4, the third string to D#4, the fourth string to E4, the fifth string to F#4, the sixth string to G#4, the seventh to A4, the eighth to B4, and the ninth to C#5.

How to hold a kannel? 

There’re two ways to hold your kannel:

– horizontally, i.e. when the strings face upwards. In this case, the kannel is either placed on your lap or on the table;

– vertically, i.e. when the strings face forward. In this case, the kannel lies on the knees, leaning the back deck against the belly.

We advise to place the kannel vertically, as this position of the kannel will ensure free and relaxed movement of the arms and prevent muscle strain.

The kannel player sits with a straight back. Movements of hands, fingers should be distinct, but at the same time relaxed.

How to play a kannel?

There are two ways of playing the kannel: hooking and strumming.

When the instrument is used as accompaniment (for example, to songs), the strumming technique is employed: the index finger of the right hand strikes all five strings while the fingers of the left hand selectively mute certain strings to control the harmony.

Hooking is a performance technique where the index finger of the right hand strikes all strings simultaneously while the left hand’s fingers selectively “hook” specific strings, creating an illusion of multiple instruments playing together.

 

Historical Information

The Seto people (or “Setos”), living in the southeastern part of Estonia (Võru and Põlva counties) as well as in the Pechorsky District of the Pskov Oblast in Russia, know the answer to these questions.

It is based on the examples of kannels made by the Seto people that our partners created the instrument “Estonian Kannel 9 strings”, which reflected all the uniqueness and beauty of the Estonian people.

A distinctive feature of the Seto people is their special love for music and singing. Every event in life – whether it was work in the field, in the house, a family celebration, or a traditional rite – everything was accompanied by a song. Therefore, our kannel, recreated according to authentic examples, has a light, “airy” sound, reminiscent of birds singing on a warm spring day. The Seto kannel was played both at home and on long journeys. Therefore, our Estonian kannel 9 strings weighs only 1 kilogram, which allows you to easily take it with you and enjoy music in any corner of the world.

Among Estonians, there is a belief that the sound of the kannel drives away death. Playing the instrument during Lent was considered a godly deed, as the instrument was associated with purity, immortality, and light.

Many of our clients note that playing the kannel is associated by them with a walk in the forest on a hot summer day: the smell of wood resin emanating from the instrument gives a feeling of calm and a slowing down of the fast pace of modern life, and the bright sounds of the kannel’s strings, like rays of the sun breaking through the tree crowns, warm the musician, bringing them closer to harmony with themselves and the external world.