Instruments: pros and cons

Subject: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,guest cookieless mick
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 04:06 PM

I was wondering what mudcatters think the advantages and disadvatages of the instruments they play are.
I play guitar .
For me a guitar's advantages are :
Ability to play chords ,portability, versatility , potential for composition, ability to accompany singing
Disadvantages :
difficulty in playing fast reels and jigs, there's often too many of them at gigs; they go out of tune ;they don't make a lot of noise without amplification.
Hope I haven't missed this on another thread..........mick

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 04:35 PM

I play the lap dulcimer, six string guitar, 12 string guitar, and acoustic bass guitar.

I've played the dulcimer longest. All of our songs are usually in the key of D so that is sort of limiting. We can fly on reels and jigs. The most limiting thing for me on dulcimer is that I read music and I've never take the time to find out where the notes on the bass string are.

As for my guitars, right now the thing that limits me most is that I can't find a gig bag to fit my bass. Pretty dumb limits huh?

Oh, I also play native american flute. No limits there as you can make up songs on the spot. I use it mostly to let fly creatively. I'm also just learning to play the jug. So far, it's the weight of my jug that's a problem. This is a family jug that must be at least 75 yrs old. Getting rid of it is out of the question. Plus I like it.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 04:38 PM

Trumpet. Man, trumpet is the thing to play! Loud or soft, wide range, light weight, and your SO loves the improvement in your lip technique and tonguing.

I still can't figure out a way to play it and sing at the same time, though.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 04:44 PM

On stage my main instrument is the mandolin. It's capiable of just about anything - but as a player I'm doing my best not to use a capo. With singers around that can be a problem. They have no problem changing keys by moving up that capo half a step to suit their voices.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 05:00 PM

Walking Eagle, I may have a solution for you. I don't know what your acoustic bass guitar is, or its size, but I have one of Glen Reid's lovely beastie's - its shape is like a giant A-style mandolin. On Glen's recommendation I got a gig bag that's designed for a 3/4 size 'cello. Excellent quality bag, well padded, fits real good and under $100 (at the time).

Source is:
George Heinl & Co. Limited
201 Church Street,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada   M5B 1Y7
Toll Free: 1 800-387-7858
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.geocities.com/geo_heinl/
e-mail: [e-mail]

I also found them pretty decent people to talk to and deal with.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Ely
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 07:33 PM

Piano--expensive, non-portable

Appalachian dulcimer--limited sound output, limited speed potential, limited tuning convenience, jigs are mostly a pain in the a*s. I've gotten comfortable with walking all over the bass and drone strings but my dulcimers in particular HATE to be capoed [sp?] and sound like crap in G or A/Am (I usually tune to DADD and capo, for the sake of convenience).

Hammered dulcimer--unwieldy, tedious to tune, don't stay in tune, loud (not always a plus)

Guitar--I've had very little trouble keeping mine in tune, it doesn't weigh much, and obviously I can slap on a capo and play in any key I need. I personally don't seem have the reflexes to be a great guitarist, although if you just want a solid back-up player, I'm your girl.

Fiddle--expensive if you want a good one, comparatively fragile, requires a lot more practice than, say, a guitar, to be able to play it acceptably in public.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 07:43 PM

Guitar Pro: There's such an incredible variety of the things. Do you want to play acoustic or electric? Steel strings or nylon strings? Big dreadnought or a compact 00? Mahogany, rosewood, maple, walnut or maybe even graphite?   Six strings or twelve strings? Feel like spending $100 or $1,000 or $10,000?

Guitar Con: All that variety makes you want to have one of each of 'em. That will inevitably lead to bankruptcy and/or divorce.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 07:43 PM

And, you really can't chord 'properly' on a fiddle. Yes, you can chop chords, but not really a good back up. Fiddle is mainly for melody only.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 08:41 PM

BANJO (5-String)A banjo typically tends to be loud. Preeminently a rhythm instrument, although of course it can play tunes along with its own chordal accompaniment. Can be treated as a percussion instrument. Because of the quick decay of notes, it's difficult to play legato tunes, although this is possible by playing a tremolo.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 08:53 PM

Guitar - Banjo (5 string and Tenor)- Mandolin - Whistle - Banjola - Ukulele - AutoHarp - Clarinet - Harmonica - Kazoo - Tape Recorder -
Will that do ?? Mostly get PAID for Whistle and Mandolin which is a BIG pro for them. The banjola is light and quieter than the 5 string so gets taken out most to club sessions as it is a fun beasty for instrumental OR song Accomp. Clarinet is NOT really a Folk option and the Auto harp is still being rebuilt.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 09:01 PM

Tenor Banjo:

Very well suited to dance music such as jigs and reels. Can cut through in a session if needed and can even be both melody and percussion at the same time.

Not really an instrument for slow airs and personally I tend to find chords a bit naff in terms of say an Irish session (That said, I think tuned up and used in trad jazz it does work for chords/rythym backing).

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 09:19 PM

Wow Jerimiah, thanks for the suggestion. I had thought about something along the line of a different instrument bag. I have a Martin B1E-L. The bag I got for it is just a wee bit short so I use it for my 12 stringer.

Ely, have you tried tuning your dulcimer to DAA? I find that this accomodates a wider voiec range. If sound is a problem, you might want to think of electrifying it. Send me a PM and I'll get you some addresses of companies that sell dulcimer pick-ups.

This is a gret thread! Now I can add pieces to every ones' little puzzel as to what they play! And I can be helpful too!

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Dulcimer42
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 09:57 PM

Hammered Dulcimer: Great for transposing. Just play the same pattern up a notch on the dulcimer.    Chords are in same shape patterns in every key. Pretty easy to learn.

Guitar.   Hard to stretch my fingers into those chord positions!

Tenor Guitar. Love it! I can play it like a ukulele. Great if you have one. Not easy to find one.

Mountain dulcimer.   RElaxing to just sit and play in the evening. Easy to play in either DAD or DAA tunings.   Some songs work better in one tuning.   Some better in the other.

Bowed Psaltry:   Great for someone who wishes she could play fiddle. Great for songs like Ashokan Farewell.....

Harp:   Thought, for a keyboard player, it would be easier to learn. It's taking me a while, but one thing about the harp, it even sounds nice when I'm practicing chord arpeggios.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 09:59 PM

fiddle--
cons: can't sing too well with it, only really shines when playing melody, expensive, DIFFICULT TO PLAY!

pros: extremely versatile, portable, sounds beautiful.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Justa Picker
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 10:07 PM

When you first begin to learn any instrument, all you have are disadvantages. The whole methodology of practice is to eventually try to overcome ALL of the disadvantages, or turn the negatives into positives. The more you do it, the hungrier you get.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Scoville
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 10:17 PM

[Formerly Ely]

I mostly do OK in DADD (I find DAA even more limiting in terms of playable tunes) and I can't sing and play at the same time, anyway. Actually, I can't really sing, period . . .   I actually do have a good amplifier but, of course, it always means more equipment to haul. Most of the time it's not an issue. However, if I ever buy another dulcimer (Heaven forbid) I'll probably get one with a built-in pickup instead of fiddling with the stick-on one.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Peace
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 11:05 PM

Guitar: Pro (for the reasons stated above); it's a harmonic instrument and convenient for song writing.
Con: Good ones are touchy. Ned humidifiers in some places and not in others. Going from winter to club to stage, the strings are always going outta tune. However, they're easy to tune.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 01:44 AM

My favourite: Recorder, treble, sopranino. Easy to finger, doesn't need much breath, and envelopped in a handkerchief fits into every pocket of your BDU.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Ernest
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 02:14 AM

Diatonic Harmonica:
Pro: easy to carry along in your pocket if you want to play it, easy to hide if you don`t.
Con: If you want to play in different keys, you need a lot of pockets; they tend to breed (or have you wver seen a harp player with just one instrument?)
Tenor Banjo: as said above with the added pro of the jokes!

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Free Reed Rocker
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 02:30 AM

Instrument: concertina

Advantage: it's not a guitar

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: KateG
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 10:40 AM

GuestEly - In my experience the best way to do jigs on a Mt. Dulcimer is to limit strumming to the first beat of each triplet, strumming in to get a good bass thump, and then play the other notes with hammers and pulls. If needed you can catch a note on a lower string as your hand goes out for the next strum. It takes a little thought to work out a good fingering pattern - and I tend to avoid using my thumb in these situations. But once you get it down, you can FLY!!!!

Also a good Mt. Dulcimer should have no volume problems: I have a McSpadden in walnut with a redwood top, and a FolkRoots deep bodied baritone in cherry with a spruce top, and when I crank them up I can drown my sister-in-laws fiddle, which is banned from cemeteries it's so loud. FYI I keep the baritone tuned to GDG rather than AEA. I find it much more useful: it gives me G instantly, aAm/ADorian with the capo on 1, and C with the capo on 3: a much more versitile combo of keys, and good for singing. I'm also fond of the DAC/GDF# tuning for minor songs - the timbre is ravishing.

And yes there is a con to this---hauling around two dulcimers plus my guitar (used for faking when I don't know a song) and my irish flute (portable, but too loud to play unless I know the tune cold).

Actually the real con to all my instruments is my day job :-) !

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 12:25 PM

Human voice: Capable of great expression and meaning. Each has its own individual characteristics. Not always particularly loud, however, unless amplified. Only instrument with a readily apparent gender difference!

Guitar: Without a doubt the most versatile instrument. Can accompany voice. Can play backup chords or single string lead. Can be flatpicked or fingerpicked. Can be acoustic or electric. Is used across a variety of musical styles - gypsy jazz to classical to folk to bluegrass to rock. Most well-known virtuosos (Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Jimmy Hendrix, etc.) are guitar players. Only downside - its so common as to be a cliche!

5-String Banjo: Can be bouncy and happy, or incredibly sad if playing the old mountain ballads (Pretty Polly, etc.) Can be too brash and noisy for some listeners. Tends to be associated with bad behaviour and bad jokes. Can be sung with.

Fiddle: Maddening to learn. Can play real fast - too fast, sometimes. Very expressive in the right hands. With practice you can sing and play, play and sing.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Mooh
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 01:03 PM

Guitar is pretty much the people's instrument, isn't it? Portable, invasive, recognizable, influencial, both simple and complex, and appears in virtually every western (and many other) type of music.

When played monotonously it's, well...monotonous. But it can be very exciting in the right hands.

Thanks God for the guitar, it makes me most of my living.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Big Mick
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 01:55 PM

And no one has mentioned the so called Irish Bouzouki? Plenty of advantages, specifically when played with Irish Trad and various songs of the sea. Wonderful sound, has that droning effect that fills in on the jigs and reels, etc. When used as a melody instrument, it has a sound like no other instrument and can be used to wonderful effect.

Disadvantage? Not many, but one would be in deciding which tuning to use. There really is not standard, although many decide to settle on GDAD or ADAD. Personally, I prefer GDAD as it is the most useful in both melody and rhythm uses for me. My good buddy, Pat Broaders of bohola fame, uses a beefed up version of the Irish Bouzouki called a dordan. He tunes it CFCF. What drive he gets out of that tuning!!!

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: treewind
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 02:27 PM

Free Reed Rocker, you made me laugh!

Mary and I have between us:
Anglo and English concertinas (work well for certain types of song, have to be careful not to play too loud)
Melodeons (trying to play the Oakwood quietly must be like driving a racing car in traffic jam; the Saltarelle and the Hohner 1 row with only two stops out are fine for song accompaniments)
Cello (great song accompaniment instrument but an awful lot of extra bulk and weight to carry everywhere)
Banjo (finger picked, you'd be amazed how well that works with the cello)
Pipes (Leicestershire smallpipes aren't too loud to sing with, forget the Swayne pipes for songs)

We don't ever use a guitar. Who needs one...?

Anahata

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: bazza
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 02:41 PM

concertina english and anglo,easy to carry ,you can play along with most other insruments.lovely sound,low maintenance.Only problem if you want a good one they are very expensive.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 04:09 PM

Oops - dang it -

Guitar - it's the only thing that will let me near it long enough to learn something!

Loud enough for my group, easy enough due to the number of years I've been playing, and I can sing at the same time.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Crane Driver
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 07:55 PM

Duet concertina - it's a portable piano! Can be quiet enough for song accompaniment (I have a loud voice!) and loud enough for dance music. Fully chromatic, with separation of treble & bass for harmonising with yourself (they can't touch you for it). No downside that I can find after 35 years.

Bowed psaltery - for a more mediaeval sound. All open strings, so the sound rings out and forms a harmonic web in the wake of the tune - only been playing for 3 years, so still needs a lot of work. Needs a very different approach to the music - melodic decoration rather than harmonic - no real downside here either, except rather quiet. I wouldn't use it anywhere that was a problem, of course.

Andrew

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: RangerSteve
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 08:16 PM

Banjo - if you play clawhammer style, most waltzes don't work, and jigs are possible, but only if you're really, really good.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 08:28 PM

KateG---Your job is a con? But,but,but don't you work so you can buy dulcimers?? **Big s%$t eatin' Grin**!

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Scoville
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 08:36 PM

Kate G:
I'm DYING for a baritone (I have two normal tenor dulcimers but I play a lot of G and A tunes, or would, if mine were more accepting of the capo/alternate tunings). That's my one exception to the no-more-dulcimers rule. Mine are both walnut with red cedar tops but they seem to have gone in for tone more than volume--they both have a beautiful mellow sound but not much gusto. Still, I like them.

I haven't tried GDF#. DAC is good. CGCC is also good for major keys. Mine are happier at DADD or slightly lower and I can get a little more noise out of them that way. Higher is bad.

A friend of mine is experimenting, using guitar building techniques on dulcimer bodies. He's convinced he can build the world's first deafening mountain dulcimer. Hee hee.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 03:45 AM

Washboard. Advantage: you can use it for washing, doesn't need tuning.
Disadvantage: it's me playing it.
Kazoo: Advantage: it's portable, it doesn't need tuning.
Disadvantage: see above.
Voice: Advantage: it's portable.
Disadvantage: it's terrible and you can't tune it.

RtS

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Free Reed Rocker
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 03:50 AM

Treewind:

The #1 FAQ when I play in the street (play my concertina, that is):

   Innocent Bystander: "What do you call that thing?"

   Free Reed Rocker: "I call it George."

The #1 IAQ:

   Innocent Bystander: "Do you take lessons?"

   Free Reed Rocker: "No, but I do take tips!"

RE: Anglo and English concertinas (work well for certain types of song, have to be careful not to play too loud)

Now you tell me! (Maybe I should have taken lessons).

It's hard to play The Clash, The Pogues, and Social Distortion too loudly.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: KateG
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 08:42 AM

Walking Eagle: you've got me nailed :-) The only reason I work is to support my music habit (and well I guess buy food for the cats & dog and help keep the roof over our heads, but that's secondary). Dulcimer, guitar & flute...your taste in instruments is exquisite!(another BG)

Scoville: save you're pennies, you're gonna love a baritone.    I discovered mine in a shop in south Jersey. I went in for a brief look at their music books since I was in the area, and ended up sitting with it for about three hours. Resisted buying it on the spot, 'cause I couldn't see telling my husband I'd made a ~$500 impulse purchase. But when I got home and told him about it, he said "Get it!" (Now you know why we recently celebrated our 20th anniversary). I recommend getting a deep bodied one. I tried the McSpadden at a festival recently and it was nice, but it just didn't have the soul-vibrating resonance that my big FolkRoots does (its made by the FolkCraft people, but it's a different line of instruments).

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: John P
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 09:10 AM

Percussion (bodhran, doumbec, doira, tar, riq, snare, various electronics) -- Pros : portable, I've been playing them since I was a kid and am pretty good, good dynamic range, they add a lot to the music.
Cons: I'm one of those annoying people who burst into rhythm at odd moments, drumming on my desk, on pencils, water bottles, copy machine, the office dog, my stomach, whatever is near my hands. Drum circles leave me cold. Many people think percussion mucks up music.

Piano, synthesizer -- Pros: Lots of versatility. Huge range. Melody, chords, harmony, and bass can all happen at once. Loud enough or quiet enough at need. I've been doing it so long that I pretty much don't have to think about how to make it do what I want.
Cons: Very hard to haul around. Not so great for the types of folk music I play.

Cittern/octave mandolin/Irish bouzouki/mandocello (call it what you will) -- Pros: Very versatile. I use it for Irish, Breton, Bulgarian, medieval, oldtime, rock, blues, pretty much anything works. Great sound (I play a Sobell). Unusual enough that the sound and the appearance is novel to a lot of people, causing them to actually pay attention. Same range as the guitar. I tune it EAEAE, giving me lots of open drone possibilities. I've also learned to play a full set of chords within the open tuning. I can capo up to the 15th fret, giving me a wide range of keys and registers. Easy to noodle on.
Cons: Can't think of any right now.

Guitar -- Pros: very useful in almost any situation and for almost any kind of music. Good dynamic range, good range of notes, bass, chord, and melody can all happen at once.
Cons: I'm not as good as I am on other instruments, so if I want to play anything difficult I have to figure it out in advance and learn it. Guitars are ubiquitous and so can get boring.

Tenor Guitar -- A recent addtion to the menagerie. I love the sound and the playability. I got it for Euro-trad music, but for some reason it has become my primary blues instrument. It works well with a slide.

Lap Dulcimer -- Pros: easy to play easy stuff on, easy to noodle on, tonality sounds great, the diatonic tuning imposes pleasingly spare harmonizations and melodies.
Cons: hard for me to play hard stuff on, limited range of tonality, the diatonic tuning imposes frustratingly spare harmonizations and melodies.

Celtic Harp -- Pros: Sweet. Good range. Can play chords, melodies, and harmonies all at once. People get all gooey over it. Good dynamic range. Lots of notes. Easy to improvise on.
Cons: A bit much to haul around. Hard to avoid sounding sacharine. Limited tonal range. Diatonic tuning imposes limitations; flipping levers can be a pain.

Banjo (five string, clawhammer) -- Pro: Love, love, love the sound of clawhammer banjo.
Con: I'm not very good at it. In fact, I'm pretty bad.

Oud -- I just keep telling myself not to fret . . .

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Johnny in OKC
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 02:31 AM

COOKIELESS MICK says,

For me a guitar's advantages are :
Ability to play chords ,portability, versatility , potential for composition, ability to accompany singing
Disadvantages :
difficulty in playing fast reels and jigs, there's often too many of them at gigs; they go out of tune ;they don't make a lot of noise without amplification.

Mick, what you need is an accordion.
Advantages, all the same, plus you don't have to plug it in.

Disadvantages :
difficulty in playing fast reels and jigs,
ACCORDION ~~ No problem.

there's often too many of them at gigs;
ACCORDION ~~ Not usually

they go out of tune ;
ACCORDION ~~ Not if you don't overheat them

they don't make a lot of noise
ACCORDION ~~ Depends on what you mean by A lot

Think it over, Mick
JOHNNY

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Bohdran Killer
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 07:36 AM

Best sound an accordion makes? SPLASH.
Killer

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Rapparee
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 09:07 AM

And in a duet with the above accordion a trumpet can play "Taps."

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: John P
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 09:53 AM

It looks like I forgot to list accordion in my post above

Pros: you can play melody, bass, chords, harmony, and rhythm all at the same time. Plenty loud. Easier than some instruments to learn if you already play piano. Portable. Lots of good jokes about it.

Con: You can go nuts trying to play melody, bass, chords, harmony, and rhythm all at the same time. Way too loud. Frustratingly like and yet unlike a piano. Heavy. Lots of bad jokes about it.

The instrument people either love to hate or hate to love.

Some scientists did a study a few years ago and determined that you took all the accordions in the world and stretched them end to end between the earth and the moon, that would be a good thing.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Midchuck
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 10:27 AM

For me a guitar's advantages are :
Ability to play chords ,portability, versatility , potential for composition, ability to accompany singing

Exactly so.

Disadvantages :
difficulty in playing fast reels and jigs,

Not for a good player. (I'm not a good player either, but I've seen 'em in action, and they made it look and sound easy, at least.)

there's often too many of them at gigs;

True, but you can find a different line to play, or capo up and play out of a high position, to get some individuality back.

they go out of tune

Yes, but so do most stringed instruments, and they're relatively easy to retune - and if you get sick of it you can always get it in good tune and then weld the tuning gears...

;they don't make a lot of noise without amplification.

Many don't. You are invited to come to Vermont and play my Proulx 12-fret dread at your convenience.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Bohdran Killer
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 10:29 AM

Accord=harmony
Accordion=an instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.
[ Ambrose Bierce ]
Killer

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: Johnny in OKC
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 09:33 PM

Note to "Bohdran Killer" ...

It's B-O-D-H-R-A-N

Just thought you would appreciate knowing.
Love, Johnny in OKC

Subject: RE: Instruments: pros and cons
From: GUEST,Free Reed Rocker
Date: 13 Mar 04 - 03:38 PM

Ooooh!    Well, if it's scholarship that's lacking...

Bodhran...

    rhymes with moron.

see and hear f'y'self at Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary