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Who has multi-string instruments at MCat
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Subject: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Helen Date: 30 Aug 99 - 06:50 PM Hi all, I started the More Strings Than Most: how many harps? thread and put people off the trail a bit by referring to harps in the thread title. The reason I started the thread was to provide a bit of commiseration for other Mudcatters who seem to spend more time tuning up than playing, but we ended up with some discussions about a few other common problems too.
So, since I unintentionally excluded some people by mentioning harps I'll rephrase the question: How many Mudcatters have or play multi-stringed instruments? Susan of DT collated the census figures from the other thread and here are the results: Subject: RE: More Strings Than Most: how many harps? From: Susan of DT Date: 30-Aug-99 - 06:23 PM
The census seems to be: Harps: Allan C, Sandra, Helen, Jen, Emily Rain, Susan of DT, Black Walnut, Sharon Helen |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Bill D Date: 30 Aug 99 - 06:55 PM I have, and 'occasionally' mess with, a ukelin.. |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Curtis & Loretta Date: 30 Aug 99 - 08:13 PM Count me in as another harp player. Yes, I spend alot of time tuning, but it really is worth it!! Loretta Simonet |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: kendall morse (don't use) Date: 30 Aug 99 - 08:26 PM I have, and play an Apollonio 12 string guitar. It's mellow. it's sweet and yet it has more guts than a fiddle string factory. |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Barbara Date: 30 Aug 99 - 08:42 PM I occasionally play autoharp, and tuning is the big reason I don't play it more. (Also play several six string guitars, but only one at a time) I use an electronic tuner. Husband plays cello. And speaking of harps, do you count the harp in our upright piano? It has two or three strings per note X 88. Blessings, Barbara |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Jeri Date: 30 Aug 99 - 08:54 PM Add me in there as a hammered dulcimer owner. I can't play very well, though. (Got 4 fiddles, 3 banjos, a mandolin and a lap dulcimer - 42 more strings) |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: katlaughing Date: 30 Aug 99 - 09:14 PM 1 fiddle/violin; 1 baritone uke, just bought for me, by my dear darling sis. Now, if you get to counting strings on a piano, she will have to check in, because at the moment she has three pianos, a cello, autoharp, several guitars, and I don't know what all else at her house. katlaughing |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Sourdough Date: 30 Aug 99 - 09:33 PM I can check in as an autoharpy. Sourdough |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: catspaw49 Date: 30 Aug 99 - 10:38 PM True I do have a number of Hammered Dulcimers around, mostly mistakes, well, one's part of a playable coffee table, and half a dozen awaiting completion in the shop. But there are also a pair of autoharps, (1 Schmidt and 1 mistake), assorted zither/psaltry errors, and the piano. Additionally there are 4 Schlongarharps, 1 Desiraharp, and 5 Flatulharps in the family. These are described in the "Nykleharpa-Swedish Folk Instrument" thread...I ain't doing all that typing again. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Susan A-R Date: 30 Aug 99 - 10:44 PM I try to stick to a limited number of strings, more for the coordination than the tuning. Also, one piano in the household kinda eats up the string quotiant. I do play fiddle, viola, mandolin, (and am thinking about a mandola) mountain dulcimer, a little guitar (badly) and electric base ( when I get around to it.) I had been hooked on electronic tuners foor a while, but am pleased to learn that I don't need 'em. Susan A-R |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: GutBucketeer Date: 30 Aug 99 - 10:54 PM My first love, and the instrument that helped me overcome the "I can't Play anything" syndrome was/is my OS Chromatic Autoharp (36 strings). I have a Caroler with 43 strings but don't play it much. It has a really muddy sound Easy to strum ! Difficult to Master! JAB I also play harmonicas (no strings) gut bucket (one string) banjo (still learning, five strings) guitar (still learning, six strings) |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: catspaw49 Date: 30 Aug 99 - 10:59 PM Say Helen, how much credit do I get for the thousands of feet of assorted gauged stainless wire in the shop? Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Helen Date: 31 Aug 99 - 06:52 AM Yeah, well 'Spaw, I guess I fell right into that one. I did mean to say strings attached to instruments, or instruments which need a lot of strings, rather than industrial quantities of strings not yet attached to any instruments, except in the conceptual sense, i.e. they are attached in your mind to instruments you plan to build. But you get credit - as always - for the lateral thinking and wit you display in asking the question. LOL Helen |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Bert Date: 31 Aug 99 - 10:32 AM Bill D, A UKELIN! do you mean to say that they actually CAN BE PLAYED??? Catspaw, if any of your 'Mistakes' are marginally playable or fixable, why don't you put 'em up on the Mudcat Auction. Someone might just love to tinker with them. Seeing as we're talking of strings, my daughter bought me a small fiddle at an antique store. It's just a tourist item, heavily carved with a skin top. And the strings, beleive it or not are made from unravelled wire rope. Surprisingly it can be played (sort of) but when you take the tension off the strings they curl up. I was going to replace them with music wire but didn't have the heart to mess with such a 'folk' item. JAB, seeing as you posted a gut bucket on a thread for 'multi strings'; now you're going to have to invent one. Bert. |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Jen Date: 31 Aug 99 - 06:04 PM I also have a zither, a baby zither, and an autoharp. |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: katlaughing Date: 31 Aug 99 - 06:18 PM So, Jeri tops out at how many???*bg* I forgot, my sister, bet, also has a violin, mom's old mandolin, and all the rest. |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: bill\sables Date: 31 Aug 99 - 06:36 PM When I was in the US I bought an Autoharp which I am learning to play at the moment, the problem is all the chords look and feel the same only in different parts of the instrument unlike guitar, banjo etc where the chords have finger shapes and you tend to know if you finger a "G" chord that's what you get but with autoharp you might miss the button and get a "D7". I will probably get the hang of it in the end. Cheers Bill |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Helen Date: 01 Sep 99 - 05:44 AM Bill, That's a similar problem to the harp. That's why the technique is used of placing a number of fingers on the strings in the pattern you are going to play. Hard to describe - like playing the piano I suppose, or touch typing, where you keep at least one finger in position after a run of notes while you are placing your other fingers for the next run of notes. That way, even if you aren't looking at the strings you still know where you are. There may be a similar technique for the Autoharp. Helen |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Jen Date: 01 Sep 99 - 07:12 AM Whoops! I completely forgot about the mandolin and the violin. THanks, katlaughing! Jen, who is waaay over her able-to-play limit.*g* |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Jon Freeman Date: 01 Sep 99 - 07:14 AM I have 2 tenor banjos, a guitar a mandolin and a mandolin-banjo. The tenor banjos and the guitar are pretty well behaved - once they are tuned they tend to stay there but the mandolin-banjo can take ages to settle down and there have been nights when I have taken to sessions and simply have not managed to get it in tune. The mandolin has a horrible habbit of snapping the E strings when I tune it. I know that the nut is the problem but I never seem to get round to sorting it out. It has been on loan to somebody for the past 6 months so it is not my problem at the moment. Thinking of instruments on loan, I have just remembered that I also own a fiddle that I must get back. I have lost 2 instruments by lending them to others. One was another fiddle that ended up somewhere in Ireland when the person I lent it to decided to move back there to live. The other was a 5 string banjo. The person who I thought had it says that he returned it. He probably did and I probably lent it to somebody else on the same night but I can not remember who. Jon |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Helen Date: 02 Sep 99 - 08:42 PM "Jen, who is waaay over her able-to-play limit.*g*" You're not Robinson Crusoe, there, Jen. Count me in on that one. Helen |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Jen Date: 03 Sep 99 - 10:29 AM Well, I feel sorry for them when I see them at antique shows/fleamarkets lying dusty and forgotten under someone's booth! Jen, who is glad she doesn't act on that urge too often anymore--no more room--and at least musical instruments aren't kittens that have to be fed.*g* |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Den Date: 03 Sep 99 - 12:16 PM I play the mandolin, not well but to date I haven't offended anyone. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough. |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Jon Freeman Date: 03 Sep 99 - 01:27 PM Den, mandolins are usually to quite to offend anybody. If want to play something mandolin like and you really want to upset them, get a good mandolin-banjo and play it as loudly as you can. Jon |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: CeltArctic Date: 05 Sep 99 - 03:09 AM Well, count me in. I play the autoharp, Hammered and Appalachian dulcimers, bowed psaltery, palm psaltery (on rare occasions) and Hurdy-Gurdy. I only have a real tricky time tuning the Hurdy Gurdy. It never stays in pitch (if I can even manage to get it in tune in the first place!) I never have a problem with the autoharp or dulcimers, but then, I don't tend to play with others. So as long as the instrument is in tune with itself, I'm happy. I love playing these multi-stringed instruments. I find the soft ringing of strings incredibly soothing. Moira Cameron |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: wildlone Date: 05 Sep 99 - 09:30 AM How's about a bowed Psaltery,auto harp,one 12 string,four 6 strings all kept in tune using a cromatic auto tuner. It costs a fortune in strings,but what the heck its only money.WL. |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: MandolinPaul Date: 05 Sep 99 - 10:11 AM If we're allowed to include our guitars, mandolins, and even PIANOS as "multi-string instruments", then the more interesting question might be, "Who has single-string instruments?" Any diddley bow or bass washtub players out there? |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: black walnut Date: 05 Sep 99 - 10:26 AM how about starting up a new thread, paul? ~black walnut |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Roger the zimmer Date: 06 Sep 99 - 05:16 AM Wasn't it Tom Lehrer who, when someone said the piano wasn't a folk instrument, said:"Think of it as an 88-string guitar"? |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: Bev Lawton Date: 06 Sep 99 - 07:17 AM Count me in I have various multi-string instruments 12 string guitar, Mandolin and Tenor Mandola. Bev Lawton |
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Subject: RE: Who has multi-string instruments at MCat From: unclenort Date: 07 Sep 99 - 04:43 AM mando,banjo,guitar,fiddle, and an autoharp that never gets played with others. (you know that whole tuning thing.) nothing exotic but all fun to play. |
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