Subject: RE: another first - F#
From: Don Firth - PM
Date: 22 Dec 08 - 04:04 PM

"Although I don't play them much, I have a whole quiverful of penny whistles. Diatonic, one key only, but with a little legerdemain, one can sometimes get two keys out of them."

I've only got one, so far, but more are on my shopping list. Some of the accidentals are easy to play, but the ones with the half-holes can be a bit iffy. When I first tried it, I thought "this doesn't work", but the next time it seemed to work pretty well.

I've started accumulating recorders, which are truly chromatic, although I'm not entirely convinced that all of the notes are in tune.    More expensive recorders would certainly be better.

"My wife (plays piano and organ quite adeptly, but even equipped with a handle, they're pretty heavy to carry around) picked up a small lap harp, only to find that it was diatonic and much too limited for what she wants to do. Sharping levers, maybe?"

There are chromatic autoharps and zithers. How about a dulcimer? It seems to me that an accordeon, with or without a piano-like keyboard, would be a good choice, too.

"Instant bar chord (I can do bar chords okay, but in some cases I'd rather avoid them). So you can capo up."

I use barre chords a lot, and have specifically practiced playing in many keys. The problem for me is the lack of low notes on the guitar and the consequent limitations of possible voicings for certain chords. I now play more "open" voicings, partly for the sake of variety, but also because of pain in my hands. By "open" I mean movable voicings without open strings, but with four or fewer notes.

I don't use a capo that often. I most often use one for flat keys where I want to play bar chords on the first fret a lot, which can be tiring for the left hand without a capo.