OT Plectrums (Re: Fwd: Re: OT strummin' on the old banjo)

caeruleancentaur wrote:
>>>ROGER MILLS wrote:
>
>
>>>Their plectra were originally goose quills as I recall (plastic
>>>now, harrumph)
>
>
>>R A Brown <ray@...> wrote:
>
>>I believe this was so, but I'm not sure what the ancient plectrums
>>were made from (but not from plastic   :)
>
>
> When I studied the guitar many decades ago, I had a plectrum (we
> referred to them as picks) made of felt.
A bit more research has revealed that quill plectrums were used in the
16th century to play the lute.

Apparently the ancient Greeks used a variety materials, such as
tortoiseshell, ivory, wood and metal.

Oh yes, before some writes in, I do know that _Latin_ plural of
'plectrum' is 'plectra.' Indeed, 'plectra' /ple:ktra/ was also the
ancient (non-Doric) Greek plural; but their singular was 'plectron'  :)

--
Ray
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http://www.carolandray.plus.com
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Nid rhy hen neb i ddysgu.
There's none too old to learn.
[WELSH PROVERB]