Note: we are repeatedly asked if we also sell the Pendel control bar by itself. The answer is "no". It would not make much sense to do so since the control bar is really just one component of a very complex system like the keyboard and the computer. Other components are the strings and the points where the strings are tied, the joints and the points of gravity, the clothing and the entire artistic expression. We therefore refer to our book "Marionettes – Art, Construction, Play" in which the basic principles of both constructing and playing puppets are very well described in our opinion.


 

The control bar and the strings create the link between puppeteer and puppet. Figure, strings and control bar form a very complex system. The greater the differentiation developed in their construction, the more manifold are the combinations of the movements of the figures.

The Pendel-control bar is a derivative of the Bross-control bar. Learning to play with it is easy, handling the control bar is not difficult at all. As a rule it is not the individual strings that are pulled, but the player moves the control bar as a whole. The fact that the control bar can be adjusted any way you like allows for very complex and very lifelike motions of the puppet often by simply twisting and turning the control bar.

2 The head is moved by lowering and turning the control bar. Provided the arm extensions are positioned properly the arms and hands will move in perfect harmony with the turn of the head.


7 Crawling. Once again the control bar is simply turned by simultaneously activating the leg swing with one's thumb.

5 Bowing. The back string is extremely important in playing a puppet. Since it leads to the figure's point of gravity it allows for very expressive positions.

4 Waving

6 If, as can be seen here, the arm extensions are positioned properly, both the puppet's head, its body, arms and hands will move in unison with each other – simply by turning the control bar and holding the back string at the same time.

3 Every hand has its own sub-control bar that makes for highly refined movements. .

The Control Bar

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8 Getting up or kneeling down..

1 All four fingers of one hand hold the handle of the control bar. The thumb moves the leg swing. The arm extensions that can be positioned both horizontally and vertically determine the basic setting of the arms and hands.