Odd accompanying instruments - balloons

Subject: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Nick
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 09:02 AM

My son went to see a jazz-fusion band last night called Polar Bear and I asked him what the line up was.

"Good percussionist, double bass player, sax player and the other guy played various things - guitar, mandolin, laptop and a balloon..."

Yep, apparently you can play along - in tune and time - on a balloon.

A friend plays tunes on a bicycle pump.

Any other strange ones you've come across?

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 09:52 AM

WAY Back , Gerard Hoffnung had a Concert on TV with all sorts of 'Instruents' - Vacuum Cleaners and all ! And Mozarts French Horn Concerto played on a length of garden Hose by ?Dennis Brain ?

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 09:52 AM

http://oddstrument.com/2008/09/21/balloon-lady-experimental-music/

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 12 Oct 08 - 02:34 PM

Check out The Amazing Mr Smith...
http://www.the-amazing-mr-smith.co.uk/
Not only balloons, but much more besides!

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Gurney
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 01:01 AM

English comedian Roy Castle held or holds a Guinness Book record for the maximum number of instruments played in a set time. He did it on TV. The 'instrument' I remember most clearly was a lavatory pan, played with a tube through the outlet. Sounded a bit like a Tuba.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Paul Burke
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 03:07 AM

The City Waites used to feature bum fiddle- a stick, a string and a balloon- the string bowed to make a sort of primitive fiddle.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Rasener
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 03:20 AM

Another

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 04:08 AM

I regularly use a class of balloon known as a Screaming Tiger Tail - a very long balloon, the purpose of which is to fly around making a lot of noise. It's a very noisy balloon anyway, and very versatile - inflated one may coax all manner of frequencies from sub-bass to dog-bothering screeches simply by caressing it with moistened finger tips. In performances of free-improvisation I'll used one with a microphone, a mixer, and a diversity of effects pedals; basically the same set-up I use for my Jew's Harps. See Here for a picture taken a the Red Deer in Sheffield last year. Visually, they're pretty impressive too.

I've used one to accompany The Housecarpenter in such a context, but never in a folk club, fearing folkies would be less willing to accept a balloon as a musical instrument (far less the sounds as music, traditional or otherwise) than free-improvisers are to accept traditional ballads as a valid part of musical performance.      

Another use for the ever-versatile Screaming Tiger Tail comes from the fact that, unlike regular balloons, the closed end of the tube is knotted, with the knot being covered by a fetching little rubber condom affair. This knot can be undone and the mouthpiece of a Practise Chanter inserted therein. With but few modifications (such as fixing up the blown end of the balloon with a simple non-return valve so as you can keep it inflated) you've got yourself a very handsome bagpipe.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 04:09 AM

There's a picture of me on Facebook, accompanying a singer with a popgun and whizzer during a rendition of a song at our last house session... I can't for the life of me remember the song now, but it was a hoot. Lady P was accompanying us with, I believe, a party tooter. It might have been the 'Suzannah's a funicle cow' or something like that.

LTS

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Tangledwood
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 06:00 PM

I thought that balloons are only used in pop music.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 06:46 PM

Few know that Frank Zappa was a virtuoso on bicycle

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 08:39 PM

Our friends from Round the House, who sometimes drop by Mudcat, use a slinkies as a rhythm instrument. So do the folks at Carp Camp at Winfield. Makes a cool sound.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Gurney
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 12:47 AM

They accompany netball with balloons here in NZ, and a threatening roar they make.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 07:33 AM

One of my party pieces is Cage's 4'33" played on cross-head screwdriver and spirit level.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Arkie
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 05:17 PM

I've seen baloons used as rhythm instruments and also for playing melody by carefully releasing the air. Have also seen rubber gloves used in this fashion. Slim Andrews, who was once a sidekick to Tex Ritter in old westerns played music on a lot of unusual items including rubber gloves, a fishing line hooked up to an amplifier, a tire pump, and metal funnels.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Trevor
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:56 AM

I used to accompany my partner's rendition of 'The Blue Danube Waltz' with an electric drill.

I thought that was original until I heard the Spooky Men's Choral doing 'Don't Come Between a Man and his Tools'.

And what about Pete Flood using a full Ikea cutlery tray in Bellowhead's version of 'Flash Company'.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 12:28 PM

Uncle Phil, you beat me to the Slinkies. Were you there to hear John McEuen play cicada?? Yes, the bug.

Lin

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Arkie
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 03:01 PM

Forgot that one band I saw in Mountain View, AR had a fellow using a sheet of poster board, which was held in both hands and crinkled in time to the music. The Carolina Chocolate Drops has a percussionist who delicately taps on a CD-ROM on one number and there was a percussion player in another band who rhythmically dangled a set of keys. Here in Mountain View we also have several spoon players and several mouthbow players. Those instruments are not that unusual here.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: jeffp
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 04:24 PM

And who can forget PDQ Bach and his Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle and Balloons?

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: MMario
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 04:34 PM

People on the renaissance faire circuit have become familiar with Miguel and his "bladdervarious"; a large balloon he plays in a number of ad hoc musical groups.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:41 PM

PDQ Bach in general:

Little Pickle Book for theater organ and dill piccolos, S. 6
Sonata Da Circo (Circus Sonata) for steam calliope, S. 3
The Only Piece Ever Written for Violin and Tuba, S. 9, 10, big fat hen

and, of course!:

Erotica Variations, S. 36EE for Banned Instruments
(Wind-breaker/Balloons/Slide Whiste/Slide Windbreaker/Lasso
d'Amore/Foghorn/Bell/Kazoo/Gargle [1 player]) & Piano

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Arkie
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:44 PM

Something rarely seen in these parts anymore is the Jackassaphone, the jawbone of a mule or donkey played with stick scraping across notches sawed into the bone.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Tangledwood
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:49 PM

Les Barker's "Sensodyne" has some accompanying toothbrushes. The CD cover gives player credits for electric toothbrush and acoustic toothbrushes.

Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 08:37 AM

Lin -
I must have missed that - how does John play cicada?
- Phil