have a go - which instrument to try?

Subject: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 12:54 PM

i run have a go sessions which have proved vrey popular at festivals and have fiddles zithers acoordians whistles flutes apalachian dulcimer, guitar and several other things - I am wondering what else to add to my collection. If you could go and try out any instrument which would it be?

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 12:56 PM

Definately a Banjo - Five string AND Tenor (four string plectrum)

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Big Mick
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 01:08 PM

Uilleann Pipes. When you die, you will have done your time in purgatory and go straight to Heaven.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Bassic
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 01:17 PM

Mandolin

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 01:19 PM

hammered dulcimer

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 01:21 PM

Oh yeah, Mandolin definitely. I'd love to play one of those...

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 03:46 PM

Washtub bass -- easy to play poorly, of course, but for someone with good musical instincts, pretty easily to play quite well with little or no prior training. (Not unlike the kazoo.)

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 05:40 PM

Get a Small Piano Accordion - no more than a 32 Bass - but a 24 or 16 or 12, or especially one of those cheap Chinese 'Hero' 8 Bass - especially the largest style of 'Hero' 8 Bass works well.

You can also get small Chinese 'Hero Style' - made by the same manufacturers - 'button box' squeezeboxes that come in a 'cajun style' - with the external levers - just like a harmonica to play.

Robin

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Grab
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 06:08 PM

Mandolin.

To add variety to the mandolin family, maybe also try an octave mandolin for guitarists who find a regular mandolin too tinny and weedy. I love my new octave mandolin! :-)

Graham.

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 07:37 PM

And Then Another Banjo !!

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 01:59 AM

have a mandolin and concertina and accordian - have been promised another - and child sized accordian and melodeon

banjo was one of the things on my list to get but looks like being a definite now - I have also fancied an octave mandolin for some time Uilleann Pipes- trouble with them is that they dont respond well to lots of different people playing them ( as well as the expense) but I do have some children's bagpipes with one of these universal reeds in - hammered dulcimer I want to get but havent found one yet and wash tub bass would be great - keep the ideas coming please!

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: ossonflags
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 02:29 AM

Singing, the true path.

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 03:30 AM

Wash Tub Bass - Why not Tea Chest Bass ?? Tea Chest easier to find than Wash Tub , and broom handles and string all over the place !!

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 04:02 AM

Shaky eggs & bodhran!!
...and , of course, washboard

RtS

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: GUEST,banjoman
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 05:48 AM

Spoons

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 07:31 AM

Forks!

Get Forked Mate!

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 07:37 AM

Explosives.

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 11:00 AM

Nickelharpa, a Swedish instrument.

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: GUEST,bbc at work
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 11:12 AM

Autoharp is nice for those of us who haven't succeeded w/ other instruments. I still need to learn to tune mine, though.

best,

bbc

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 12:40 PM

have shaky eggs, bones, bodrhan and an autoharp - never heard of a nickelharpa

bbc - I bought a chromatic tuner from the music shop to tune all the instruments and thats been great for tuning the autoharp and the lapharp - I am just dreading having to change the strings!!

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 12:55 PM

Penny whistle, Highland bagpipes, flute, accordion (button or piano), banjo and bass guitar

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 01:00 PM

"Tea chest" or "wash tub" -- all the same.

It's probably a good idea to maintain a mixture of "anyone can play" instruments along with those that require some know-how. Percussion stuff like washboards, tableware, rattles of all kinds, etc., is a good idea, but you probably don't want too many of 'em. If all of them were to be taken up at once, you could have total cacophony!

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 01:36 PM

Leadfingers, with his usual remarkable good taste, said:

Definately a Banjo - Five string AND Tenor (four string plectrum)

However, as phrased this could be confusing. The "Tenor (four string plectrum)" confuses two instruments, or might be taken to do so.

The tenor banjo and the plectrum banjo are distinct instruments, although the tenor is played with a plectrum. A "plectrum banjo" is more or less a 5-string without the thumbstring, typically 22 frets. It's normally tuned differently from a 5-string, but I disremember the exact tuning. A tenor has a shorter neck (17 frets?), and I think I remember that it's tuned like a violin. And of course, like the "plectrum banjo", is played with a plectrum, or pick.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: *Laura*
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 03:13 PM

a tissue box with rubber bands stretched round it.

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 10:32 PM

I learned it early in the MC history....but try out "SAWS" both bowed and hammered....lots of fun.

Do not neglect bottles - also fun, but evaporage is a problem and oil/gyceren deadens....so use a felt-tip to draw a line and mark the note - and empty/refill before mosquitoes molest with West Nile.

Attempts at a hurdy-gerdy have never been successful.

Various and sundrid "things" circular-saw-blades (nice resonating ring) and also glass, pots, lids, rocks, wooden-bowls, microphoned balloons of different inflations (use helium in a walk-in-freezer for a more constant tone, but the tuning is gone in less than 3 hours) And of course, do not negelect "Curly's" (Three Stooges) approach of you own skull (rap on top in the middle and open close the throat for resonate tones.)

Have Fun!
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Ernest
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 06:54 AM

No one mentioned the lagerphone yet? Where are all our Aussies?
You will find lots of volunteers willing to provide the material - at least some of it... ;0)
Regards
Ernest

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Terry Allan Hall
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 08:49 AM

Dobro or Hawaiian guitar
Ukelele (soprano, baritone or tenor)
balalaika
Greek and/or Irish bouzouki
Congas/bongos
acoustic or standup bass

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 11:39 AM

Lute and Sitar

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 06:42 PM

Lindsay Pollock is an Aussie who has done lots of interesting things in the field of simple instruments made from unusual items - the 'thongophone' - no, no, no, it's a tuned set of plastic drain pipes played by slapping it with a rubber thong... :-)

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 06:43 PM

A small plasticky carrier bag. Scrunch it together (bit like an accordian) in rythm to the music. You will either get a standing ovation or thrown out.

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Miken
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 06:48 PM

Ellenpoly you are truly adventurous! I want to play passable fiddle before I die, so that's my next one!

Subject: RE: have a go - which instrument to try?
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 07 Nov 04 - 03:56 AM

fiddles of various sizes I have - I also have things called boomwhackers sounds a bit like your thongophone as they are tuned plastic pipes that you play by hitting them against things great fun for gretting rid of frustration! plastic bag sounds great too