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12 Oct 08 - 09:02 AM (#2463565) Subject: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Nick 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? |
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12 Oct 08 - 09:52 AM (#2463588) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Leadfingers 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 ? |
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12 Oct 08 - 09:52 AM (#2463591) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Mr Happy http://oddstrument.com/2008/09/21/balloon-lady-experimental-music/ |
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12 Oct 08 - 02:34 PM (#2463774) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: MoorleyMan Check out The Amazing Mr Smith... http://www.the-amazing-mr-smith.co.uk/ Not only balloons, but much more besides! |
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13 Oct 08 - 01:01 AM (#2464124) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Gurney 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. |
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13 Oct 08 - 03:07 AM (#2464150) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Paul Burke 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. |
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13 Oct 08 - 03:20 AM (#2464159) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Rasener Another |
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13 Oct 08 - 04:08 AM (#2464175) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Jack Blandiver 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. |
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13 Oct 08 - 04:09 AM (#2464176) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Liz the Squeak 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 |
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13 Oct 08 - 06:00 PM (#2464762) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Tangledwood I thought that balloons are only used in pop music. |
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13 Oct 08 - 06:46 PM (#2464791) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Lonesome EJ Few know that Frank Zappa was a virtuoso on bicycle |
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13 Oct 08 - 08:39 PM (#2464857) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Uncle Phil 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 |
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14 Oct 08 - 12:47 AM (#2464991) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Gurney They accompany netball with balloons here in NZ, and a threatening roar they make. |
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14 Oct 08 - 07:33 AM (#2465142) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: SPB-Cooperator One of my party pieces is Cage's 4'33" played on cross-head screwdriver and spirit level. |
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14 Oct 08 - 05:17 PM (#2465657) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Arkie 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. |
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15 Oct 08 - 05:56 AM (#2466086) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Trevor 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'. |
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15 Oct 08 - 12:28 PM (#2466375) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Lin in Kansas Uncle Phil, you beat me to the Slinkies. Were you there to hear John McEuen play cicada?? Yes, the bug. Lin |
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15 Oct 08 - 03:01 PM (#2466531) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Arkie 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. |
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15 Oct 08 - 04:24 PM (#2466614) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: jeffp And who can forget PDQ Bach and his Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle and Balloons? |
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15 Oct 08 - 04:34 PM (#2466622) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: MMario 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. |
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15 Oct 08 - 05:41 PM (#2466696) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Rapparee 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 |
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15 Oct 08 - 05:44 PM (#2466702) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Arkie 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. |
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15 Oct 08 - 05:49 PM (#2466706) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Tangledwood Les Barker's "Sensodyne" has some accompanying toothbrushes. The CD cover gives player credits for electric toothbrush and acoustic toothbrushes. |
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16 Oct 08 - 08:37 AM (#2467156) Subject: RE: Odd accompanying instruments - balloons From: Uncle Phil Lin - I must have missed that - how does John play cicada? - Phil |
